Manikmusicscapgk: general fixed structure to improve readability also and corrected details as per guidelines

2026-03-03T17:37:05Z

general fixed structure to improve readability also and corrected details as per guidelines

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:07, 3 March 2026
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			{{Short description\|Type of boat from Kerala, India}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2019}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2019}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=August 2019}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=August 2019}}
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	'''Uru''', also known as '''Fat Boat''' in English, is a type of [[dhow]] made in [[Beypore]], [[Kerala]], in the [[Malabar Coast\|southwestern coast]] of [[India]].		'''Uru''', also known as '''Fat Boat''' in English, is a type of [[dhow]] made in [[Beypore]], [[Kerala]], in the [[Malabar Coast\|southwestern coast]] of [[India]].

	This type of boat has been used by the [[Arab]]s since ancient times as trading vessels, and even now, ''uru''s are being manufactured and exported to Arab nations from Beypore. These boats used to be built of several types of wood, the main one being [[teak]]. The teak was taken from [[Nilambur]] forests in earlier times, but now imported [[teak\|Malaysian teak]] is used. A couple of [[Shipyard\|boat-building yards]] can still be found near the Beypore port.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.amartya.de/beypore1.htm\|title=Ship building in Beypore\|website=amartya.de\|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>		This type of boat has been used by the [[Arab]]s since ancient times as trading vessels, and even now, ''uru''s are being manufactured and exported to Arab nations from Beypore. These boats used to be built of several types of wood, the main one being [[teak]]. The teak was taken from [[Nilambur]] forests in earlier times, but now imported [[teak\|Malaysian teak]] is used. A couple of [[Shipyard\|boat-building yards]] can still be found near the Beypore port.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.amartya.de/beypore1.htm\|title=Ship building in Beypore\|website=amartya.de\|access-date=17 April 2018\|archive-date=25 April 2012\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425051616/http://www.amartya.de/beypore1.htm\|url-status=dead}}</ref>

	==History==		==History==
	The art of ~~Uru~~ making in Beypore, on the northern coast of Kerala, is as old as the beginnings of India’s maritime trade with Mesopotamia. Islands dotting the Chaliyar river have continued the tradition for over a millennium. <ref>{{cite ~~web~~\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/the-boatmakers-of-beypore/article4884192.ece\|title=The boat-makers of Beypore\|date=6 July 2013\|access-date=17 April 2018\|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>		The art of uru making in Beypore, on the northern coast of Kerala, is as old as the beginnings of India’s maritime trade with [[Mesopotamia]]. Islands dotting the [[Chaliyar river]] have continued the tradition for over a millennium.

			In the 1970’s, the uru ship building industry faced declining sales and was forced to stop construction in the 1980’s due to a lack of demand. The boat building industry in Beypore relied heavily on [[teak]] wood which was sourced from the Nilambur forest in Kerala. Deforestation and increased government protections on the Nilambur forest resulted in a dwindling supply and increased costs, forcing ship building yards in Beypore to source their teak from Malaysia instead.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/the-boatmakers-of-beypore/article4884192.ece\|title=The boat-makers of Beypore\|newspaper=The Hindu \|date=6 July 2013\|access-date=17 April 2018\|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> Additionally, strict import and export laws on wood made it difficult to supply the spare parts needed to maintain and repair urus abroad. Despite their impressive build quality, the many wooden and handcrafted components on uru boats deteriorated at faster rates than similar parts on modern metal boats and needed more frequent repairs and servicing At the same time, there was increasing availability of affordable metal dhows, which were built much faster using modern techniques as opposed to the urus which still relied on traditional and indigenous building techniques.<ref>Kunhamu Tk, E.V. Anoop, and Sandra Gopakumar Gopakumar, “The Wood Legacy of Kallai: Lessons for the Future - Researchgate,” Research Gate, October 2011, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316522236_THE_WOOD_LEGACY_OF_KALLAI_LESSONS_FOR_THE_FUTURE.</ref> These factors helped contribute to a decades-long pause in the construction of urus.

			The Beypore ship yards produced very few urus for decades but saw a resurgence in popularity in the 2010’s as the Persian Gulf became a major market for Urus. While Urus were previously built for trade and shipping, the boats being built in the 2010’s were almost entirely constructed as luxury yachts for the wealthy. Qatar became a major market for Urus in 2011 after the [[Qatari Royal Family]] began commissioning Urus and since then, at least one Uru has left Beypore for Qatar each year. Puzhakkara Rameshan, a chief carpenter who has worked on multiple Urus destined for Qatar observed that, “Now many of the craftsmen are back to building Uru. Since 2011 our company has worked on two or three Urus simultaneously. In connection with the [[2022 FIFA World Cup\|2022 Football World Cup]] in Qatar, we have already received a few orders from the country.”<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2020-12-20 \|title=THE ART OF URU MAKING, THE LARGEST HANDCRAFT IN THE WORLD \|url=https://spaindustrialdesign.wordpress.com/2020/12/20/the-art-of-uru-making-the-largest-handcraft-in-the-world/ \|access-date=2024-02-15 \|website=Design Research \|language=en-GB}}</ref> The uru construction industry's resurgence is mainly attributed to centuries of trade between Western India and the Middle East. Although urus come from Beypore in the state of Kerala, they were usually sold to Persian Gulf countries as merchant vessels, thus holding historical and cultural significance in the region. As these countries grew in wealth, there was a desire to reconnect with their traditions and heritage, resulting in an increased demand for urus outfitted with modern amenities for luxury cruising. This underscores the impact that economic prosperity in the gulf had on the shipbuilding community of Beypore.<ref> {{Cite web \|last=John \|first=Haritha \|date=2018-04-30 \|title=The urus of Kerala’s Beypore: These traditional boats find a home with wealthy Qataris \|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/urus-kerala-s-beypore-these-traditional-boats-find-home-wealthy-qataris-80446 \|access-date=2024-02-15 \|website=The News Minute \|language=en}}</ref>

	==Construction==		==Construction==
	As an art passed down through generations, ~~Uru~~-making is an undocumented practice. There are no build plans, sketches, drawings, or blueprints that the makers refer to. From conception to completion, it is all in the mind of the master carpenter ~~or maistry~~ of a yard, who assigns work to his assistants on a daily basis, so as to keep the secrecy that shrouds the technology intact. <ref>{{~~cite~~ web\|url=https://~~www~~.~~facebook~~.com/~~238044912896496~~/~~videos~~/~~1454648004569508~~\|~~title~~=~~HISTORY~~\|website=~~www.facebook.com~~\|~~access-date~~=~~17 April 2018~~}}</ref>		As an art passed down through generations, uru-making is an undocumented practice. There are no build plans, sketches, drawings, or blueprints that the makers refer to. From conception to completion, it is all in the mind of the master carpenter of a yard, who assigns work to his assistants on a daily basis, so as to keep the secrecy that shrouds the technology intact.

			There are multiple groups of people that work together in order to construct an uru, including Odayis, Mappila Khalasis, Burmakkar and agents. These titles correspond to the roles that people play in the construction of an Uru. Odayis manage the technical matters and take on the role of mesteris or master shipbuilders. Only a handful of mesteris exist today and they are the only people who know how to build an entire Uru while the rest of the shipbuilders are only skilled at specific tasks. There are fears that this knowledge could one day die out as it passed down orally from one generation to the next and there has been very little scientific study of the shipbuilding process.<ref> {{Cite web \|last=Mankada \|first=Shameerali \|date=2018-04-05 \|title=SHIP (URU) BUILDING IN BEYPORE \|url=https://shameeralimankada.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/ship-uru-building-in-beypore/ \|access-date=2024-02-15 \|website=SHAMEERALI \|language=en}}</ref>
			There are no printed sketches or instructions, so any revival process would be extremely difficult if the mesteris die out. The Mappilla Khalasis are the second highest ranking members on an uru building yard and perform manual labor. They are also responsible for launching the uru once it has been completed, an important moment which is celebrated by the entire community with songs and rituals as it often takes years to complete a single boat. The Burmakkar are skilled metal workers who are responsible for creating the nails used in the construction, and the anchor and chain. Agents, a newer group in the uru construction industry, act as brokers between the mesteris and customers.

	==See also==		==See also==
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	*[http://www.siffs.org/books/indianboatdesign.pdf The Origins and Ethnological Significance of Indian Boat Designs]		*[http://www.siffs.org/books/indianboatdesign.pdf The Origins and Ethnological Significance of Indian Boat Designs]
	*[http://www.sevenoceans.com/Ships/ShipsByType/Pattamar.htm Pattamar]		*[http://www.sevenoceans.com/Ships/ShipsByType/Pattamar.htm Pattamar]
	*[http://www.webalice.it/cherini/Oceano/Indiano.html Vele dell’Oceano Indiano e dell’Indonesia]		*[http://www.webalice.it/cherini/Oceano/Indiano.html Vele dell’Oceano Indiano e dell’Indonesia] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103212250/http://www.webalice.it/cherini/Oceano/Indiano.html \|date=3 November 2014 }}
	*[~~http~~://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_6997.html Old Photos of Bombay]		*[https://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_6997.html Old Photos of Bombay]
	{{Waters of Kerala}}		{{Waters of Kerala}}
	{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}		{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}

	[[Category:Boat types]]		[[Category:Boat types]]
	[[Category:History of ~~Kerala~~]]		[[Category:History of Kozhikode district]]
	[[Category:Dhow types]]		[[Category:Dhow types]]
	[[Category:Economy of Kerala]]		[[Category:Economy of Kerala]]
	[[Category:Tall ships]]		[[Category:Tall ships]]

2409:4073:210C:9AB5:AC57:6F34:8E49:133C at 13:49, 29 August 2021

2021-08-29T13:49:41Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{For|disambiguation|Uru (disambiguation){{!}}Uru}}
{{Refimprove|date=November 2015}}
[[File:Uru.jpg|thumbnail|Uru is a boat with an ancient design]]
[[File:Sd11-boom.JPG|thumb|200px|right|This [[Boom (ship)|boom]] had been originally built in Beypore, Kerala, India]]
'''Uru''', also known as '''Fat Boat''' in English, is a type of [[dhow]] made in [[Beypore]], [[Kerala]], in the [[Malabar Coast|southwestern coast]] of [[India]].

This type of boat has been used by the [[Arab]]s since ancient times as trading vessels, and even now, ''uru''s are being manufactured and exported to Arab nations from Beypore. These boats used to be built of several types of wood, the main one being [[teak]]. The teak was taken from [[Nilambur]] forests in earlier times, but now imported [[teak|Malaysian teak]] is used. A couple of [[Shipyard|boat-building yards]] can still be found near the Beypore port.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amartya.de/beypore1.htm|title=Ship building in Beypore|website=amartya.de|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>

==History==
The art of Uru making in Beypore, on the northern coast of Kerala, is as old as the beginnings of India’s maritime trade with Mesopotamia. Islands dotting the Chaliyar river have continued the tradition for over a millennium. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/the-boatmakers-of-beypore/article4884192.ece|title=The boat-makers of Beypore|date=6 July 2013|access-date=17 April 2018|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>

==Construction==
As an art passed down through generations, Uru-making is an undocumented practice. There are no build plans, sketches, drawings, or blueprints that the makers refer to. From conception to completion, it is all in the mind of the master carpenter or maistry of a yard, who assigns work to his assistants on a daily basis, so as to keep the secrecy that shrouds the technology intact. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/238044912896496/videos/1454648004569508|title=HISTORY|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Pattamar]]
*[[Kattumaram]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Uru}}
*[http://www.siffs.org/books/indianboatdesign.pdf The Origins and Ethnological Significance of Indian Boat Designs]
*[http://www.sevenoceans.com/Ships/ShipsByType/Pattamar.htm Pattamar]
*[http://www.webalice.it/cherini/Oceano/Indiano.html Vele dell’Oceano Indiano e dell’Indonesia]
*[http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_6997.html Old Photos of Bombay]
{{Waters of Kerala}}
{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}

[[Category:Boat types]]
[[Category:History of Kerala]]
[[Category:Dhow types]]
[[Category:Economy of Kerala]]
[[Category:Tall ships]]

Uru (boat) - Revision history

Manikmusicscapgk: general fixed structure to improve readability also and corrected details as per guidelines

2409:4073:210C:9AB5:AC57:6F34:8E49:133C at 13:49, 29 August 2021