Author: Arunachalam B
Place: Mumbai
Publisher: Work Center Offset Printers Pvt Ltd
Year: 2002
Pages: 334
ISBN: 81-901000-3-3
Subject: Bombay/ Mumbai
Sub-Subject: History
Keyword: Ancient Indian Navigation, Indian Ocean, Maritime History
Classification: 387.509
Shelf: C3R2
Accession No: B1187
Contents: 1- Source Material for indigenous navigation technology 2- Basic navigation parameters in Indian traditions 3- Astral Navigation- Steering by the stars 4- The Ra-p-Palagai Sastram 5- Sun observations in the Indian Seas 6- Stellar Location Fix 7- The problem of Longitude Convergence 8- Traditional sea and sky wisdom 9- Indian sea-voyages 10- Native Indian sea-charts 11- Beliefs, faiths and superstitions of the seaman Appendix-I: Glossary of Select Navigation Terminology Appendix-II: Choice excerpts from Tamil, Malayalam and Kutchi-Gujarati Manuals, Appendix-III: Kutchi-Gujarati Chart of the Red Sea, Index
Abstract: The ancient Indian navigator, skilled in the art of navigation, sailed the north Indian Ocean and adjacent seas using celestial bodies, seasonal winds, ocean currents, and natural phenomena, without modern tools like a magnetic compass or chronometer. He navigated using wind roses, star constellations, and rhumb lines, adjusting for distances and latitude variations. Though he lacked precise longitude measurements, his practical experience allowed him to master the seas. This knowledge, passed down through generations in coastal communities like Kutch and Malabar, was preserved through oral traditions and closely guarded by seafaring groups like the Mu-Alims and Tandels.