Nehru Boat Race
My liking to Kerala all started with a show on Doordarshan called ‘the great Indian roads’ a 10 min travel show screened every Sunday at 2. I followed the show consecutively for 3-4 weeks, just to see the host driving through different places around Kerala. I remember seeing Kappad beach where Vasco Da Gama first landed in India, Allapuzha, master of all fights Kalaripiat on the beaches [I don’t remember the beach though], different food mostly non-vegetarian & off-course the traditional oil massage. It grew in me to visit Kerala over the time but it just happened to be just a plan without action.
Eventually I made my first visit to Kerala on bike expedition to South India covering parts of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puduchery. I visited many places in Kerala most parts of Malabar, Travancore region starting with Kasargod, Kunnur, Kappad Beach, Guruvayor, Kochi, Munnar.
Kerala welcomed me for another visit, this time for Nehru Boat Race held at Allepey [or Alapuzha] & this time not on bike but by veins of Indian transport railways.
Nehru Boat Race is popularly known as Snake boat race since the boats used for this race are snake boats also called Chundan locally. This is early event to mark the start of biggest festival in Kerala Onam and is held 2nd Saturday of August every year. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Independent India visited Kerala in 1952. He was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey, escorted by the huge snake-boats. Having gone through the tremendous excitement of sailing in a snake-boat Jawaharlal Nehru donated a rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner of the race. The trophy is a replica of a snake-boat in silver, placed on wooden abacus on which the following words are inscribed. [source - wikipedia]
Snake boat Race conducted in Punnamada Lake and is very crowded event and you have to be ready to expect some challenges to watch it closely. There are different categories of races and event runs through the day, while winner is declared at the end of the day in each of the categories. Women also participate in the race which is worth a watch too. If your planning is right, you could book a boat stay and enjoy the race all through the day at your comforts, the best view you can get of the race.
Official site: http://www.nehrutrophy.nic.in/
Few pics from my visit to the event
Keep travelling, explore more of India !
