Painting of ‘merchant’ ship at Ajanta Cave 17 inspired INSV Kaundinya: Expert

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A painting of a “merchant ship” at Ajanta Cave No. 17, indicating sea trade during the fifth century, inspired the Indian Navy’s traditionally-built stitched vessel INSV Kaundinya, an expert has said.

The Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted INSV Kaundinya, a recreation of a fifth-century vessel, named in honour of legendary Indian mariner Kaundinya, who once sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia.

An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official, who is also an expert on the world-famous Ajanta caves, said, “The ship depicted in Cave 17 resembles a merchant vessel, indicating the existence of maritime trade during the fifth century.” Another official described the artwork as one of the earliest surviving visual records of trade through the sea route from that era.

“We can identify details like a boat and a sail in this painting. That’s why it was chosen for this project, he said.

The late historian Walter Spink, in his book ‘Ajanta: A brief history and guide’, wrote about Cave 17. According to the book, its excavation was sponsored by Upendragupta (in the fifth century), the feudatory ruler of the Ajanta. However, the work came to a halt after he was defeated by the Asmakas in 471 CE.

Art historian Saili Palande-Datar linked this painting to the Purna Avadana, a narrative from Buddhist literature. She said several Ajanta caves feature paintings of ships.

“We can connect this particular ship with the Purna Avadana Katha. Purna and Bhavila brothers were sandalwood traders from Shurparaka (present-day Sopara near Mumbai). They made six sea voyages. While Purna embraced Buddhism and settled at Sopara, Bhavila made a seventh voyage to get sandalwood,” she told PTI.

During the trip, Bhavila was stopped by a “Yaksha” named Maheshwar, who tried to sink the ship, said the art historian.

“After Bhavila prayed to Purna, the latter appeared and saved him and the ship. Later, they created a ‘vihara’ out of sandalwood in Sopara. To meet them, Buddha is said to have come from Shravasti to Sopara. This is a mythical narrative which reflects the spread of Buddhism in Maharashtra’s Konkan region,” she said.