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{{Short description|Ships built in the ancient Kalinga region}}
{{About|the Indian ships|the commune in Romania|Boița|Boïta in Guinea|Nzérékoré Prefecture}}
[[File:Boita - Konark Museum.jpg|200px|thumb|Model of a Boita at Konark ASI Museum]]
[[File:Boita- the larger boat.jpg|200px|thumb|Silver filigree of a boita at Odisha Crafts Museum]]
'''Boitas''' ({{langx|or|ବୋଇତ}}) were larger [[boat]]s and [[ship]]s that were built in the ancient [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] region during its [[Maritime history of Odisha|maritime history]].<ref name=OHRJPatra/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Pham |first1=Charlotte Minh-Hà L. |title=Asian Shipbuilding Technology |page=35 |date=2012 |publisher=UNESCO |isbn=978-92-9223-414-0 |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CLT/images/630X300/UNIT14.pdf}}</ref> Kalinga's sea facing regions consisting of coastal [[Odisha]] had major trading ports for which ''boita''s were used. Ancient [[Sadhaba]]s (mariner merchants) sailed from Kalinga to distant lands such of Sri Lanka and [[South-East Asia]] including both mainland and insular Southeast Asian regions for trade.<ref name=KandarpaPatel/><ref>{{cite book|title=Orissa Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MwlDAAAAYAAJ|year=1987|publisher=Home Department, Government of Orissa}}</ref>

==Construction==
Rules and regulations regarding construction of ships were recorded in the [[Sanskrit]] text {{Transliteration|or|Yuktikalpataru}} ({{lang|or|ଯୁକ୍ତିକଲ୍ପତରୁ}} Juktikalpataru) authored by King [[Bhoja]]. The {{Transliteration|or|Madalapanji}} ({{lang|or|ମାଦଳପାଞ୍ଜି}}) records that king Bhoja built many ships with local wood.<ref name=Mahalik2004/> The recovery of many woodworking adzes and other artifacts from [[Chilika Lake]] ({{lang|or|ଚିଲିକା}}) shows that [[Golabai]] was a boat-building center.<ref name=OHRJPatra/>

===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.<ref name="shipping" >{{cite book |title=Indian Shipping A History of the Sea-borne Trade and Maritime Activity of the Indians from the Earliest Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QovNAAAAMAAJ&q=Indian%20Shipping:%20A%20History%20of%20Seaborne%20Trade%20and%20Maritime%20Activity%20of%20the%20Indians%20from%20the%20Earliest%20Times |author=Radha Kumud Mookerji |date=1912 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Company |access-date=8 April 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yukti-kalpataru |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.513517/page/n1/mode/2up |author=Bhoja |editor=Isvara Chandra Sastri |date=1917 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=A Boat Model and State Ritual in Eastern India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43732572 |publisher=École française d’Extrême-Orient |page=110 |last=Guy |first=John |journal = Bulletin de l'École Française d'Extrême-Orient|date=1999 |volume = 86|doi = 10.3406/befeo.1999.3407|jstor = 43732572|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===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 boat]]s, where the hulls were stitched together with a rope rather than nailed across a frame.<ref name="Churn">{{Cite book|last=Sanyal|first=Sanjeev|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oNekDAAAQBAJ&dq=the+ocean+of+churn&pg=PP1|title=The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History|quote="Stitched Ships"|page=100|date=2016-08-10|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-93-86057-61-7|language=en}}</ref><ref>[[A.H.J. Prins]], 1986. ''Handbook of Sewn Boats: The Ethnography and Archaeology of Archaic Plank-Built Craft.'' Maritime Monographs and Reports No.59. Greenwich, London: The National Maritime Museum.</ref>

===Classification of Ships===
The ships are classified into two groups:<ref name="shipping" /><ref name="Yukti">{{citation|author=Mamata Chaudhuri|title=Ship-Building in the Yuktikalpataru and Samarangana Sutradhara|date=20 November 1975|url=http://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol11_2_5_MChaudhuri.pdf|publisher=Indian National Science Academy|access-date=8 April 2021}}</ref>
*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:<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Shipping A History of the Sea-borne Trade and Maritime Activity of the Indians from the Earliest Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QovNAAAAMAAJ&q=Indian%20Shipping:%20A%20History%20of%20Seaborne%20Trade%20and%20Maritime%20Activity%20of%20the%20Indians%20from%20the%20Earliest%20Times |author=Radha Kumud Mookerji |date=1912 |pages=22–24 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Company |access-date=8 April 2021 }}</ref>

====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.

{| class="wikitable"
! Name !! Length in ft (m) !! Breadth in ft (m) !! Height in ft (m)
|-
| kṣudra (କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ର) || 24 (7.32) || 6 (1.83) || 6 (1.83)
|-
| madhyamā (ମଧ୍ୟମା) || 36 (10.97) || 28 (8.53) || 12 (3.66)
|-
| bhimā (ଭିମା) || 60 (18.29) || 30 (9.14) || 30 (9.14)
|-
| capalā (ଚପଲା) || 72 (21.95) || 36 (10.97) || 36 (10.97)
|-
| paṭalā (ପଟଲା) || 96 (29.26) || 48 (14.63) || 48 (14.63)
|-
| bhayā (ଭୟା) || 108 (32.92) || 54 (16.46) || 54 (16.46)
|-
| dīrghā (ଦୀର୍ଘା) || 132 (40.23) || 66 (20.12) || 66 (20.12)
|-
| patrapuṭā (ପତ୍ରପୁଟା) || 144 (43.89) || 72 (21.95) || 72 (21.95)
|-
| garbharā (ଗର୍ଭରା) || 168 (51.21) || 84 (25.6) || 84 (25.6)
|-
| mantharā (ମନ୍ଥରା) || 180 (54.86) || 90 (27.43) || 90 (27.43)
|}

====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

{| class="wikitable"
|+ dīrghā type
|-
! Name !! Length in ft (m) !! Breadth in ft (m) !! Height in ft (m)
|-
| dīrghikā (ଦୀର୍ଘିକା) || 48 (14.63) || 6 (1.83) || 4.5 (1.37)
|-
| taraṇī (ତରଣୀ) || 72 (21.95) || 9 (2.74) || 6 (1.83)
|-
| lolā (ଲୋଲା) || 96 (29.26) || 12 (3.66) || 9 (2.74)
|-
| gatvarā (ଗତ୍ୱରା) || 120 (36.58) || 15 (4.57) || 12 (3.66)
|-
| gāminī (ଗାମିନୀ) || 144 (43.89) || 18 (5.49) || 13.5 (4.11)
|-
| tarī (ତରୀ) || 168 (51.21) || 21 (6.4) || 16.5 (5.03)
|-
| jaṅghālā (ଜଙ୍ଗାଲା) || 192 (58.52) || 24 (7.32) || 18 (5.49)
|-
| plāvinī (ପ୍ଲାବିନୀ) || 216 (65.84) || 27 (8.23) || 21 (6.4)
|-
| dhāriṇī (ଧାରିଣୀ) || 240 (73.15) || 30 (9.14) || 24 (7.32)
|-
| veginī (ବେଗିନୀ) || 264 (80.47) || 33 (10.06) || 25.5 (7.77)
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ unnatā type
|-
! Name !! Length in ft (m) !! Breadth in ft (m) !! Height in ft (m)
|-
| ūrddhavā (ଊର୍ଦ୍ଧବା) || 48 (14.63) || 24 (7.32) || 24 (7.32)
|-
| anūrddhavā (ଅନୁର୍ଦ୍ଧବା) || 72 (21.95) || 36 (10.97) || 36 (10.97)
|-
| svarṇamukhī (ସ୍ୱର୍ଣମୁଖୀ) || 96 (29.26) || 48 (14.63) || 48 (14.63)
|-
| garbhiṇī (ଗର୍ଭିଣୀ) || 120 (36.58) || 60 (18.29) || 60 (18.29)
|-
| mantharā (ମନ୍ଥରା) || 144 (43.89) || 72 (21.95) || 72 (21.95)
|}

===Decoration and painting of Ships===
Yuktikalpataru also gives elaborate directions for decorating and furnishing of ships.<ref name="shipping" /><ref name="Yukti" />

====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):

{| class="wikitable"
! Vessel(with masts) !! Colour
|-
| Vessel with 4 masts || White
|-
| Vessel with 3 masts || Red
|-
| Vessel with 2 masts || Yellow
|-
| Vessel with 1 mast || Blue
|}

====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.<ref name="shipping" /><ref name="Yukti" />
*Sarvamandirā (ସର୍ବମନ୍ଦିରା)
*Madhyamandirā (ମଧ୍ୟମନ୍ଦିରା)
*Agramandirā (ଅଗ୍ରମନ୍ଦିରା)

{| class="wikitable"
! Ship with cabin type !! Feature !! Function
|-
| Sarvamandirā || largest cabins, extending from one end of the ship to the other || goods, animals, passengers
|-
| Madhyamandirā || cabins located in the middle part || suitable during rainy season, royal voyages
|-
| Agramandirā || cabins located towards the prow section || convenient during dry season and also for long voyages, used by navies
|}

== Depictions ==
[[File:Miniature Boita at Odisha Maritime museum.png|200px|thumb|Boita replica at Odisha Maritime museum]]
Terracotta seals from [[Bangarh]] and [[Chandraketugarh]] (400–100 BCE) depict sea going vessels carrying containing corn. The ships have a single mast with a square sail.<ref name=Tripati/> The earliest depiction of ships in Odisha is in a sculptured frieze showing two ships, found near the [[Brahmeswara Temple]], [[Bhubaneswar]], and now preserved in the [[Odisha State Museum]]. The first ship has standing elephants in the front part, two people seated in the center and two sailor with oars at the rear steering the ship.<ref name=OHRJPatra/>

A temple in Bhubaneswar called [[Vaital Deula]] named after the shape of its roof, which resembles an overturned boat. According to scholars, the name is derived from Vaita Kakhara, also called Vaitalu or Vaital, hence the phonetics deriving from Boita.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44144822 |publisher=Indian History Congress |page=1136 |last=Dora |first=Jayanti |title = Sakta Monuments: With Special Reference to the "Khakhara" Temples of Bhubaneswar|journal = Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|date=2004 |volume = 65|jstor = 44144822}}</ref> The [[Lingaraj Temple]] of [[Bhubaneswar]] has a representation of a boat being steered with an oar by a woman, dated to the 11th century CE. A sculpture from [[Konark]] in the 13th century CE shows a boat rowed by four people, with a cabin in the center in which a man is seated, armed with a bow and arrow. A boat depicted in the [[Konark Sun Temple|Sun Temple of Konarak]] contains a giraffe, indicating trade with Africa.<ref name=OHRJPatra/>

==Boita Bandana==
{{main|Boita Bandana|Bali Jatra}}
[[Boita Bandana]] also known as Danga Bhasa, is a traditional Odia festival celebrated annually throughout [[Odisha]]. The name could be translated as "to float ritual boats and worshipping with lighted lamp" and comes from the tradition of making decorated boats, which are then floated on a river as a symbolic gesture of their ancestors' voyage. During the ceremony, men, women and children dressed up in traditional costumes place tiny boats made from banana peels, paper or solapitha with lighted lamps inside and Odia women perform the rite of the festival to pay homage to the [[Sadhaba]]s (ancient Odia mariner merchants) who embarked on the voyage to distant lands for trade, commerce and cultural exchange.
The festival is similar to festivals of ''Masakapam Kepesih'' of Bali, [[Loi Krathong]] of Thailand and [[Bon Om Touk]] of Cambodia, which involve the ritualistic floating of boats lit with lamps held during the full moon day of the same month in the year.<ref>{{citation |title=Kalinga Maritime history |publisher=Indo Nordic Author's Collective |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344443146 |author=Uday Dokras |date=October 2020 |access-date=9 February 2021 }}</ref>

Its major occasion held at [[Cuttack]] on the banks of the [[Mahanadi]] river is called [[Bali Jatra]] which literally means ' A Voyage to [[Bali]]', and celebrates the ancient maritime tradition and the connection with Southeast Asia. Miniature Boitas are used today as children's toys during the Odia festival of Bali Jatra.<ref name="orissatourism" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:Boita- Brahmeswara Temple.jpg|Sculptured frieze depicting two Boitas found near Brahmeswara Temple
File:WestBengalSealofShip.png|Terracotta seal portraying ''boita'' circa 400 BCE–100 BCE
File:Patachitra.jpg|Boita on a Pattachitra painting
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Maritime history of Odisha]]
* [[Sadhaba]]

==References==
{{reflist|1|refs=
<ref name=KandarpaPatel>{{cite web
|url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Journal/Journal2/pdf/ohrj-017.pdf
|title=Maritime relation of Kalinga with Sri Lanka
|author=Kandarpa Patel
|work=OHRJ, Vol. XLVII, No. 2
|access-date=2010-11-17
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125091622/http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Journal/Journal2/pdf/ohrj-017.pdf
|archive-date=2015-11-25
}}</ref>
<ref name=Mahalik2004>{{cite web
|url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/Sept2004/englishPdf/maritime.pdf
|title=Maritime Trade of Ancient Orissa
|author=Nirakar Mahalik
|work=Orissa Review
|date=September 2004
|access-date=2010-11-17
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125072743/http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/Sept2004/englishPdf/maritime.pdf
|archive-date=2015-11-25
}}</ref>
<ref name=OHRJPatra>{{cite web
|url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Journal/Journal2/pdf/ohrj-014.pdf
|title=Archaeology and the maritime history of ancient Odisha
|author=Sushanta Ku. Patra & Dr. Benudhar Patra
|work=OHRJ, Vol. XLVII, No. 2
|access-date=2010-11-16
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125080447/http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Journal/Journal2/pdf/ohrj-014.pdf
|archive-date=2015-11-25
}}</ref>
<ref name=orissatourism>{{cite web
|url = http://www.orissatourism.in/Bali-Yatra.html
|title = Bali Yatra
|work = Odisha Tourism
|access-date = 2010-11-16
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721180800/http://www.orissatourism.in/Bali-Yatra.html
|archive-date = 2011-07-21
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>
<ref name=Tripati>{{cite web
|url=http://drs.nio.org/drs/bitstream/2264/127/3/Man_Environ_27_117.pdf
|title=Early Maritime Activities of Orissa on the East Coast of India: Linkages in Trade and Cultural Developments
|author=Sila Tripati
|publisher=Marine Archaeology Centre, National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula
|access-date=2010-11-17}}</ref>
}}
{{Commons category|Boita}}
{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}

[[Category:Kalinga (India)]]
[[Category:Maritime history of India]]
[[Category:Ship types]]

Boita - Revision history

Globaleducollege at 20:57, 5 March 2026