INTRODUCTION
Boats are a significant component in the lives of people in Kerala, being nested in the vast coast of the Arabian Sea. Kerala holds a history of 2000 years in boat making that connected them to the western world. Even before majestic boats, Kerala had small boats to navigate and fish in the river and sea. Above, these boats are also lifesavers to Kerala during the recurrent floods in the monsoon season. The boats in Kerala are of various types, sizes as well and materials. There are small riverine boats called vallam, and the large ships like Uru are built in Kerala. For people in Kerala, boats, rafts, and ships are integral to their daily life. The ships also mark the symbol of survival of people in Kerala, as it has allowed them to travel to various parts of the world for trade and work, creating a strong community across the globe. Let’s dive into its making.
ORIGINS
The shipbuilding and its usage were not a new thing to India, and it was a most common way of navigation and transport during the Indus Valley civilisation, with its strongest archeological site of dockyards, rivers, seals, and terracotta figurines. The shipbuilding tradition of Kerala dates back 2000 years. Some historians have found connections to Beypore in the history of the Israeli ruler Solomon (about 900 BC). His sailors and tradesmen used to bring valuable commodities from Malabar. After that, the Romans came for trade. Kerala’s teak timber possesses unique characteristics that have existed since ancient times. Malabar’s woods provide ample teak and other timbers, which were transported through rivers and managed by experienced laborers to contribute to shipbuilding. Trade with Arabs has led to increased shipbuilding in Malabar.
The Early Historic period has provided better evidence of shipbuilding. There were Pan-Indian interactions, “rudimentary” urbanization, political conflicts, craft-specialization, and the Indian Ocean trade, induced by the internal and external factors like the spice trade and the Roman Empire that impacted Kerala. The Classical texts and archaeological records attest to the vibrant trade and the multi-functional towns with markets, ports, and manufacturing and boat-building centres. Tondi, Muchiris, and Nelkynda have also been found. Moreover, the famous Pattanam excavations have found shards of evidence of Pattanam Canoe as well as of various foreign relations of Kerala. Further, the Tamil Sangam texts also mention shipbuilding activities in Kerala.
YEARS OF FLOURISH
The flourishing of shipbuilding in Kerala happened with the trade of Arabs from the Middle East, Jews, the Dutch, as well as the East Indian company. With Arabs becoming important traders as well as settlers in Kerala, the demand for ships increased, leading to an increased demand for ships. This increased the production. And in the period of the Dutch, there was an increased demand for ships in Bombay during the 19th century, and this was met with Cochin. Before the advent of the steamship transformed navigation to and from Indian ports in the 1820s, most of the shipbuilding was in West Bengal as well as Bombay, but Bombay couldn’t match the increased demand. This led stakeholders in the industry to give shipbuilders in Surat, Pegu (now Bago, Myanmar), and Manila, as well as Kerala, a chance to build ships. And the ships built in Kerala were of top-notch leading the Britishers as well as other traders to focus on Kerala for their need of ships. The British, particularly the East India Company, played a significant role in Kerala’s shipbuilding, primarily through their exploitation of teak timber from the Nilambur forests as well as The Forest surveys have led to the establishment of shipbuilding yards in areas like Cochin. They also utilized existing shipbuilding infrastructure in Kochi and nearby areas to build ships, including frigates, for their naval fleet.
MOTIFS EMPLOYED
There are various types of vessels used as well as built on the coast of Kerala. Raft, dugout, and plank-built boats are the main traditional types on the Kerala coast.
- A raft is made of some roughly shaped logs fastened together to float down a river or to serve as a boat.
- A dugout is a single-log craft, which is scooped out in the middle. It is employed all over Kerala for catching fish.
- Plank-built boats are further classified into 2 categories: one is stitched and the second is built with nailed planks.
- Stitched-planked craft is manufactured by using coir and synthetic ropes.
- The types of wood used for shipbuilding in Kerala are alpassi, mullumurukku or panniclavu (Ceiba pentandra), perumaram/alanta (Alianthus excelsa), pilivaka (Albizzia falcatria), malamurukku (Samanea saman), pilavu (Artocarpus integrifolias), mavu (Magnifera indica), ayini/annili (Artocarpus hirsuta), punna (Callophyllum inophyllum) and cadacci (Grewia tiliaefolia). The bending process is purely based on the traditional method by applying a kind of fish oil or cow dung on the planks.
Apart from this, along the coast of Kerala, we can find different types of crafts likekattamaram, chalattadi, kambavala vallam, karamadi vallam, vallam, vanchi, toni, odam, patti, padi, paduva, paruva, uru, pattemari and so on. These are different varieties of vessels that are used for various purposes like fishing, racing, transportation of cargo, ferry, and other such purposes. These can be traced back to certain literary works from the classical Tamil works.
PORT OF SHIPS
Beypore is world-renowned for its traditional boat-building industry, particularly for the construction of the iconic “Uru” boats. These large wooden ships have been built in Beypore for centuries and are known for their durability, craftsmanship, and beauty. The Uru boats were historically used for trade and transport by Arab merchants and played a crucial role in the maritime trade of the Indian Ocean. The boat-building yards of Beypore, known as Khalasis, which is a beautiful sight of vastness. Skilled artisans, using traditional techniques passed down through generations, meticulously handcraft these massive boats. The process involves intricate woodwork, precise measurements, and a deep understanding of maritime engineering.
Beypore festival is an important celebration of the historical stakeholders of Beypore in shipbuilding. The Beypore International Water Festival, celebrated as India’s largest water festival, positions Kozhikode as a premier destination for adventure water sports. This vibrant event features an array of water sports, culinary delights, and cultural galas. The Beypore Lighthouse, located near the beach, is another prominent landmark of the town. The lighthouse, with its tall structure and distinctive red and white stripes, provides a serene view of the shipbuilding, ‘Urus’, and the beach.
PRESENT
The shipbuilding in Kerala has a long history of craft and skilled production dating back to time immemorial, which is still being passed down to generations. Though being adjusted to modern technological innovations, Kerala still holds its supremacy in shipbuilding. The development of Cochin shipyard, Beypore port, as well as Alappuzha and Kollam, is the symbol of the significance Kerala gives to shipbuilding. Currently, the Cochin shipyard is one of the largest shipbuilding and maintenance ports in India. The recent Vizinjam project as well as upcoming projects on the Trivandrum port and others, are the steps of Kerala to adaptation, and focus towards the future in shipbuilding, imbuing the essence of growth and development. Moreover, the boats are also now functioning as lifesavers during floods as well as for travel, like a metro, as Kerala has introduced its water metro. This was introduced in Kochi Water Metro as a public water transport system, designed to connect the city’s 10 islands with the mainland. It is India’s first water metro and an integrated water transport system in Asia.
Sources
Different Styles and Designs of Kerala Vessels, Dr.Greeshmalatha. A.P., Associate ProfessorS.N. College, Chempazhanthy, Thiruvananthapuram,https://sncollegechempazhanthy.ac.in/reports/vessels_greeshma_history.pdf
Ancient Ship-Building & Maritime Trade by D. P. Agrawal & Lalit Tiwari,https://indicmandala.com/ancient-ship-building-maritime-trade/
Literary and Ethnographic Evidence for Traditional Boat-building in Kerala (2011) , South India By Veerasamy Selvakumar