Overview
- Flagged off on December 29 from Porbandar by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan with Oman’s ambassador in attendance, the voyage retraces historic India–Oman sea routes.
- Built without an engine or metal fastenings, the 65‑foot vessel’s wooden planks are stitched with coconut coir and sealed with natural resins to create a flexible hull.
- The project, run under a Ministry of Culture–Indian Navy–Hodi Innovations agreement, drew on Ajanta iconography and was validated through naval architecture and hydrodynamic testing with academic partners including IIT Madras.
- Indian Navy officers are leading the expedition, with Commander Vikas Sheoran as skipper and Commander Y. Hemant Kumar as officer‑in‑charge, as the crew documents austere life aboard with minimal amenities.
- Sailing roughly 800 nautical miles to Muscat over about 15 days, the mission blends at‑sea testing of ancient seamanship with maritime diplomacy highlighting shared India–Oman heritage.