INS Chapal, its code name being K94, was a missile boat of Indian Navy. It is now a museum ship, a ship that has been preserved as a memorial and tribute and stands on the Rabindranath Tagore Beach at Karwar in the state of Karnataka. The ship weighs 275 tons and 38.5 X 7.2 metres dimension. INS Chapal (K94) is one of the three museum ships in India and the only one museum ship in Karnataka.

History

INS Chapal is a Russian made missile boat which served with the Indian Navy for 29 years. It was launched in 1976 as a missile launcher warship. Its code name is K94. INS Chapal was a star of the 1971 Indo Pak War and missiles from the ship had bombarded Karachi causing large scale damage. It was one of the main reasons behind India’s victor in the war. The crew of the ship were awarded prestigious gallantry award for their bravery and courage. It included 2 Param Veer Chakras and 8 Veer Chakras.

After its long tenure of dedicated service, it was decided to turn INS Chapal (K94) into a museum ship in 2006. It was brought to the Karwar beach from the Agra INS Kadamba naval base. The transportation of the huge ship was a huge process. It was towed with the help of fishery boats and brought to its present location. The ship is now positioned on a concrete platform so that the rising of sea water does not create any chemical impact on the ship. The entire process of setting up the museum ship was filmed and this video is available to visitors.

The Attractions

• video presentation on the museum ship, its establishment, the process, etc.
• About the India-Pakistan 1971 war when the missiles from INS Chapal destroyed Karachi Harbour, which forced the defeat of Pakistan and ensured India’s victory.
• A view of the facilities that the ship had with missiles and its capacities.
• A view of 20 mm anti-aircraft guns which could fire 3,000 rounds per minute.

Timings and Tickets

The usual timings are from 10 am to 1 pm and 4.30 pm to 6 pm, but it can vary on certain days.

Entry fee

A small fee is charged