The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, which completed its maiden voyage from Porbandar and arrived in Muscat on January 14, has started its journey back home today.
"INSV Kaundiya begins its return journey from Muscat today. I am back in India, but seventeen members of the crew will be on board, " said Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, who had pitched the idea of a stitched ship.
The voyage of this traditionally built stitched sail vessel stood as a powerful symbol of the deep-rooted maritime, cultural, and civilisational ties spanning over 5,000 years between India and Oman.
It also highlighted the fact that oceans are connective corridors rather than barriers, enabling sustained interaction between the two nations. The expedition assumed special significance as the two nations celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations.
The ship embarked on its maiden voyage from Porbandar in the western Indian state of Gujarat to Muscat on December 29.
The legendary voyage of Kaundinya, dated to around the 1st century CE, must be understood within the broader framework of the Indian Ocean maritime network, in which the western coast of India and the Omani-Arab seaboard played a pivotal role. Kaundinya's sea crossing reflects a well-established tradition of Indian blue-water navigation that connected India with Arabia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia centuries before the rise of European maritime powers.
By this period, Oman's ports—notably Muscat, Sohar, and Sur—were already integral nodes in the Indian Ocean trading system. Omani and Arab sailors were masters of monsoon-driven navigation, a knowledge system shared with Indian mariners from Gujarat, Konkan, Kerala, and the Coromandel Coast. Ships similar to those associated with Kaundinya would have followed these seasonal wind patterns, enabling long-distance voyages across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Captain Saleh Said Al Jabri, Captain of the Jewel of Muscat, explained that the arrival of the Indian Navy sailing vessel “Kaundinya” emulates the history that has linked Oman and India for thousands of years through the use of traditional sailing ships navigating by monsoon winds, which fostered the growth of commercial and social ties between them.
Commander Visas Sheoran, Skipper of the INSV Kaundinya, stated that the voyage from the Republic of India to the Sultanate of Oman took 17 days. He noted that the ship will remain in Oman for twenty days to undergo necessary maintenance work before its return journey to India.
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