As the naval band played Last Post, the national flag and national ensign fluttering on INS Magdala were lowered for the last time. That marked the decommissioning of INS Magdala, the sixth ship under project 1258 E. Earlier, the ship hoisted the ‘paying off pennant’ as per the naval traditions. After lowering down the pennant as part of decommissioning, the Commanding Officer of INS Magdala handed over the pennant to Vice Admiral Harinder Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.

INS Magdala, built at Leningrad in the erstwhile USSR, was commissioned on May 10, 1984 by Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command. The ship was a part of the 20th Mine Counter Measure Squadron (MCMS) and was placed under the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Kerala & Lakshadweep) at Kochi.

The ship took its name from the minor port of Magdala, located 5 miles inshore of river Tapti at the Gulf of Khambat (Cambay). She was an inshore minesweeper (IMS) specially designed and built with glass reinforced plastic hull. The ship was capable of operating in approaches to harbour and inshore waters in order to search, locate and destroy various types of mines.

During her commission, she undertook various operational commitments such as mine counter- measure exercises, tractional exercises, visits to various minor ports and search and rescue missions. In her 17 years of glorious and distinguished service, INS Magdala covered over 45000 nautical miles. The ship also paid a goodwill visit to Male in October 1989. Even though INS Magdala ceases to be in operation it continues to live in the memories of the men who railed on her.