INS Kursura, 1969 Kalvari-class submarine
INS Kursura is a retired submarine on the shore of Visakhapatnam, now serving as a museum ship. The vessel is over 91 meters long, made of dark steel, and was built in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s.
The submarine entered service in 1969 and served the Indian Navy for over three decades, including during the 1971 war. After covering more than 73,000 nautical miles, it was decommissioned in 2001 and turned into a museum.
The name comes from Sanskrit and refers to a type of shark, pointing to the vessel's silent and swift movement underwater. Visitors today still see the original fittings and narrow sleeping berths where the crew lived and worked for months at a time.
Access is through a narrow hatch, and the corridors inside are tight, so comfortable footwear is recommended. The museum is located on RK Beach and is best visited during daylight hours when guides, often retired sailors, are available.
The submarine was towed over 600 meters (about 1,970 feet) onto shore, a process that took more than a year and represented an unusual engineering achievement. Despite being decommissioned, it still receives the honor of a Dressing Ship, a recognition usually reserved only for active vessels.
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