The Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an initiative to revive and preserve the 2000-year-old technique of shipbuilding known as the ‘stitched shipbuilding method’ (Tankai method).
- The Indian Navy will oversee the implementation and execution of the entire project.
- These ships, constructed by stitching wooden planks together rather than using nails, offered flexibility and durability, making them less susceptible to damage from shoals and sandbars.
- Although the arrival of European ships led to a shift in shipbuilding techniques, the art of stitching ships has survived in a few coastal regions of India, primarily for small local fishing boats.
