Western Naval Command’s base depot commissioned

Western Naval Command’s base depot, INS Tanaji, was commissioned at the historic Mankhurd Naval Base Tuesday in the presence of Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, according to an officer.

Though naval operations in the country are normally associated with south Mumbai, it was during the World War II that the navy established the naval armament depot, followed by weapon equipment depot, material organisation’s store house, Naval Dockyard production centres and the Bureau of Sailors at Trombay in the eastern suburbs.

From these humble origins, the Mankhurd Naval Base station grew in size and presence into a full-fledged naval area, employing and housing over 1,000 naval personnel and their families, much like its counterpart in south Mumbai.

The commissioning of the Base Depot Ship INS Tanaji is a natural progression of the Western Naval Command of having an independent organisation to look after the needs of these units,” a defence ministry official said.

It has been named after the great Maratha warrior and military leader, Tanaji Malusare of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s army, continuing the Indian Navy’s tradition of honouring Indian military leaders by naming naval establishments after them.

Knows as Simha (Lion), Tanaji was famous for the battle of Sinhagad in 1670. At Chhatrapati Shivaji’s behest, he went to conquer the Kondana Fort near Pune, but he lost his life in the battle at the hands of Udaynhan Rathod, the fortkeeper of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I.

Chhatrapati Shivaji – who reacted to the news of Tanaji’s death, “Gad aala, pan Simha gela” – honoured him by naming Kondana Fort as Sinhagad Fort.

The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi, flag officer commanding-in-chief, Western Naval Command, other officers, defence and civil dignitaries, sailors and their families.