Boita

Construction

Rules and regulations regarding construction of ships were recorded in the Sanskrit text Yuktikalpataru (ଯୁକ୍ତିକଲ୍ପତରୁ Juktikalpataru) authored by King Bhoja. The Madalapanji (ମାଦଳପାଞ୍ଜି) records that king Bhoja built many ships with local wood. The recovery of many woodworking adzes and other artifacts from Chilika Lake (ଚିଲିକା) shows that Golabai was a boat-building center.

Yuktikalpataru

The treatise Yuktikalpataru has sections on ships which deals with classification and characteristics of ship building such as varieties of woods best suited for construction of ships, the classification of vessels for river-going(sāmānya) and sea-going vessels(viśeṣa), their names and respective measurements, types of decorations and painting of ships, various types of ship cabins etc.

Wood for the construction of ships

For the construction of ships, four kinds of woods were distinguished.

• Brahmajati: this group consists of wood that is light and soft and can easily be joined to any other kind of wood.
• Kshetrahati: the wood is light and hard but cannot be joined on to other woods
• Vaisyajati: the wood is soft and heavy
• Sudrajati: the wood is characterised by both hardness and heaviness
• Dvijati: the wood is of mixed variety which has blended properties of two separate groups

The text also mentions that iron was not used in sea-going vessels, hence referring to dominance of stitched sewn boats, where the hulls were stitched together with a rope rather than nailed across a frame.

Classification of Ships

The ships are classified into two groups:

• river-going or ordinary called sāmānya (ସାମାନ୍ୟ)
• sea-going or special called viśeṣa (ବିଶେଷ)

The names and measurements of the two classified groups of ships are as follows:

Riverine/river-going/ordinary ships (Sāmānya)

The ships used in river traffic or waterways fall in this class. It is divided into ten groups with different dimensions.

Marine/sea-going/special ships (Viśeṣa)

The sea-going or special ships are divided into two categories:

• dīrghā (ଦୀର୍ଘା)- noted for their length
• unnatā (ଉନ୍ନତା)- noted for their height

Decoration and painting of Ships

Yuktikalpataru also gives elaborate directions for decorating and furnishing of ships.

Metals used for decorations

Kinds of Metals recommended for decorative purposes:

• Gold
• Silver
• Copper
• Compound of all above three

Colours

Types of colours recommended for the types of vessels(with masts):

Ship prow and body section decorations

The prows of the ships are also decorated with a great variety of fanciful shapes and forms like the heads of lion, buffalo, serpent, elephant, tiger, birds such as duck, peahen or parrot, frog and human. After painting the ship with the respective colour with regards to the mast, the body of the ship is then painted with pictures of celestial bodies such as sun, moon etc., deities, swan, peacock, parrot, lion, elephant, serpent, tiger and bees.

Other decorations used on the ships include thin sheets of metal on all sides (such ships are called kamalā), with a type of avājñāsika cloth (composed of mixed white, red, spotted yellow, black colours), decked with pearls (ships resembled the umbrella of navadaṇḍa type) and garlands of gold are also attached and hung from the ships.

Ship cabin types

Three classes of ships are classified according to the length and position of the cabins.

• Sarvamandirā (ସର୍ବମନ୍ଦିରା)
• Madhyamandirā (ମଧ୍ୟମନ୍ଦିରା)
• Agramandirā (ଅଗ୍ରମନ୍ଦିରା)