Tarini Voyage – When this world pulls me down, Cut my wings to captivate me. The inner spirit rises with more power and wings much larger:
For the day has come
I no longer care
For sky is my limit and I will reach there.
Tarini Voyage :-
Women are the phoenix, who will rise time and again from the ashes of torment inflicted by the patriarchal society. Time and again girls are proving that they are here to leave their footprints on the rocks and not on the beaches. Last year a crew of six women naval officers took the Tarini Voyage around the world, to prove that they are the creator of their own destiny and they know how to struggle and be victorious. The sea-voyage was basically of 21,600 miles around the world in 254 days.
Struggling gutsy oceanic winds, hurricane, virulent hail, sub-zero temperature and sweltering heat the gang of superwomen, our INS Tarini crew created history, when they were received by our defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the INS Mandovi jetty after completion of the historic journey. The voyage named ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, brain child of Vice Admiral Manohar Awati (Retd.), was led by Skipper Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi. INSV Tarini voyage engraved its name in the history with golden letters by becoming the first Indian vessel with an all-women crew to successfully circumnavigate the world.
Other than Lt Comm. Joshi, the crew comprised of Lt Commanders Pratibha Jamwal and P. Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Who started their training under the guidance of Capt. DilipDhonde, SC(Retd.), India’s first solo circumnavigator. He laid the foundation of their spirit on the basic thing that the nature knows no gender, so don’t expect any mercy from the sea and be prepared for the worst. This training prepared them for all kinds of adversities they may face during the journey.
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini, is a sloop indigenously built by Aquarius Shipyard at Divar, Goa. The sail boat was inducted into Indian Navy to be the platform for first Indian all women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition. It was an extremely challenging expedition taken by the six superwomen. In the course of its sailing, Tarini and the crew met all the norms of circumnavigation, including crossing the equator twicealong withall the longitudes and stirringthrough Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. Six legs of the voyage with halts at five ports were: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), Cape Town (South Africa) and Port Louis (Mauritius).
INS Tarini sailed amidst the rough and violent oceans on numerous occasions, with the wind speed of 60knots and waves upto 8metres high at some places in the Pacific Ocean. The toughest of the navigation was when the vessel developed a snag in the steering gear just 2000 miles off Goa, immediately after the sloop embarked its journey. Amidst the ocean, the girls never lose hope with the toughest training, they very bravely executed their presence of mind and carried out temporary repairs to cruise the boat to Port Louis in Mauritius, 180miles away from the spot. They continued their tumultuous journey with full confidence and completed the voyage to make India proud of their incredible daughters. “The grit and determination displayed by the young women officers will definitely encourage future generations,” Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba said.
Lt. Cdr. Pratibha Jamwal has a beautiful message for you girls, “To set standards and thresholds for yourself, don’t allow anyone to tell you that you are less or unworthy of something because of your class, gender or creed. Always have a goal in your life, doesn’t matter big or small, work towards it, achieve it and set another one, this will keep you young and motivated.”
Tarini Voyage, a record-breaking journey is not just about creating history, but also about breaking the stereotypes of women being the tender ones and challenging the existing notion that women don’t get along well in closed quarters for long, moreover our INS Tarini superwomen created a narrative and inspired a whole generation of women. Nothing can stop you, when you are determined to shine. Hence Tarini Voyage proved daughters are incredible indeed.
They have the potential to achieve the impossible, and your support would make their journey bit easy. As the nature knows no gender, dear society you also stop being biased and accept that daughters are incredible and are pride of the civilization. Jai Hind!
