Famous Champakulam Moolam Boat Race held on 12th July Kerala’s snake boat racing season officially kicked off in the sprawling Pampa River near Champakulam village in Alappuzha district, with tourists flocking to the backwaters of central Kerala, where most of the races are held. Considering the silent proceedings over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers and boat clubs are hoping to revive the famous craze about snake boat races this season.
popularly called VallamkaliThe boat race starts with the Champakulam boat race just after the first phase of monsoon. Traditionally, races are held during the harvest season and are often associated with the Onam festival during the August-September period.
Here is a list of the main races:
Kumarakom Boat Race
place: Kumarakom, Kottayam District
nearest railway station: Kottayam (15 km)
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport (78 km)
Date: September 10, 2022
While most boat racing events in Kerala are either ritualistic or purely competitive, the Kumarakom race, aka Sree Narayana Jayanti boat race, is in memory of the great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. He is said to have visited Kumarakom in 1903 in a boat from Alappuzha. The race commemorates this journey.
As part of the programme, a grand procession of country boats carries the Guru’s portrait from the Sri Kumaramangalam temple, which was installed by the Guru at Kottathodu, the race venue. It is usually organized on the day of Shree Narayana Guru Jayanti.
Nehru Trophy Boat Race
A snake boat competing in the 2019 Nehru Trophy Boat Race. photo credit: Vibhu Hu
place: Punnamada, Alappuzha District
nearest railway station: Alappuzha (7 km)
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport (83 km)
Date: September 4, 2022
Arguably the most prestigious and most-watched race of the season, it is usually held on the second Saturday of August every year and a large number of people flock to the banks of the Punnamada Lake to watch the 100 feet long snake boats race to the tunes of the old boat. gather for. Songs. However, this year it will be celebrated on 4th September.
As the name of the trophy suggests, the first race was held in 1952 when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was on a visit to Alappuzha. It is said that he was so enthralled by the sight of the majestic snake boats that he jumped on one of the snake boats, Nadubhagam Chundan, ignoring its protective cover. After returning to Delhi, he donated a silver replica of a snake boat on a wooden abacus. Hence the name Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Payippad Jalotsavam
place: Payippad, Alappuzha District
nearest railway station: Haripad (5 km)
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport (115 km)
Date: 8 to 10 September, 2022
Organized to commemorate the installation of the idol at Haripad Subramaniam Swamy Temple, it is held on the Payippad River near Payippad village in Alappuzha district. The three-day water festival often hosts the largest number of snake boats after the Nehru Trophy race. This year the main race will take place on 10 September.
aranmula boat race
Aranmula Boat Race | Photo Credit: Jayakrishnan Omallur
place: Aranmula, Pathanamthitta District
nearest railway station: Chengannur (10 km)
Nearest Airport: Trivandrum International Airport (115 km)
Date: September 11, 2022
it is Kerala’s oldest river boat festival, and is more of a ritual than an actual caste. It is believed that long ago, robbers from the hills attacked the boat that had set sail for the feast to be served at the Aranmula Parthasarathy temple on the day of Thiruvonam. When the local families around the temple came to know about it, they got into their boats, chased the attackers and went to the temple with Thiruvonathoni (Thiruvonam boat). Every year, the Aranmula Vallamkali festival recreates that legend. The actual race is held on the day after Thiruvonam, on the day of Utharitthathi.
President’s Trophy Boat Race
place: Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam
nearest railway station: Kollam (1.5 km)
Nearest Airport: Trivandrum International Airport (67 km)
Date: November 26, 2022
One of the last boat races of the season is one of the biggest boat races with a golden plated trophy and a top prize of ₹10 lakhs waiting for the winner. It is held in Kollam in November over a 1250-metre long water column in the vast Ashtamudi Lake, and is the final race of the Champions Boat League which begins with the Nehru Trophy.
Champions Boat League
Snake boat competition in the 5th leg of the 2019 Champions Boat League (CBL) organized by Kerala Tourism at Marine Drive in Kochi, Ernakulam district. photo credit: Tulsi Kakti
in this Annual sporting event consisting of 12 racesOrganized by Kerala Tourism to preserve and promote boat racing, the snake boat team with the most points after the final race wins the league. The league begins with the prestigious Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha, and ends with the Presidents Trophy Boat Race in Kollam.
Nine teams were involved in the first edition, which was flagged off by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the presence of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in August 2019. Tropical Titans (traditionally, Pallathuruthi Boat Club) won with 173 points, followed by Raging Rovers (Karichal) and Mighty Oars (NCDC Dewas).
This year, apart from 12 races, there will also be an affiliated competition featuring small boats on the Chaliyar river in Kozhikode district.
Schedule of the 2022 races in the order in which they are held:
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Nehru Trophy | Punnamada, Alappuzha | September 4
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Thajathangadi, Kottayam | September 17
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Pulinkunnu, Alappuzha | September 24
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Piravom, Ernakulam | 1 October
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Marine Drive, Ernakulam | October 8
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Kottapuram, Thrissur | 15 October
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Kainakari, Alappuzha | 22 October
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Karuvatta, Alappuzha | 29 October
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Pandanadu, Alappuzha | November 5
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Kayamkulam, Alappuzha | November 12
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Kallada, Kollam | November 19
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President’s Trophy | Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam | 26 November
For updates and ticket booking, Champions Boat League Website