Kolkata, Nov 13 — The Indian Navy's 40-foot ocean-going sailing vessel, INSV Hariyal, has embarked on a 1,600-nautical-mile expedition from Goa to Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to commemorate the historic Southeast Asian voyages undertaken by ancient mariners from Kalinga (present-day Odisha) during Kartik Purnima.
Highlighting the significance of the voyage, the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) stated that the expedition evokes India's age-old maritime links with Southeast Asia and the legacy of navigating with seasonal monsoon winds.
"Celebrating this rich heritage, the voyage will hone seamanship and professional competence, test endurance and resilience, foster camaraderie and promote sailing as a sport and a culture of adventure, while encouraging a vibrant sailing culture in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands," the Command added.
Over 2,500 years ago, Sadhabas (mariner merchants from Kalinga) sailed across the Bay of Bengal aboard large wooden ships known as boitas, transporting spices, textiles, ivory, and precious stones to Sri Lanka and distant Southeast Asian ports including Bali, Java, and Sumatra.
Relying on seasonal wind patterns, these mariners departed as the southwest monsoon subsided, using the calm full moon of Kartik Purnima as their traditional launch date before returning with the northeast monsoon.
In Odisha, this maritime heritage continues to be observed during Kartik Purnima through Boita Bandana (also known as Danga Bhasa), where people gather along rivers, ponds, and coastal shores at dawn to float miniature decorative boats crafted from paper, banana bark, or cork, adorned with betel leaves, betel nuts, flowers, and earthen lamps. The tradition is also celebrated through Bali Jatra, a major annual open-air fair held on the banks of the Mahanadi River at Gadagadia Ghat in Cuttack.
Named after the yellow-footed green pigeon, the state bird of Maharashtra, INSV Hariyal is one of six ocean-going sailing yachts operated by the Indian Navy alongside INSV Mhadei, Tarini, Bulbul, Kadalpura, and Neelkanth.
The vessel is regularly deployed for adventure expeditions, coastal awareness drives, and personnel training in navigation, seamanship, and communication.
Its previous missions include the 2020 'Maha-Navy Connect' coastal awareness voyage along Maharashtra's ports, a 2022 overseas training deployment to Trincomalee Port in Sri Lanka alongside four sister vessels, and participation in the 2024 Inter-Command Ocean Sailing Race in Goa, where it represented the Eastern Naval Command and the Andaman and Nicobar Command.