In the otherwise quiet Divar island kissed by the River Mandovi in Goa, the only busy place these days is Hodi Innovations Shipyard.
At this shipyard, shipwrights, specially meant for the task, are working overtime to meet the 2025 deadline of completing a dream project -- a stitched ship -- to honour India's maritime heritage.
The traditional shipwrights, who are assisted by helpers, are giving shape and form to the ship by using cords and ropes to put the woodwork together.
The keel laying ceremony of this ship took place on September 12, 2023, at the Hodi Innovations Shipyard in the presence of high-profile dignitaries from the Indian Navy and the Central Ministry.
The stitched ship, propelled by sails, is expected to be ready next year for a historic voyage with a crew of 13 members from Cuttack to Bali in Indonesia in November 2025.
And for the connoisseurs of maritime heritage, a golden opportunity awaits to learn more about the project at the International Centre Goa (ICG) in Dona Paula on October 15 at 6 pm.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Captain Saleh Al Jabri, a retired officer of the Royal Navy of Oman, will be the two speakers, who will share insights into maritime heritage.
The stitched ship project is the brainchild of Sanyal and is backed by the Union Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy. Captain Saleh had commanded a stitched ship of the Oman Navy on a five-month voyage from Muscat to Singapore in 2010.
With their experience, both speakers at the event will enhance the depth of the discussion surrounding the project. With their diverse backgrounds, one deeply rooted in economic policy and the other in naval tradition, the conversation will have varied perspectives.
The construction of stitched sips is a dying Indian Ocean tradition. These are vessels which were were built by stitching wooden planks with coir ropes. Other than kettuvallams in Kerala (In Malayalam, "kettu" means "to tie" and "vallom" means "boat"), stitched boats can be found in Goa and in the Lakshadweep islands.
The stitched ship is being built by the father-son duo of Ratnakar and Prathamesh Dandekar, who are considered to be among India’s premier boat builders.
Babu Shankaran, who was involved in the Oman government’s stitched ship project, is also part of this project.
This initiative honours the extensive maritime legacy of India, fostering recognition and admiration for our historical connection to the oceans.