12 hours on INS Virat: Walk on an exciting journey!

The aircraft carrier 'INS Virat', which has been occupying Indian waters for three decades, was retired in 2014. Now let's take a fictional, yet realistic, thrilling ride on Alang's shipbreaking yard in just a few days before taking its last 'breath'.

It is 08:30 in the morning. Sailors in white uniforms throng the Indian Navy's dock near Mumbai's Gateway of India. They are engaged in the final inspection of the aircraft carrier 'INS Virat' and in loading the last of the last cargo on board. At exactly nine o'clock the ship will leave the dock and sail into the open Arabian Sea, so the sailors have to complete all the unfinished work in half an hour. As we watch the sailors' actions on the huge deck of 'Virat', we wonder if they will be able to get out of work in as little as half an hour? But what a wonderful combination of speed and speed!

By the time the bell rang, signaling the captain to take off, the sailors of 'Virat' had formed a line at the edge of the deck and remained disciplined. When a naval ship is about to leave the dock, the sailors stand in a standing pose with their arms outstretched behind their backs. This is called manning the rail. The navy of each country has adopted that system of saluting and capturing.

The python-tied ropes tying the 'giant' with strong pillars fastened to the dock have now been untied. Before the giant ship can begin its voyage, it has to get out of the dock slowly — and that's the job of powerful tug-type boats. Although the size of such a boat is about the size of a city bus, it can easily pull a 2,400-tonne giant with a rope. In just a few minutes, the ship reaches deep sea and the tugboats leave the ropes. 'Virat' is now ready to sail in the Arabian Sea. This is his last (fictional) official tour, which will take him to Alang Ship Breaking Yard in Bhavnagar, 20 nautical miles away, in a few days. Here the huge body of 'Virat' is to be dismembered into many small pieces. The navy has sent a few people on board to take advantage of its final voyage before a ship like an aerodrome floating on the sea reaches Alang's 'final abode'. Good luck getting us involved! This writer had the opportunity to go on 'Virat' in 2001.

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Time: 05:30 in the morning. Equipped with two powerful diesel figs of about 5,000 horsepower, the 'giant' is moving in the sea, foaming at the mouth. Considering that the average city bus is fitted with an engine of 135 horsepower, the collective engine power of about 54 buses = the power of two engines of 'Virat'! After smashing at least 160 tons of diesel in 24 hours and turning both engines on speed, the 3,200-ton ship can reach a maximum speed of 6 nautical miles (about 56 kilometers) per hour. So far, however, the captain has not fully utilized the engine power, so the 'giant' is sliding slowly on the water.

We stand on the deck of 'Virat' as we see the gradually receding shores of Mumbai, the magnificent landmarks like Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the city's identity as well as enjoying the cool wires talking on the sea. As the height of the deck is 150 feet from the surface, it looks as if you are observing the metropolitan Mumbai from the balcony of the 14th floor of the Kok skyscraper. Looking down at the sea, Aladdin seems to be flying on a magical chessboard. With the exception of a few roars of the sea, there is such a supernatural peace all around that the mind has begun to receive a boostmar dose of freshness.

Speaking of refreshing the body, some sailors have come to the deck with hot tea and cookies / biscuits. The most delicious coconut cookies are fresh. Since the cooks stationed in the giant kitchen of 'Virat' made it only a few minutes ago, what is there to ask about the sweet sodam for roasting sugar-rich and butter-rich raisins? Filling the cookies with crumbs may seem crunchy, but the crumbs will melt into the mouth and melt in a matter of seconds! The cuisine of the skilled chefs of 'Virat' has just got its first taste. Tesado is about to fall for lunch.

Of course, we have to go back to some sections of 'Virat' before taking a look at the various characters. Let's start the journey of knowledge from the deck.

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'Virat', who joined the Indian Navy on May 17 and served for three decades, is 3 feet tall from the peacock to the helm. Take a look at Ritsar's airbase, not the deck. 'Sea King' and 'Chetak' type helicopters and 'Sea Harrier' planes are able to take off in a vertical line like helicopters. (These planes were retired in 2013 with 'Virat'). Look, there's a Sea Harrier! Standing at the end of the deck waiting for take-off. The pilot continued to engage both aircraft, but did not fly until he received a green signal from the ship's captain. In a few moments we are about to witness a thrilling event.

Patience! The captain has given a signal of take-off from the cabin called Bridge. A green light flashes on the deck, prompting the pilot in the cockpit to raise his thumb and signal 'OK'. ‘Sea Harrier’ is now ready to become a skyscraper. The pilot released the brakes as all the sailors on the deck moved to a safe place. We have no idea when the hunting leopard, Impakhala, chases after the deer and reaches the end of the runway, running on the 'Sea Harrier' tatuk and climbing into the sky from the end. As if the whole incident happened in the blink of an eye! The 'Sea Harrier', which is on patrol, has a load of 3,500 kilograms of weapons. With this 'ride', the plane takes off in a vertical line.

Therefore, a ski jump with a 12-degree ascent has been made at the front of the 'giant' so that the plane can take off from the short runway and soar into the sky. These hills help to push the sea harrier a little higher in the air. The 'Sea Harrier', which climbed high a few seconds ago, will return in a short time by patrolling in a very large sky. It is the job of its planes and helicopters to keep a close eye on the surrounding sea while the giant is sailing. They do not allow the 'giant' to come to grips by completing the challenge to the potential enemy.

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We now arrive at the captain's cabin after seeing the magnificent air-show played on the ship's deck. Among the sailors and officers operating radar, sonar and various navigation devices here. The captain is giving orders sitting in his pulpit-like chair. Every command of the captain is carried out by his junior executive officer / XO / Exo Zille, then the order is repeated in a simple manner and after that the administration of the cabin is carried out in a disciplined manner by which the sailor or officer obeys the order.

Looking through the transparent glass of the hexagonal bridge, a vast sea can be seen in the distance. There are not enough ships to swear around. But what is this? The radar canopy placed on the bridge shows a different effect of the sea. One or two or hundreds of green dots appear on the dial, which means that the 'giant' is not alone. Hundreds of boats are sailing in its Sanni, Dhy.

Explaining this, the captain said, "These boats belong to fishermen in and around Mumbai. The fog near the surface of the ocean is not visible to the naked eye, but the long-range radar of 'Virat' detects them with a keen eye for radar. These boats can sometimes carry disguised pirates, smugglers or even Pakistani intruders. Heavy and medium machine guns have been provided on the deck of 'Virat' to give a warm welcome to such an enemy.

As the ship begins to sail in the open sea, our expectation that nothing special will be done in its operation is going wrong every minute. None of the radar operators, ship's helm operators, sonar operators, navigators as well as cartographers and radio operators have time for hours. Not only is everyone engrossed in their own work, but every now and then a little bit of data related to the ship's voyage is told to the captain. After spending a lot of time watching and understanding all this, now let's go for a meal in the dining room of 'Virat'!

Once in the dining room, forget for a moment that we are on a ship floating in the middle of the ocean. The precise arrangement of the table-chair, the white glass plate, the knife-fork, the secluded counter for dining, etc. all make you feel like you are in a good restaurant. The feeling increases many times while taking a freshly made savory meal. From hot soups to desserts, it is often thought that the chefs of 'Virat', who make such delicious dishes, are no better than the hotel chefs. But who is the cook?

Who knows! If they have time to peek outside the kitchen, they can be seen, but we don't get that benefit. The reason is natural. About 1,500 sailors, officers and pilots are on duty on this aircraft carrier, so they have to keep a constant watch on the cooking stoves for them from breakfast to dinner. For breakfast, 5,000 parathas are unloaded for the sailors, 4,000 slats of bread are baked and an omelette is made from hundreds of eggs. The calculation of tea and coffee is different. The cooking still has to be done and preparations for lunch have to be started, which is also a lot of hard work.

The daily consumption of vegetables in the kitchen of 'Virat' is 200 kg, while the daily consumption of non-veg items is about 200 kg. How much do you think the giant storage room of a ship going out for ten days of patrolling at sea has to fill with food like vegetables, wheat, rice, lentils, beans, fruits, bread, cheese, butter, jam, meat? At least 1,50,000 kilograms! Number of eggs: 50,000!

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We saw the deck of 'Virat', saw the cabin called Bridge, had a delicious meal in the dining room. Now let's look at the interior sections of the ship. Let's start with the sailors' living room. Three breast beds of the same type are seen in the three-tier coaches of the railways. Some sailors are sleeping in it. The shift of duty on the ship will change in a short time, so he is going to handle his own work.

Beyond the living room, looking at the television room, the spoilers room, the gymnasium, the library, the hospital, the dentist's clinic, the operating theater, the huge laundry room where 500 uniforms are washed daily, etc., we all think that Mini city floating on?

This idea is reinforced by seeing the ship's own power station. The ship has giant-sized electrical generators to keep alive Virat's electrical appliances, lamps, kitchen appliances, air conditioning and especially softeners supplying potable water. When this floating town travels in the Mediterranean with 1,200 sailors, it needs thousands of liters of salt water daily for bathing and drinking. The seawater is then pumped and sent to a softener. This machine removes the salts mixed in the water and gives pure water at the rate of a few liters per hour so that the sailors can get drinking water.

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We have completely forgotten that the naval aircraft carrier 'Virat' was on the way while strolling in different sections. This illusion is shattered as soon as it comes back to the deck. The clock is ticking at half past six in the evening. The rays of the setting sun on the horizon are creating modern art on the celestial canvas with colors like orange, yellow, light pink, light purple. The picture changes back and forth every minute with changing colors. While sipping hot tea and enjoying the cool ocean breeze, watching the sky-show gives the feeling of being in a supernatural creation. Many sunsets have been seen before, but none of them are as seen today in the pollution-free Mediterranean sky. Some fellow travelers who have a close attachment to nature have become emotional after seeing the green of nature.

After a long journey in the blue Arabian Sea, 'Virat' has now taken the direction of Mumbai. Countless stars have begun to appear in the night sky after the sun's sphere sank in the distant horizon. The vast expanse of our Milky Way that cannot be seen in the polluted skies of the cities is visible to the naked eye here — and its radiance is so great that the face of the person standing on the deck of the ship can be distinguished.

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'Virat' has entered Mumbai's waters. An unforgettable journey is about to come to an end. After the captain reduced the speed of the ship, the two boats have come to lead 'Virat' to the dock. Just a few hours ago, the ship sinking in the Arabian Sea is sinking so quietly! As soon as they reached the dock, the sailors pulled out the dragon-shaped ropes, which were loaded into the pillars of the platform, after which the ship's engines were closed. The clock is ticking at 10:00 pm when we return to the dock, thanking the captain and the sailors for the memorable voyage. It's time to dump her and move on.

But wait! Before leaving, let's take a closer look at 'Virat'. Thanks to Virat for his services in protecting Indian waters for 30 consecutive years. Let's stand up and salute him. Goodbye, 'Virat'! તરતા મ્યૂ ઝિયમ તરીકે તને જાળવી રાખવાને બદલે તારા 'અંતિમસંસ્કાાર' કરાવવા બદલ દિલગીર છીએ!

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ચારેક વર્ષ પહેલાં નૌકાદળમાંથી સેવાનિવૃત્ત કરાયેલું 'વિરાટ' થોડા જ દિવસોમાં મુંબઈથી નીકળીને ૪૪૦ દરિયાઈ માઈલ છેટે ભાવનગરના અલંગ શિપ બ્રેકિંગ યાર્ડ પહોંચવાનું છે. અહીં તેના અકેક પુરજા પર કટર ફરશે ત્યાછરે કાળજું 'વિરાટ' પર ફરજ બજાવી ચૂકેલા અસંખ્યર નાવિકો તથા અફસરોનું કપાવાનું છે. ભારતીય નૌકાદળમાં ૩૦ વર્ષનું આયુષ્યવ ભોગવનાર 'વિરાટ'ની મૂક મરણચીસ આપણા જેવા આમ નાગરિકો તો સાંભળી ન શકે, પણ નૌકાદળના નાવિકોનો જીવ તે સાંભળીને કકળી ઊઠશે એ નક્કી માનજો. આવો હોય છે નાવિક અને જહાજ વચ્ચેોનો ગાઢ લાગણીનો ઋણાનુબંધ! ■