The six-member all-women crew on board the Indian Naval Shipping Vessel (INSV) Tarini, were welcomed home with aplomb after completing the historic mission of circumnavigating the globe.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she was honoured to flag-in the team in Panaji, Goa, on 21 May, amid celebratory pageantry congratulating the women for accomplishing the splendid feat.
Calling it a staggering achievement that adds to India’s glorious maritime chapter, the official Twitter handle of the Indian Navy also congratulated the crew.
#WelcomeHomeTarini
Congratulatory messages for the crew, tweeted with the #WelcomeHomeTarini, flooded social media soon after the official announcement.
The crew began their voyage on 10 September 2017 and completed circumnavigating the globe in 254 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter as well to wish the team and congratulate them on accomplishing what is the first-ever circumnavigation by an all women Indian crew.
The voyage, which was named ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, was headed by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi and her team of five naval officers, including Pratibha Jamwal, Aishwarya Boddapati, Patarapalli Swathi, Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta.
The journey which has been far from easy, was marked with tough weather conditions. While INSV Tarini was originally scheduled to return last month, but due to a damage in the steering gear they had to stop unscheduled at Port Louis in Mauritius for repair, causing the delay.
The crew braved through the storms, literally and figuratively, as they made their home-bound journey.
Lieutenant Commander Swathi P, navigation officer of Tarini, spoke about the most difficult parts of their journey, including sailing through storms at sub-zero temperatures in the Southern Pacific region.
Logistics Officer of INSV Tarini Lt. Payal Gupta, shared her experiences on the voyage and warm reception by Indian diaspora as they sailed across the globe.
The courageous expedition of INSV Tarini covered 21,600 nautical miles and crossed the Equator twice, sailing the three Great Capes — Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope.
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