The port town of Beypore, 11 kilometres from Calicut, is where an ancient ship-building industry still survives

If you look for Beypore on a map, chances are you will never find it. But this sleepy coastal hamlet in Kerala was once a major port holding the glorious history of Indian trade with the Middle East. Even today, millions of rupees exchange hands here.

Huge wooden vessels –‘dhows’ – were born here and are still made here. Once they were a link to the area’s medieval maritime culture. Today, the Beypore boatyard is slowly awakening to new challenges and needs of the international market, and efforts are on to bring it in sync with the modern era.

History
Beypore was the centre for shipbuilding since the 1st century AD, and was further expanded under the East India Company, during the 19th century. The dhows made here regularly plied the Indian Ocean – between the Swahili coast, the coasts of Arabia, Iran and India, and even as far as China. The Arab merchants down the ages came here seeking the treasures of Malabar – spices, coffee, sandalwood and silk. It was through the Malabar shores that the first Keralite migrants to the Persian Gulf started smuggling themselves in dhows that carried goods to the Gulf ports.

Though the art and science of dhows came from the Arab world, according to the Association of Sumerian ships, Japan, Sumerian ships were built in Beypore and it had direct links with Mesopotamia. It is also believed that the sturdy wooden barges used during Cleopatra’s reign and the ones used by Napoleon were built at Beypore.

Marvellous Art
The dhows of Beypore are unique in their designs and durability. A remarkable feature of the “dhow” technology is that they are crafted without referring to any documents, plans or blue prints. A master plan will be in the ‘Maistry’s’ (master craftsman) mind; his worn-out hands and sharp eyes are all that are needed to coax a boat out of wood.

“For modern ship-makers, our traditional techniques are still a mystery,” says V K Narayanan, an 81-year-old, who still crafts dhows for P I Ahammed Koya Haji Boat Builders. Even today, the formula of dhow-making remains a closely guarded secret handed down across generations.

Another amazing feature of the dhow is the pre-calculated waterline mark around the hull, which will be precise when the boat is launched. “Our elders had no books for reference, nor did they write down what they learnt. They trusted their eyes and had faith in their hands,” says Narayanan.

Special methods were used from historic times: like the use of coir rope and tar to seal joints and cotton soaked in fish oil in crevices to ensure watertight seals and the longevity of the boat. Dhows easily last for 50 years – without requiring any major repairs or servicing.

“The Beypore ships were usually around 300 to 600 tonnes and are fit to carry as much as 2,000 tonnes of merchandise or 150 people” says Abdulla Baramy, who owns the boat building company Haji Mohammed Baramy Sons. Boat-building is in his blood – his family has been engaged in it for seven generations.

The Industry Today
Beypore dhows are now being used in Gulf countries for pleasure cruises. Traditional wind-driven boats have been re-jigged as engine-driven vessels, and luxuriously decked up for their affluent owners.

Baramy’s voice is filled with warm pride when he shares details of the dhows he has made recently for his Middle-East clients. He can still remember the dimensions of each of his boats. When asked about the smallest and cheapest dhow, he says, “It was 45 feet and cost Rs. 30 lakh.” Prices vary with size and the wood used.

Currently, Baramy Boat Builders has orders for two large boats from a Kuwait-based businessman. It will engage his carpenters for 18 months. Almost 25,000 cubic feet of timber would go into it and fetch them close to Rs 2 billion. “On completion, the dhow would be fitted with a 1,000-horse-power engine and winched into the sea by a force of 100-strong men,” he says.

Even though people like Baramy still exist because of their firm contacts with the Middle-East, the industry is in a sorry state today. Only a handful of artisans remain. The non-availability of the good quality timber and the high prices of teak also trouble the industry. “A boat completely made out of Malabar teak will cost around Rs 8 billion. So, we import a variety of timber, from Malaysia,” Baramy says.

Rays of Hope
“The dhow has got a wide range of potential use – in tourism as well as in international trade,” says K.K.N. Kurup, Director-General, Centre for Heritage Studies, Kochi. The centre is an autonomous heritage conservation project. “When fibre boats are banned in many countries, dhows which last more than 50 years are always better than ships which will not last more than 20 years,” he says. But it is a sad fact that much of the industry has not spared a thought for the new demands of the world market. “To pass on the skill to the new generation, there should be organized centres like CHS,” Kurup says.

Under the ‘Uru’ project of CHS, the State Government had sanctioned Rs.70 lakh for training and boat building. The first dhow completed at the yard of the Centre for Heritage Ship Technologies, Beypore was to be handed over to the Department of Tourism, to be used for developing waterway cruises to places that come under the Muziris Heritage Project. “But the dhow completed months ago is still not in the water, as the harbour is not yet fixed and staff not posted,” says Kurup.

Another irony is that while other countries are showcasing the dhows made in Beypore in their museums, a Kerala government ‘uru museum’ in Beypore featuring different types of the traditional vessels is only in the planning stage.

For now, the Beypore dhow craftsmen are holding on to the hope that these first stirrings of interest from the government will take root, and help the ailing industry heal and gain a fresh leash on life.

By Nisary Mahesh