Heritage – Maritime History Society

Vanguard of the Skies and the Seas: INAS 300

Posted on July 7, 2022July 6, 2022 by mhsadmin

By Ms Sadaf Khan, Archive and Collection Associate, Maritime History Society

Leading Fighter Air Squadron of the Indian Navy, the White Tigers was commissioned on 07 July 1960 by Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit, the then High Commissioner of India in Brawdy, Whales UK. During the commissioning ceremony Mrs. Pandit gave the Squadron its Crest- ‘White Tiger of Rewa’. With nine gallantry awards and unaccountable achievements in many major operations, White Tigers is one of the only squadrons to have operated in all three fighter aircrafts of the Indian Navy, the Sea Hawks, Sea Harrier and MiG-29K; and from all three Aircraft Carrier Ships I.e. INS Vikrant (R11), INS Viraat (R22) and INS Vikramaditya. Continue reading “Vanguard of the Skies and the Seas: INAS 300” →

Traversing the Oceans: Indian Seafaring through the Eons

Posted on June 25, 2022June 24, 2022 by mhsadmin

By Mr Dennard H D’Souza, Senior Research Associate, Maritime History Society

Figure 1 A Harappan seal depicting a reed boat coupled with oars. The presence of avian figures alludes to the historic disa-kaka used by seafarers in long distance travel. Source: Harappa.com

India has a long tradition of indigenous seafaring which is well attested from the late chalcolithic period to the late medieval period. Seafaring in India was a continuing practice contrary to the edicts of the Manusmriti That prohibited the crossing of seas especially those by Brahmins. Seafarers became the conduit through which Indian culture and religious traditions seeped into territories beyond the frontiers. In this article, we shall broadly speak of seafaring traditions from the earliest period up until the late medieval Continue reading “Traversing the Oceans: Indian Seafaring through the Eons” →

Trade and Polity in the Indian Ocean: State Formation in Late Medieval Kerala

Posted on March 24, 2022April 1, 2022 by mhsadmin

By Ms Jibita Jans Binnu, Research Intern, Maritime History Society

Introduction

The term Malabar denotes the Indian Subcontinent’s southwestern region, which comprises Malayalam-speaking areas. Geographically, it extended from the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea. Following the intrusion of the Europeans, the process of state creation and the idea of the power structure in various areas of Kerala underwent a massive change.

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Christian Kolis: Mumbai’s Living Heritage

Posted on December 24, 2021December 24, 2021 by Leora Pezarkar

By Leora Pezarkar, Senior Research Associate (Programs and Collections)

At the heart of the bustling city of Mumbai against its towering skyline is the narrow yet lively lanes of the Worli Koliwada, it is one of the many Koliwadas or fishermen hamlets within the city. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, the Worli Koliwada stands out for its picturesque view of the Bandra-Worli sea link, the brightly coloured fishing boats that sprawl the shoreline and the Worli Fort, a remnant of the British era. Continue reading “Christian Kolis: Mumbai’s Living Heritage” →

SOPARA: AN ANCIENT PORT TOWN AND ITS RELIGIOUS REMNANTS

Posted on March 31, 2021April 8, 2021 by Dennard D'Souza

By Dennard D’Souza, Research Associate, Maritime History Society

Ports were where maritime trade blossomed, people from far and wide brought their ware to an assigned place which would often be near a port and would exchange it for other commodities. This was pretty much the role of all ancient port towns like Alexandria and Rhodes. Today however I shall introduce one such port town that is very close to our city–Mumbai and was at one time a major maritime hub on the western coast of India this city is the ancient port town of Sopara.

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CAN WE HAVE THE ANCIENT SAILING EXPERIENCE?

Posted on August 31, 2020December 16, 2020 by Dennard D'Souza

By Dennard H D’Souza, Research Associate, Maritime History Society

While flipping through the pages of history, we hear the stories of great maritime voyages undertaken by brave Indian Sailors. Be it the stories of the Kalingan Sandabha who sailed from the coast of Odisha to the far-flung Bali some two thousand years ago, or be it the great Chola fleet that ploughed through the waters of the Indian Ocean to capture the lofty city gate, Vidydhara Torana of the Sri Vijayans. Don’t we feel the urge to witness those momentous events of Indian Maritime history? Don’t we want to experience the briny sprays that waft through the breeze as the sails hoist high? Many of us pine for that experience but some have managed to recreate nostalgic experience by reenacting such ambitious voyages.

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The Makara: Transforming a mythical creature into an object of Art

Posted on August 2, 2020September 16, 2020 by Dennard D'Souza

By Dennard H D’Souza ,Research Associate, Maritime History Society

My first encounter with the Makara was on a gateway of the Sanchi stupa. It featured a man wrestling with a serpentine monster geared with tusks of an elephant. Little was I aware of the creature and its significance in the Indian scheme of tradition. All of a sudden, it appeared in bas-reliefs and sculpture in lands as far as Japan. This set me thinking about the concept of Makara as a marine being that suddenly became a decorative motif all throughout Asia.

The Makara is a mythical creature which resides in the depth of the waters, where it lives in a state of elusive isolation. Like all mythical creatures, the Makara too has many fantastical descriptions. But most plastic representations portray it to be serpentine with a mouth of a crocodile and tusks and snout of an elephant.

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