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Water Sports
Arabian Sea in the West, Western Ghats towering 2700 meters in the East, networked by 44 rivers, is Kerala, rightly called as God’s Own Country.
Strategically located midway on the corridor of Europe and the Far East, this southern tip of India has been the dream destination of many an adventurous captain, to claim his share of the famed spices that grew in abundance in this small state.
Kerala is also blessed with hill-stations, beaches, waterfalls, forests and serene lakes, all just within a few kilometers. A real haven for the tourist, Kerala is also the most progressive society in terms of literacy, education and health in India.
Being a land primary suited for cultivation and crisscrossed with waterways, water sports invariably is a part of life of Keralaite. And of all the water sports that this land boasts off, the Snake Boat Races are the most majestic and awe inspiring.
Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, is a small village in the Disctrict of Allapuzha or Allappy as it is commonly known to the tourist world. A land known for its vast expanse of paddy fields and its scenic beauty, it is also famous for the biggest water sports known to the world, the Chundan Vallom Kali or the Snake Boat Race. The boat races are conducted on the vast expanses of the Vembanad lake and the majestic rivers of Pamba, Achankovil and Meenachil that flow through the region.
In Kuttanad you find a community of hardworking, friendly and hospitable people who always maintain an optimistic view of life and are naturally generous and broadminded. In this immensely rich and fertile land, their lives are closely knit together, with perfect religious harmony. This harmony is evident from the numerous, well known centers of worship for both the Hindus and Christians. Niranam in Kuttanad, one of the earliest Christian settlements in the world, is believed to have been founded by Saint Thomas, the Apostle.
Kuttanad is better known to the outside world for its ritual extravaganza of water sports, the much celebrated snake boat races. Most of these races are scheduled in the months of July, August and September. The well known tournaments of the season are the Nehru Trophy boat race of Alapuzha, and the Chambakulam, Karuvatta, Payippad, Mannar, Kumarakom, Neerettupuram and Pulincunnu boat races. Altogether there are about 25 boat races held every year in Kuttanad. The large snake boats called Chundanvallams, each having 100 or more sturdily built rowers, are an unbelievable sight to behold. Kuttanad has 18 such large snake boats in operation today. In add-
ition, there are other categories of smaller sized race boats such as Veppu, Churulan and Iruttukuthi, each having thirty to fifty rowers, taking part in the festivity.
In ancient days snake boats were originally used as battleships for taking soldiers from place to place. Nowadays they are used only on festive occasions and for races. The long, slender and sleek boats bear testimony to the architectural and design skills of great craftsmen of yesteryears. The aerodynamically designed but stunningly beautiful snake boats can carry as many as 120 rowers who can race through the long waterways at an amazing speed.
The story of these battling boats goes back 400 years in history when the Rajas of the erstwhile principalities of Chempakasseri (Ambalappuzha), Kayamkulam, Thekkumkoor (Changanacherry) and Vadakkumkoor (Kottayam) in the old Travancore area, which are part of the present Alappuzha district and Kottayam district, frequently crossed swords on the backwaters of Kuttanad. The Chempakasserry troops suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the superior navy their rivals commanded. It soon dawned on the Chempakasserry Raja that the real defect was with his war boats, which were sluggish and cumbersome.
He called all the boat architects in the land to his court and told them of his desire to have better, faster boats for the troops. After days of hard labour, a man who was reputed to be the best boat architect in Chempakasserry, Koduppunna Venkitanarayanan Asari, came up with a specimen which satisfied the raja’s requirements. It had speed, manoeuvrability and capacity to carry more than 100 able-bodied warriors on board and its eel-like construction was most ideal for launching an ambush since it could be easily kept concealed behind the overhanging bushes on the river banks. The Asari was generously rewarded and in the subsequent battles, the Chempakasseri Raja emerged victorious.
The construction and the race itself are steeped in religious rituals.
These boats are constructed according to specifications taken from the Sthap Athya Veda, an ancient treatise for the building of wooden boats. They are about 100 to 158 ft in length, with the rear portion towering to a height of about 20 ft. and a long tapering front portion. It resembles a snake with its hood raised. Its hull is built of planks precisely 83 feet in length and six inches wide.
These boats are usually made of Anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), though sometimes Teak and Kadamb (Naucleacadamba) wood is also used. Each boat is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans and a lot of patience and hard work goes into making and decorating it. The boat is treated as a deity and a holds a lot of emotional value for the village folk. Only men are allowed to touch the boat and no footwear is allowed onboard.
These Valloms or boats are tastefully decorated with colorful silk umbrellas. The number of umbrellas attached to a boat signifies the affluence of the family to which they belong. To render a more magnificent look to the boat gold coins, ornaments and tassels are also added.
Great care is taken for the upkeep of the boat. Carpenters repair these boats on an annual basis. They are lubricated with fish oil, coconut shell and carbon mixed with eggs. This also helps to keep the wood strong and boats slippery in water.
To make sure that everything goes smooth, arrangements start days before the race. The boats are launched a day before the grand race. Pujas are also rendered to Lord Vishnu and Mahabali by a priest to invoke blessings for the boat and the boatmen.
Traditionally the boats are commanded by a Nambuiri Brahmin. Under him there will be four main oarsmen, symbolizing the four Vedas, who control the movement of the boat with 12 feet long main rudder-oars. Sitting two in row along the length of the Boat there will be 64 oarsmen, representing 64 art forms or sometimes there will be 128 oarsmen. They row in rhythm of the vanchipattu or the boatman's song. There will be around 25 singers. And in the middle of the boat is a platform for eight people to stand. They represent the Ashtadikpalakas or the devas or gods who guard the eight directions.
The race course has a length of about 1400 meters and is divided into various tracks for the conduct of the competition. When they move fast through their respective tracks, they appear like fast moving snakes. The oarsmen splash the oars in unison to the rhythmic chants and beats of drums.
Of all the boat races that are conducted here in Kuttanad, the most famous are the Nehru Trophy Race and the Chambakkulam Race.
The Nehru Trophy snake boat race, considered to be the biggest water spot event in the world, is held on the second Saturday of August every year. All the snake boats of Kuttanad and numerous other smaller boats take part in this much trumpeted mega event which is also a major draw for tourists from all over the world. The tournament is organized in the Punnamada kayal, which is part of the Vembanad lake.
The history of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race is associated with the visit of late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India to Allapuzha. He chanced a trip from Kottayam to Allapuzha by boat, through water logged Kuttanad. A pageantry of boats accompanied him on the trip.
The first race was an impromptu once conducted in 1952 in honour of Panditji who visited Alappuzha. In that race of snake boats, Nadubhagam Chundan stood first. Panditji, who was thrilled and excited in the performance of the oarsmen, jumped into the Nadubhagam Chundan, forgetting all security arrangements. The boat proceeded to the boat jetty carrying the Prime Minister. On his return to Delhi in December 1952, Nehru donated a Silver Trophy, which is a replica of a snake boat placed on a wooden abacus. The trophy bears the following inscription above his signature.
*“To the winners of the boat race which is a unique feature of community life in Travancore Cochin."*
This trophy later came to be known as Nehru Trophy, and in fond memory of great Panditiji, the people of Alappuzha celebrate the Nehru Trophy Boat Race every year.
The Chambakulam boat race is related to the temple rituals of Kuttanad. It is also the 1st race in the calendar of sporting events. It is linked to the legendary theft and installation of a deity’s idol in the Ambalapuzha Hindu temple. Several centuries ago, during the reign of the Chembakaserry Rajas, the king’s soldiers stole a perfectly cast idol of Lord Krisha from a temple in the adjoining village of Kurichi. They brought the idol their country and kept it hidden near a Christian household in Chambakulam. The next day, accompanied by a large procession of devotees who came in their snake boats the idol was brought to Ambalapuzha. The boat race is held every year in the month of July to commemorate that event.
Being a land crisscrossed with a lot of water bodies, water sports are an integral part of the Keralite.
And of all water sports, the thundering Snake Boat Races, a true display of passions of an entire village, are the most majestic of all.