Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Do you know that INSV Tarini that entered Fremantle (Australia) port today with country’s first all-women crew on board has an Odisha connect.

The boat has been named after the famous ‘Tara-Tarini’ temple in Ganjam district. According to sources, the word ‘Tarini’ means a boat and in Sanskrit the word means saviour.

‘Tara-Tarini’ is a patron deity for sailors and merchants and is worshipped for safety and success at sea.

The INSV Tarini vessel skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, with crew comprising Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta entered Fremantle port today during its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe.

Earlier, Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had flagged off INSV Tarini from Goa on September 10. The vessel has covered 4,800 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25 and the Tropic of Capricorn on October 16, sources said.

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As part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign, the INSV Tarini, a 56-foot sailing vessel was inducted in the Indian Navy this year.

The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ is in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. It also aims to showcase ‘Nari Shakti’ on the world platform and help revolutionize societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising visibility of their participation in challenging environs.

The vessel would return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. The expedition is being covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

The crew has also been collating and updating meteorological, ocean and wave data on a regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and also monitoring marine pollution on the high seas. They would interact extensively with the local populace, especially children, during the port halt to promote Ocean sailing and the spirit of adventure.

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The vessel is likely to depart Fremantle on November 5.

(With PIB inputs)
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