Indian Navy’s INSV Tarini inducted

Indian Navy’s second ocean-going sailboat INSV Tarini was inducted at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool on Saturday in Goa.
INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Divar-based Aquarius Shipyard.  It is slated to be the platform for the Indian Navy’s first Indian all-women circumnavigation of the globe expedition.

Key Facts

• INSV (Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Tarini has been built to a stock design called called Tonga 56 by Van de Stadt, the Netherlands.
• It carries a suite of six sails, including a main sail, head sails (Genoa and stay sails), downwind sails and storm sail.
• Its mast is 25 metres and has been custom-built by M/s Southern Spars, Cape Town (South Africa), for sailing in extreme conditions.
• It has Raymarine navigation suite and an array of satellite communication systems on board through which contact can be made from anywhere.
• INSV Tarini’s predecessor INSV Mhadei learning experiences have been incorporated into it. The INSV Mhadei has sailed over 1,15,000 nautical miles in the past eight years.
• It includes voyages like the first Indian solo globe circumnavigation undertaken by Dilip Donde in 2009 and the first solo, non-stop unassisted circumnavigation undertaken by Abhilash Tomy in 2013.

Naming of INSV Tarini

INSV Tarini has been named after the Tara-Tarini hill shrine located on the Kumari hills on the banks of Rushikulya river in Ganjam district of Odisha. In Sanskrit, the word Tarini means both boat and saviour. Tara-Tarini was the traditional patron deity for sailors and merchants of ancient Odisha, who is worshipped for safety and success at sea. This holy shrine is linked to the worship of Tara, the primordial deity of the Mahayana Buddhism. Later, it became a major shrine of Tantra. In the sanctorum of Tara Tarini temple, a small idol in meditating posture is found hinting its ancient Buddhist links.  ‘Sadhabas’, the ancient sea faring merchants from Odisha used to rever Tara-Tarini and worshipped at this shrine before starting their sea voyage.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2017