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undreds of visitors came to Benoa seaport to get a closer look at the Dewa Ruci warship that is docking here until Thursday on its way to Manado, North Sulawesi, as part of the Kartika Jala Krida 2009 voyage.

The 874-ton ship has three masts, symbolizing the three princes in the Pandawa royal family, Bima, Arjuna and Yudhistira, a legend derived from the famous Indian Mahabharata epic, in which Dewa Ruci was the god of the ocean.

The Dewa Ruci was once the pride of the Indonesian Navy, and first came to Indonesia from Germany in l953. The 56.5-meter-long warship has 16 sails covering 1,091 square meters.

"The ship is beautiful," said Ni Luh Rastiti, a visitor commenting on the ship's body, which is adorned with ornate wooden carvings.

Let. Col Suharto, the 32nd commander of the Dewa Ruci, said the ship had served as training ground for the new cadets of the Indonesian Naval Academy since it first arrived here in 1953.

The Dewa Ruci has frequently journeyed around the world to countries in Europe and Asia, as well as to the United States and Australia, Suharto said.

On long journeys, cadets obtained important training in astronomy and technical areas.

During the visit, a number of cadets warmly welcomed spectators, explaining aspects of the ship's interior, machinery and schedule.

Some of the cadets were doing marching band practice.

"We are going to perform at Niti Mandala Renon Park in Denpasar together with students from local high schools this *Wednesday* afternoon," Suharto said.

Suharto had invited a number of high schools in Denpasar to visit the Dewa Ruci while it was in Benoa.

"We want to invoke a sense of patriotism among youths," he said.

The visit was also aimed at encouraging young students to enroll in the Naval Academy.