| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Dwarka |
| Namesake | Dwarka |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry | London |
| Route | Bombay –Persian Gulf |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson,Low Walker |
| Yard number | 1828 |
| Launched | 25 October 1946 |
| Completed | 25 June 1947 |
| Out of service | 1982 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped 1983 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | D-class passenger and cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 4,851 GRT, 2,672 NRT, 4,525 DWT |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 54.8 ft (16.7 m) |
| Draught | 21 ft 11 in (6.68 m) |
| Depth | 23.6 ft (7.2 m) |
| Decks | 2 |
| Installed power | 894NHP, 4,200bhp |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 13+1⁄2 knots (25 km/h) |
| Capacity |
|
| Crew | 122 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Notes | sister ships:Dumra,Dara,Daressa |
MVDwarka was aBritish India Steam Navigation Company passenger and cargo ship that operated between theIndian subcontinent andPersian Gulf. She was in service from 1947 until 1982. She was the second of four "modern D Class"sister ships built between 1946 and 1950, and the only one of the four to be built bySwan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson atLow Walker.
She was the third BI ship to be named afterDwarka, an ancient city of religious significance in the state ofGujarat, onIndia's northwest coast. The first was asteamship that was built in 1894 and scrapped in 1920.[1][2] The second was amotor ship that was built in 1922 and scrapped in 1937.[3][4]
Swan, Hunter built the ship atLow Walker as yard number 1828.[5] Mrs GF Hotblack, the wife of one of BI's Directors, launched her on 25 October 1946. Swan, Hunter completed the ship on 25 June 1947.[6] The ship's lengths were 398.6 ft (121.5 m)overall and 382.3 ft (116.5 m) registered. Herbeam was 54.8 ft (16.7 m), her depth was 23.6 ft (7.2 m), and her depth was 21 ft 11 in (6.68 m). Hertonnages were 4,851 GRT, 2,672 NRT,[7] and 4,525 DWT.[8]
She had a singlescrew, driven by aDoxford five-cylinderopposed pistontwo-stroke diesel engine.[7] It was rated at 894NHP or 4,200bhp, and gave her a speed of13+1⁄2 knots (25 km/h).[6] Her navigation equipment included wirelessdirection finding, and anecho sounding device.[7] By 1959 it also includedradar.[9]
BIregisteredDwarka inLondon. Her UKofficial number was 181650 and hercall sign was GCKS.[7]
Dwarka's cargo capacity was 212,384 cubic feet (6,014 m3).[6] As built, she had capacity for 1,591 passengers: 13 first class, 41 second class and 1,537 deck class.[8] She had a crew of 122. She and her sisters were described as "ships of transport, cargo plus passengers – comfortable but not luxurious, dependable but not speedy – appropriately functional for their time".[10]
Dwarka entered service in June 1947, joiningDumra on BI's route between Bombay (nowMumbai) and thePersian Gulf. WhenDara was completed in June 1948, she joined them on the same route. The fourth sister,Daressa, joined the same route when she was completed in June 1950.[8]
On 20 September 1953, there was a dispute among some of the deck passengers about the price of food. TwoSomalian deck passengers killed three crewmen, and injured 11, before they were restrained.[6]
On 12 December 1959Dwarka leftMuscat for Bombay. A few hours later a bomb exploded under a bed in one of her passenger cabins. The target was the Minister of the Interior ofMuscat and Oman, Sayed Ahmed bin Ibrahim. The cabin caught fire, and the minister suffered burns and severeshock. The residentRoyal Navy officer inBahrain,Commander Roger Fisher, was also aboard, and rescued bin Ibrahim from the cabin. The minister was taken ashore and admitted to the US mission hospital atMuttrah.[11][12][13]
On 19 June 1961Dwarka was leaving Muscat when there was an explosion in her number one hold, injuring one person. Damage was minor, and the ship continued her voyage toKarachi.[6]
During theIndo-Pakistani war of 1965,Dwarka met another BI motor ship,Santhia, in Muscat to exchange passengers.Dwarka's Indian passengers were transferred toSanthia, andSanthia's Pakistani passengers were transferred toDwarka. Omani police and thefrigateHMS Nubian supervised the exchange.[6]
In 1971Dwarka joined the General Cargo Division of BI's parent companyP&O. Ownership ofDwarka was transferred to P&O on 19 April 1973, but transferred back to BI on 30 May 1975.[8][6]
In 1979Dwarka was refitted inSingapore. Her holds were fitted withrefrigeration plant, and her passenger accommodation was revised to 52 cabin class, 534 berthed, and 533 deck passengers.[8]
Toward the end of her career,Dwarka, under the command of Captain GA Hankin, featured in two films. In 1979 theBBC made a television documentary as part of the seriesThe World About Us called "Dwarka: An Arabian Voyage".[6] It documented a voyage from Mumbai, calling at Karachi, taking migrant workers to countries in thePersian Gulf. This illustrated the ship's unique historic status, and reportedly prompted renewed interest in her from around the world.[citation needed] In 1981Richard Attenborough'sbiographical filmGandhi usedDwarka for several location shoots in Mumbai,[6] portraying much earlier BI ships.
Dwarka was the last survivor of the four D-class ships.Dara had caught fire and sunk in 1961,Daressa was scrapped in 1974, andDumra was scrapped in 1979.[14][15][16]
On 15 May 1982Dwarka reached Mumbai at the end of her final voyage, and sailed on to reach Karachi on 23 May 1982[17] where she was delivered to Zulfiqar Metals ofPakistan which had bought her for scrap. She wasbroken up atGadani Beach, Pakistan, beginning on 13 June 1982.[6]
Dwarka was the last BI ship to operate traditional liner service. However, the last passenger ship in BI livery wasUganda, which was transferred to P&O's Passenger Division in 1972 but remained in BI colours.Uganda was laid up in April 1985 and sold for scrap in 1986.[18]
