Beypore Uru

About:

• It is a wooden dhow (ship / sailing boat / sailing vessel) handcrafted by skilled artisans and carpenters in Beypore, Kerala.
• It is mainly made of Malabar teak, probably the biggest handicraft in the world.
• Beypore urus are purely made of wood, without using any modern techniques, and traditional methods are used to launch this ship into the water.
• The carpenters manually join each piece of wood to build the large boat.
• Uru making in Beypore is a centuries old tradition that was established since India began its maritime trade with Mesopotamia.
• Beypore is a town located on the banks of the Chaliyar River.
• According to records, Uru ships have been in high demand for around 2,000 years.

Khalasis:

• The Khalasis are the traditional artisans responsible for the manufacture of the Uru.
• They are the ones who launch these urus into the water, setting them ready for travel.
• Arab traders were especially enamoured of them, and were among the first major patrons of these vessels.
• It takes at least four years and the effort of over forty Khalasis to build an Uru.