SHIP BUILDERS OF MANDVI
1. The western coast of Gujarat over the centuries has played
host to numerous traders and their fleets of ships which docked upon its
fertile shores for trade and commerce. The world became smaller and need to
reach out to faraway lands grew, which in turn needed a viable medium of
travel. Man looked to the sea from where the westerns came and sought out to
build ships which would ferry their dreams to distant lands.
2. Somewhere amidst this frenzy of development which defines Gujarat
today is a small, somewhat lesser known town of Mandvi. Situated at the shores
of the Arabian Sea, Mandvi is a unique town with a unique art preserved in its
pristine form, the art of ship building. Times have progressed much beyond our
comprehension and so has the art of ship building, however the ship builders of
Mandvi still build ships the way they did centuries back.
4. The process of ship building is long, strenuous and requires
unbelievable amount of patience. I was lucky to have been given access to
photograph one such wooden ship under construction and witnessed almost one
whole days work. What is even more interesting is that the concept, design,
mechanics, architecture, engine positioning, the entire process requires a
great deal of engineering knowledge, or so I thought.
5. On my conversation with
the engineer who designs most of these ships I learnt that the art has been
passed on to him a legacy by his father and he has no formal knowledge or a
degree even remotely close to engineering. Not just this, what startled me most
was that the entire lot of over 200 workers, most of them uneducated, were
being managed by a 17 year old boy, whose confidence and leadership skill could
give any MNC CEO a run for his money.
6. The sheer energy and absolutely positive and vibrant attitude
of the workers was infectious. They sang and played and laughed and even posed
for the camera but not for a second did the work stall. The majestic structures
from inside seemed timeless and would give one a feeling of being in an ancient
world. The walls of the ship are bolted with thousands of bolts and nuts and
the floors are made of gigantic logs of wood. The ship is almost 3 stories high
with 3 layers of wooden floors. The entire structure is supported with huge
wooden logs criscrossed to hold it in place.
7. One ship takes no less
than 3-4 years to build and costs no less than 1-2 crores. The entire
town seems to be somehow related to this business of ship building. Everyone I
spoke to seemed proud of this almost extinct legacy that is being preserved in
their town. A truly magical experience for me which for some strange reason
does not find mention in the much acclaimed tourism advertisement of Gujarat
hosted by mr Amitabh Bachhan.
8. Every worker i met there had a different story to tell, different alibi to be there in that moment..existing. Ahmad a 18 year old craftsman was married with a dream to travel to saudi in one these ships and make enough money to come back and start a family. Its striking that a boy married much before his legal age, atleast had the maturity and self esteem to be able to have a standing of his own before he blindly jumps into making babies. sadly i know many in the neo modern world who are older and have a gifted identity and inherited life with absolutely no self esteem.
9. The sheer magnanimity of the docks was unnerving, but what was even more moving was the uncanny spirit with which the young boys worked with to keep this fast disappearing skill alive. kudos to this vast nation which encompasses such plethora of vivid art forms which at times dont find a suitable place in our minds, yet the lost india lives on ..happy ..contented..colourless. 