Google Doodle pays tribute to ‘pinisi,’ Sulawesi’s art of boatbuilding

Google honours this day with a doodle as pinisi earned recognition as a symbol of South Sulawesi’s art of boatbuilding on this day in the year 2017 and secured a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. 

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History of pinisi boats

The roots of Indonesian boatbuilding traced back thousands of years, but the first modern pinisi boat was built in 1906 in South Sulawesi. Inspired by European rigging styles, sailors removed the central stern post and came up with the realisation that this enhanced boats’ speed. This move served as a huge advantage for cargo and passenger transport. Characterised by a majestic design with a large hull extending over the ship’s front, pinisi boats gained great popularity over the years. However, the most celebrated community of pinisi boats is found in Sulawesi.

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Konjo-speaking people of Ara who lived in a village in the district of Bontobahari, in South Sulawesi’s Bulukumba regency, were the main architects of pinisi-rigged ships. These pinisi ships were widely used by Buginese and Makassarese seafarers as cargo vessels.

Inrodution of engines in pinisi boats

Engines were introduced into pinisi boats in the 1980s. Earlier, the design of pinisi boats was shared over the generations orally while the blueprint for pinisi boats officially came into existence and was codified in the 1990s. South Sulawesi’s boatbuilding legacy continues to have an influence even today. Pinisi boats serve as preferred choices for fishing trips and tourism expeditions.

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Yesterday, Google dedicated a doodle to Ahmed the Elephant with illustrations of elephants and tourists. Ahmed was an elephant who was born in 1919 in the forests of Kenya in Mount Marsabit. The hikers Who spotted Ahmed claimed that Ahmed’s tusks were so large that they scraped the ground. This unique attribute set him apart from other elephants. Stories of “The King Of Marsabit” circulated across Kenya. The legend also drew media attention.

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Published: 07 Dec 2023, 07:09 AM IST