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{{short description|British passenger & cargo liner that traded in the Indian Ocean}}
{{EngvarB|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
|image=
|image_caption=
}}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
|hide_header=
|country= United Kingdom
|flag= {{Shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|name= ''Dwarka''
|namesake= [[Dwarka]]
|owner= *1947: [[British India Steam Navigation Company|British India SN Co]]
*1973: [[P&O]]
*1975: British India SN Co
|operator=
|registry= [[Port of London|London]]
|route= [[Mumbai Harbour|Bombay]] – [[Persian Gulf]]
|ordered=
|awarded=
|builder= [[Swan Hunter|Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson]], [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|Low Walker]]
|original_cost=
|yard_number= 1828
|laid_down=
|launched= 25 October 1946
|sponsor=
|christened=
|completed= 25 June 1947
|acquired=
|in_service=
|out_of_service= 1982
|refit=
|identification= *UK [[official number]] 181650
*{{IMO Number|5095270}}
*[[Maritime call sign|call sign]] GCKS
*{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Sierra}}
|nickname=
|fate=Scrapped 1983
|notes=
|badge=
}}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
|hide_header=
|header_caption=
|class= D-class passenger and cargo ship
|tonnage={{GRT|4851}}, {{NRT|2672}}, {{DWT|4525}}
|length= *{{cvt|398.6|ft|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|overall]]
*{{cvt|382.3|ft|abbr=on}} registered
|beam= {{cvt|54.8|ft|abbr=on}}
|height=
|draught= {{cvt|21|ft|11|in|abbr=on}}
|depth= {{cvt|23.6|ft|abbr=on}}
|hold_depth=
|decks= 2
|power= 894 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]], 4,200 [[Horsepower#Brake horsepower|bhp]]
|propulsion=*1 × 5-cylinder [[two-stroke diesel engine|2-stroke diesel engine]]
*1 × [[Propeller|screw]]
|speed= {{convert|13+1/2|kn|km/h|0}}
|range=
|boats=
|capacity= *{{cvt|212384|cuft|0}} cargo
*'''1947:''' 1,591 passengers:
* 13 1st class; 41 2nd class; 1,537 deck class
*'''1979:''' 1,119 passengers:
*52 cabin class; 534 berthed; 533 deck
|crew=122
|sensors= *as built: wireless [[direction finding]], [[echo sounding]] device
*by 1959: [[Marine radar|radar]]
|notes= [[sister ship]]s: ''Dumra'', {{MV|Dara||2}}, ''Daressa''
}}
}}
'''MV ''Dwarka''''' was a [[British India Steam Navigation Company]] passenger and cargo ship that operated between the [[Indian subcontinent]] and [[Persian Gulf]]. She was in service from 1947 until 1982. She was the second of four "modern D Class" [[sister ship]]s built between 1946 and 1950, and the only one of the four to be built by [[Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson]] at [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|Low Walker]].

She was the third BI ship to be named after [[Dwarka]], an ancient city of religious significance in the state of [[Gujarat]], on [[India]]'s northwest coast. The first was a [[steamship]] that was built in 1894 and scrapped in 1920.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=79}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=10273 |title=Dwarka |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref> The second was a [[motor ship]] that was built in 1922 and scrapped in 1937.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=140}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://shippingandshipbuilding.uk/view.php?&ref=204016 |title=Dwarka |work=Shipping and Shipbuilding |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref>

==Building==
Swan, Hunter built the ship at [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|Low Walker]] as yard number 1828.<ref name=TBS>{{cite web |url= https://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/D-Ships/dwarka1947.html |title=Dwarka |work=Tyne Built Ships |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=19 March 2013}}</ref> Mrs GF Hotblack, the wife of one of BI's Directors, launched her on 25 October 1946. Swan, Hunter completed the ship on 25 June 1947.<ref name=P&OH>{{cite web |url= https://www.poheritage.com/Upload/Mimsy/Media/factsheet/93085DWARKA-1947pdf.pdf |title=Dwarka (1947) |work=P&O Heritage |date=October 2009 |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref> The ship's lengths were {{cvt|398.6|ft|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|overall]] and {{cvt|382.3|ft|abbr=on}} registered. Her [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] was {{cvt|54.8|ft|abbr=on}}, her depth was {{cvt|23.6|ft|abbr=on}}, and her depth was {{cvt|21|ft|11|in|abbr=on}}. Her [[tonnage]]s were {{GRT|4851}}, {{NRT|2672}},{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1948|loc=DVI–DZI}} and {{DWT|4525}}.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=161}}

She had a single [[Propeller|screw]], driven by a [[William Doxford & Sons|Doxford]] five-cylinder [[opposed piston]] [[two-stroke diesel engine]].{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1948|loc=DVI–DZI}} It was rated at 894 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]] or 4,200 [[Horsepower#Brake horsepower|bhp]], and gave her a speed of {{convert|13+1/2|kn|km/h|0}}.<ref name=P&OH/> Her navigation equipment included wireless [[direction finding]], and an [[echo sounding]] device.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1948|loc=DVI–DZI}} By 1959 it also included [[Marine radar|radar]].{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1959|loc=DVINA}}

BI [[Ship registration|registered]] ''Dwarka'' in [[Port of London|London]]. Her UK [[official number]] was 181650 and her [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] was GCKS.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1948|loc=DVI–DZI}}

''Dwarka''{{'}}s cargo capacity was {{convert|212384|cuft|0}}.<ref name=P&OH/> As built, she had capacity for 1,591 passengers: 13 first class, 41 second class and 1,537 deck class.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=161}} She had a crew of 122. She and her sisters were described as "ships of transport, cargo plus passengers – comfortable but not luxurious, dependable but not speedy – appropriately functional for their time".{{sfn|Miller|1986|pp=145–146}}

==Career==
''Dwarka'' entered service in June 1947, joining ''Dumra'' on BI's route between Bombay (now [[Mumbai Harbour|Mumbai]]) and the [[Persian Gulf]]. When {{MV|Dara||2}} was completed in June 1948, she joined them on the same route. The fourth sister, ''Daressa'', joined the same route when she was completed in June 1950.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=161}}

On 20 September 1953, there was a dispute among some of the deck passengers about the price of food. Two [[Somali people|Somalian]] deck passengers killed three crewmen, and injured 11, before they were restrained.<ref name=P&OH/>

On 12 December 1959 ''Dwarka'' left [[Muscat]] for Bombay. A few hours later a bomb exploded under a bed in one of her passenger cabins. The target was the Minister of the Interior of [[Muscat and Oman]], Sayed Ahmed bin Ibrahim. The cabin caught fire, and the minister suffered burns and severe [[Acute stress disorder|shock]]. The resident [[Royal Navy]] officer in [[Bahrain]], [[Commander (Royal Navy)|Commander]] Roger Fisher, was also aboard, and rescued bin Ibrahim from the cabin. The minister was taken ashore and admitted to the US mission hospital at [[Muttrah]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Naval officer saves minister from bomb |newspaper=[[Evening Standard]] |place=London |date=12 December 1959 |page=9}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Minister is saved by a Briton – Cabin On Fire – Bomb Attempt |newspaper=[[Liverpool Echo]] |place=Liverpool |date=12 December 1959 |page=23}}</ref>{{sfn|Abraham|1963|p=104}}

On 19 June 1961 ''Dwarka'' was leaving Muscat when there was an explosion in her number one hold, injuring one person. Damage was minor, and the ship continued her voyage to [[Port of Karachi|Karachi]].<ref name=P&OH/>

During the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965]], ''Dwarka'' met another BI motor ship, ''Santhia'', in Muscat to exchange passengers. ''Dwarka''{{'}}s Indian passengers were transferred to ''Santhia'', and ''Santhia''{{'}}s Pakistani passengers were transferred to ''Dwarka''. Omani police and the [[frigate]] {{HMS|Nubian|F131|6}} supervised the exchange.<ref name=P&OH/>

In 1971 ''Dwarka'' joined the General Cargo Division of BI's parent company [[P&O]]. Ownership of ''Dwarka'' was transferred to P&O on 19 April 1973, but transferred back to BI on 30 May 1975.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=161}}<ref name=P&OH/>

In 1979 ''Dwarka'' was refitted in [[Port of Singapore|Singapore]]. Her holds were fitted with [[Reefer ship|refrigeration plant]], and her passenger accommodation was revised to 52 cabin class, 534 berthed, and 533 deck passengers.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=161}}

Toward the end of her career, ''Dwarka'', under the command of Captain GA Hankin, featured in two films. In 1979 the [[BBC]] made a television documentary as part of the series ''[[The World About Us]]'' called "Dwarka: An Arabian Voyage".<ref name=P&OH/> It documented a voyage from Mumbai, calling at Karachi, taking migrant workers to countries in the [[Persian Gulf]]. This illustrated the ship's unique historic status, and reportedly prompted renewed interest in her from around the world.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} In 1981 [[Richard Attenborough]]'s [[biographical film]] ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' used ''Dwarka'' for several location shoots in Mumbai,<ref name=P&OH/> portraying much earlier BI ships.

''Dwarka'' was the last survivor of the four D-class ships. ''Dara'' had caught fire and sunk in 1961, ''Daressa'' was scrapped in 1974, and ''Dumra'' was scrapped in 1979.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=1848 |title=Dara |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=1854 |title=Daressa |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=1836 |title=Dumra |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref>

On 15 May 1982 ''Dwarka'' reached Mumbai at the end of her final voyage, and sailed on to reach Karachi on 23 May 1982<ref>Captain Warwick John Harwood's (Chief Officer on Final Voyage) Log Book</ref> where she was delivered to Zulfiqar Metals of [[Pakistan]] which had bought her for scrap. She was [[Ship breaking|broken up]] at [[Gadani ship-breaking yard|Gadani Beach]], Pakistan, beginning on 13 June 1982.<ref name=P&OH/>

''Dwarka'' was the last BI ship to operate traditional liner service. However, the last passenger ship in BI livery was {{SS|Uganda|1952|2}}, which was transferred to P&O's Passenger Division in 1972 but remained in BI colours. ''Uganda'' was laid up in April 1985 and sold for scrap in 1986.{{sfn|Haws|1987|p=170}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Abraham |first=PJ |year=1963 |title=Last Hours on Dara |place=London |publisher=[[Peter Llewelyn Davies|Peter Davies]]}}
*{{cite book |last=Haws |first=Duncan |year=1987 |title=British India S.N. Co |series=Merchant Fleets |volume=11 |place=Burwash |publisher=Travel Creatours Ltd Publications |isbn=0-946378-07-X}}
*{{cite book |last1=Laxon |first1=William A. |last2=Perry |first2=F. W. |title=B.I: The British India Steam Navigation Company Limited |date=1994 |publisher=World Ship Society |location=Kendal |isbn=0-905617-65-7 |pages=182−183}}
*{{cite book |year=1948 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=I. A–L |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] of Shipping |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1949AL/page/n460/mode/1up |via=[[Internet Archive]] |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1948}} }}
*{{cite book |last=Miller |first=William H |author-link=William H. Miller (writer) |year=1986 |title=The Last Blue Water Liners |place=London |publisher=[[Conway Maritime Press]] |isbn=0-85177-400-8}}
*{{cite book |year=1959 |title=Register Book |volume=I Register of Ships |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1960/page/n534/mode/1up |via=[[Internet Archive]] |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1959}} }}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLhUCaasWG0 |title=An Arabian Voyage |work=[[The World About Us]] |publisher=[[BBC Television]] |year=1979 |via=[[YouTube]]}}
*{{cite web |url= http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/DWARKA |title=Dwarka |work=Ships Nostalgia |year=2010}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwarka}}

[[Category:1946 ships]]
[[Category:Cargo ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships of the British India Steam Navigation Company]]
[[Category:Ships built by Swan Hunter]]

MV Dwarka - Revision history

IsraelGuinn0047: created some stub more to come