KASARGOD: In Beypore, a new 140ft-long luxury dhow is all set to embark on a long journey. Locally known as an ‘uru’, the traditional vessel has been painstakingly handcrafted by Sayoos Wood Works for Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, a renowned Qatari businessman, and will soon make its way to Qatar to be employed in luxury tourism. The uru will hit the water for the first time on Saturday.
Led by master craftsman Abdurahiman, popularly known as ‘Khalasi moopan,’, the dhow was constructed at a shipyard along the Chaliyar river with a dedicated team of 20 workers. Sayoos Wood Works, under the ownership of P Sasidharan, built it using Malabar teak and other high-grade timber sourced from Nilambur forest. The vessel, which cost approximately Rs 3.
2 crore, exemplifies traditional boat-making methods that have been passed down for generations among Beypore’s artisans, or ‘khalasis.’ The 33-foot-wide, 12.5-foot-high dhow will be launched into the Chaliyar using a pulley-wheel mechanism to ease it into the water during high tide.
Following its journey to Dubai for interior refinements, the vessel will be transported to Qatar. The uru is a cultural symbol of northern Kerala, particularly Kozhikode, and a testament to the region’s 1,500-year legacy of wooden shipbuilding. Demand for Beypore’s vessels has persisted, especially among Arab traders, dating back to ancient maritime trade routes.
Despite modern advancements, khalasis have preserved the traditional techniques, makin.
