Kerala's Urus may find wind in their sails again, this time as showpieces, luxury icons
KOCHI: For over two millennia, Kerala’s majestic urus – handcrafted wooden dhows – ruled the waves of maritime trade, ferrying cargo across the Arabian Sea to ports as far as Mesopotamia. While their original utility has waned, a new chapter is quietly being written by craftsmen who believe the uru can sail into the future, this time as luxury collectibles, cultural showpieces, and architectural wonders.
Chirayil Sadashivan, a master uru builder from Anjarakandy and the founder of Kalpitham Wood Marine Industry, is at the helm of this revival. Armed with a unique technique, Sadashivan has broken from centuries-old tradition to develop a method where urus can now be built from virtually any type of wood – including mahogany, anjili, and more – instead of relying solely on native hardwood.
“This changes everything,” Sadashivan tells TNIE. “Whether it’s for a seaworthy vessel, life-sized houseboat, or even a six-foot showpiece to be placed outside a hotel or home, we can custom-build to any size, using the wood the buyer prefers.”
In a market where traditional sailing dhows see little demand, this innovation opens doors to new possibilities: miniature uru models for collectors, luxury yachts for Gulf clients, and land-based house dhows for the tourism and hospitality industry. Once an exclusive cargo ship for Arab traders, the uru is now being reimagined as a statement piece. Sadashivan envisions boutique resorts lined with elegant uru suites, cultural parks showcasing model urus, or personal showpieces gracing mansions in Dubai or Doha.
His associate, M V Sasi, echoes the sentiment: “There’s no point lamenting the fall in cargo orders. The world has changed. We simply need to adapt, and the uru still has the charm and the history to thrive in this new form.”
Even in Beypore, once the nerve centre of uru-making, veteran builder Sathyan Edathodi acknowledges the shift.
“Arabs are the only ones ordering full-sized boats now. But if people start asking for uru as art, as furniture, as experience... we’re ready,” Sathyan says.
As Sadashivan continues to lobby for support, with memorandums sent to the ports department, there is cautious optimism that this ancient art form can be revived, not out of nostalgia but through reinvention.
SREEKRISH NAIR