Pride for Uttarakhand as Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain from Bhatkot village in Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal made history

Pride for Uttarakhand as Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain from Bhatkot village in Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal made history by completing a 314-day global maritime circumnavigation. The nine-member all-women tri-services crew aboard the indigenously built Indian Army Sailing Vessel IASV Triveni covered nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans and rounded the three Great Capes — Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope.

The expedition, named ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, began from Mumbai on September 11, 2025 and concluded in Mumbai on July 30, 2026. During the voyage the team crossed all meridians, sailed across the Equator twice, transited the International Date Line, and braved the treacherous Drake Passage. The crew made diplomatic port calls at Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Cape Town in South Africa.

Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain, the Navy officer in the team, represented Uttarakhand in this first-ever all-women tri-services circumnavigation mission. The expedition was felicitated in New Delhi on July 30, 2026 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who called it a testament to ‘Nari Shakti’ and to the jointness of the Army, Navy and Air Force. He said the feat proved that physical capability and leadership are not bound by gender and that every daughter in India can now believe she too can cross oceans.

Priyanka’s achievement has become an inspiration across the hills of Pauri Garhwal, showing how determination and courage can take daughters from small mountain villages to global milestones. The crew also conducted scientific research with the National Institute of Oceanography, studying microplastics and marine life during the journey.

Heartfelt congratulations to Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain on this historic achievement and best wishes for a bright future ahead.

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