Indian Navy ship welcomes over 500 Indian expats on board in Oman’s Salalah

Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini welcomed over 500 members of the Indian diaspora on board at Oman’s Salalah, including children and teachers from Indian School Salalah, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said on Friday.

"INS Sudarshini welcomed over 500 members of the Indian diaspora at Salalah, including children and teachers from Indian School Salalah, for a visit onboard Indian Navy’s premiere sail training ship. The crew introduced the visitors to life onboard a sail ship, and shared enriching experiences from their ongoing transoceanic expedition ‘Lokayan-26’,” the Embassy posted on X.

"The visit instilled a sense of pride among the visiting diaspora about the growing capabilities and widely-reckoned seafaring tradition of the Indian Navy,” it added.

Last month, INS Sudarshini set sail from Egypt’s Alexandria after concluding its port call, which included cross-training with the Egyptian Navy, professional interactions, and cultural engagements.

The 10-month Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition commenced from Kochi on January 20, with INS Sudarshini scheduled to cover approximately 22,000 nautical miles across 18 ports in 13 countries. Since the start of the voyage, the three-masted barque has traversed the Arabian, the Red, and the Mediterranean Seas, undertaken a transit of the Suez Canal, and participated in France’s prestigious maritime festival Escale a Sete maritime festival, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The ship subsequently undertook the historic first Atlantic crossing, arriving at Antigua on May 27 after a 19-day passage from Cape Verde. During the passage, the ship crossed the milestone of 10,000 nautical miles since departing Kochi. The ship subsequently sailed to the Azores and Portugal.

During the ongoing voyage, the trainees have gained extensive exposure to long-range ocean navigation and traditional seamanship. The Mediterranean passage has provided further hands-on experience in open-sea manoeuvring, sail handling, and traditional seamanship, according to the statement.

"Lokayan 26 represents the Indian Navy’s continued commitment to professional training, maritime outreach and strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation with partner nations. Through the deployment, INS Sudarshini has served as a floating ambassador of India’s rich seafaring heritage, carrying the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) across the oceans,” the Ministry of Defence statement said.

Indo-Asian News Service