Indian Navy's tall ship INS Tarangini makes a grand appearance in Plymouth

INS Tarangini started her European journey in May from her home port in Kochi. During her voyage to 17 ports in 14 countries, she will showcase India to the world, demonstrate the Indian Navy's global reach and participating in the ships races.

Three months after she left the Indian shores, she has now arrived in Plymouth where she will spend three days in the Devenport dock district before continuing on her voyage to Norway and the annual ships races.  

During her stay in Plymouth, the ship's crew and cadets will visit Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth where they will play sporting fixtures and meet Royal Navy colleagues to share professional experiences. Subsequently, two Royal Navy midshipmen from Britain will embark INS Tarangini for its next leg from Plymouth to Norway.

INS Tarangini is the first sail training ship of the Indian Navy and her name has been derived from the Hindi word tarang which means 'waves'. Constructed in Goa by British naval architect Colin Mudie, she was commissioned in the Indian Navy on November 11, 1997. The ship's complement includes 6 officers, 27 crew and 30 trainees. She provides an ideal setting for the first-hand experience to the cadets embarking on a Naval career. The training onboard aims not only to expose young officers and sailors to the use of sails and various types of operations of the ships of bygone era but also to inculcate in each trainee, esprit de corps, physical and mental agility and leadership qualities.

The Indian ship's latest European voyage will continue until December 2015 and in that time she is expected to cover a distance of 17,000 miles and sail through the iconic Mediterranean sea, North sea and the Red sea. The 8-month voyage to 17 ports in 14 countries will showcase India to the world and demonstrate the Indian Navy's global reach. The journey is codenamed 'Lokayan 15', has been chosen as 'Tacking for a Broader Reach'. 

But this is not the first time INS Tarangini is embarking on such a grand itinerary. In the last 15 years, Tarangini has participated in 13 expeditions sailing nearly 190,000 miles, visiting 74 ports in 39 countries and transforming young naval cadets into mariners.

Tarangini started its first circumnavigation of the globe in 2003-04 with the theme of "building bridges of friendship across the oceans becoming the first Indian naval ship to circumnavigate the globe in 2003-04.

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