GOA: The sea and the sky bled into each other — dull grey and indistinguishable — when INSV Tarini reappeared on the Goan horizon on Thursday. The who’s who of the Indian Navy was already assembled on the long pier extending out into the Zuari River at Mormugao Port in Vasco da Gama (Goa) to welcome their flagship sailing vessel.
As it approached the Mole Jetty, even INS Chennai, a stealth guided-missile destroyer at the pier, seemed dwarfed by the enormity of what the 55-foot, indigenously built cruising sloop had accomplished.
Indeed, aboard it, lieutenant commanders Dilna K, who hails from Kozhikode in Kerala, and Puducherry native Roopa Alagirisamy had navigated over 25,400 nautical miles in a voyage around the world — part of the Navy’s ambitious Sagar Parikrama mission.
Now, upon the successful completion of the journey, the women naval officers scripted history by becoming two of only ten Indians to have circumnavigated the globe under sail — i.e. relying solely on wind power. Dilna and Roopa were also the first Indian pair to achieve the feat in a double-handed mode.
Perhaps it was the magnitude of the occasion that even Defence Minister Rajnath Singh himself was on the pier. That evening, Rajnath seemed unhurried. He watched patiently and observantly as he waited to greet DilRoo, as the officers are fondly called.
Clad in red jackets, there was a noticeable spring in the steps of the two women officers as they tended to Tarini’s docking duties — a task that had by now become second nature to them, even though hundreds stood ready to take it up.
Then, once all the boxes were ticked, the two scaled the pier steps to thunderous applause. From friends, family, Navy personnel, veterans, media, various dignitaries who had gathered to witness the milestone event, and, of course, scores of admirers watching the livestream from across the world.
A formal salute to the Defence Minister followed. After accepting it, Rajnath extended a hand to greet the two women officers like an old friend. Indeed, he had built a rapport with the two even midway through Tarini’s voyage via a video interaction. Then, he had promised them he would be there for the grand welcome in Goa.
On Thursday, as he shook hands with them, his unsaid words also read, “I have kept my promise.” And he had, despite a busy schedule, especially in the wake of a few turbulent weeks.
Later, on the main dais, speaking as the chief guest, Rajnath said, “The duo has made the nation proud by waving the Tricolour across the globe.” “This miraculous voyage is not only your achievement. It is also ours, as a nation,” he added, also acknowledging the many men and women who enabled the mission.
The Minister also urged the officers to document their experiences “with the same spirit with which [they had] completed it.” “Record your bittersweet experiences and learnings, so future generations, especially young women, can draw inspiration,” he said.
He further noted the increasing role of women in the Armed Forces: “From the heights of Siachen to the depths of the ocean, Indian women are fulfilling crucial responsibilities that have strengthened the country’s security circle.”
Later, in his address, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi commended the officers’ resilience, perseverance and spirit. “This journey is a tribute to our maritime legacy and a vital step in fostering national maritime consciousness,” he said.
The Admiral also acknowledged the visionary foresight of the late Vice Admiral M P Awati, who pioneered the idea of circumnavigation on sailboats, and the subsequent voyages of Capt Dilip Donde (retd), Cdr Abhilash Tomy (retd), and the first Navika Sagar Parikrama expedition featuring an all-woman, six-member crew led by Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi (retd).
“The DilRoo story,” Admiral Dinesh added, “is an inspiration to every Indian.”
The eight-month west-to-east journey, which began on 2 October 2024, saw the duo navigate choppy waves and chaotic winds. And, not to mention, the three Capes: Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn — all known for their perilous weather and treacherous waters. They also weathered three cyclones, which both the duo, and Tarini, endured unscathed.
But for all the challenges nature threw their way, there were moments of beauty too: glowing sunsets, pods of dolphins and soaring albatrosses, a pristine Milky Way, and bioluminescent waters. In Fremantle, Australia — one of four scheduled stops — the duo were honoured guests at the Western Australian Parliament.
The other scheduled stops were at Lyttelton in New Zealand, Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, and Cape Town in South Africa. Here, the officers restocked supplies, handled technical checks, and, on a few occasions, attended diplomatic events.
The common denominator among all these visits was this: the officers were always welcomed by a legion of supporters, some who had flown in from India, and many who had taken special detours to be where Tarini was.
Back at home, every turn of the boat, every wave and gust of wind was examined in meticulous detail, often daily, by a swelling horde of supporters across WhatsApp groups and community forums, dinner tables and boardrooms. The public, in a fashion rarely seen before, was soaking up this adventure with earnest enthusiasm.
This lent further weight to Rajnath’s idea that the duo must indeed document their journey. And, going by the officers’ statements to TNIE ahead of the commencement of the voyage, they already have.
What makes DilRoo’s story particularly compelling is that neither officer came from a sailing background. Lt Cdr Dilna, once an NCC cadet, was commissioned as a logistics officer in 2014. “I took up sailing as a way to get away from the desk,” she told TNIE.
Lt Cdr Roopa, who joined the Navy's armament cadre in 2017, inspecting guns and rocket launchers, had little exposure to seafaring. It was during a posting in Mumbai that she first took to sailing. “I took an immediate liking to it,” she said.
As they stood on the dais on Thursday, the two women officers looked, of course, beaten and weathered by the turmoil of the past eight months — but, as a Defence spokesperson said, “the light in their eyes hadn’t dimmed, and their smiles were even wider.”
Taking to the podium, Lt Cdr Dilna K declared, “Yes, we made it,” to a standing ovation.
“Last year, when we left for the voyage, we carried a lot of hopes and dreams — not just ours, but also those of many who had worked hard for this — our family, the Navy, the unknown many. Today, as we stand before you, I hope we have made you proud,” she said.
“My father,” Lt Cdr Dilna continued, “is no longer with us. But I felt his presence throughout the journey. Today, I have fulfilled the promise I made to him. Much credit also goes to my family — my lifeline. Especially my husband, who is also a Navy officer. And to my partner in this voyage, Roopa. Together, I know we can do even more wonders.”
Taking to the podium, Lt Cdr Roopa said, “I think I have lived all of my seven lives in these past eight months. The world of the sea, though still of this planet, is a different world. Sometimes, 20-foot waves are hitting you like a wall. At other times, the sea is like a calm mirror. During the course of the journey, I have learnt who I am and have come to trust myself (and Dilna) with my own life.”
She also thanked her family for being “her spine”, for supporting her many unconventional choices. “I dedicate this journey to them,” she said, but added, “I won’t promise that this is my last voyage.”
Interestingly, the Navika Sagar Parikrama II mission commenced the day after Lt Cdr Roopa’s mother’s birthday and concluded a day before Lt Cdr Dilna’s mother’s birthday. “This,” a Defence spokesperson said, “was no mere coincidence,” alluding to divine forces at play. His bag of coincidences had one more.
Apparently, 29 May is also the day Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, summited Mount Everest — on 29 May 1953. Citing this, he added, “The world may forget the headlines you read last week. But no one forgets who climbed Mount Everest. Similarly, no one will forget this epic circumnavigation of the globe by Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A.”
Lt Cdr Roopa concluded by saying that the success was “not just ours, but of every young girl who dreams of becoming more — and of the many hands who worked behind the scenes to make this mission a success.” A special mention was also made of the boat’s designer.
The awarding of mementoes followed, along with the release of a photo-essay book titled Breaking Waves, Making History, penned by Cdr Kalesh Mohanan and Lt Cdr Anupama Thapliyal, chronicling the extraordinary circumnavigation.
Dignitaries in attendance included the Chief Secretary of Goa, Dr V Candavelou; Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, VAdm Arti Sarin; Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command, VAdm V Srinivas; Cdr Abhilash Tomy (Retd); and the families of the two women officers.
INSV Tarini was flagged off from INS Mandovi, Goa, by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on 2 October 2024. The voyage marked the fourth expedition in the Navy’s Sagar Parikrama series, and the second to be steered by an all-woman team.