Snake Boat Race- The world’s largest team sport event

In the 13th century, in Kerala, India, there existed two kingdoms who were arch rivals, Odanad/Kayamkulam and Champakassery, the Rajas/kings of both these kingdoms had long sought to achieve dominance over each other and were hence indulged in a constant struggle against each other. Kayamkulam and Champakassery were strategically located amidst idyllic backwaters and were kingdoms of significant mercantile importance and hence the Raja of Chamkassery decided to attack Kayamkulam with superior naval technology and thus came into existence Chundan Vallam, colloquially known as the snake boats. The Chundan Vallam are wooden boats with a length of over 100 feet that could carry more than 100 men and women at a time, these boats were of naval superiority when they were first established since their tail ends were highly built which was helpful to detect the enemy fleet.

Kerala is located in the South-Western portion of India It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to its west and houses the “Queen of the Arabian Sea”, Kochi. According to legends, a grieving Lord Parasurama (an avatar of Mahavishnu ) had once thrown his axe into the sea after killing members of the Kshatriya community, and hence the state of Kerala rose from the sea, thus, evidently, Kerala is geographically blessed with monsoon rains and serene backwaters, lakes, rivers, and beaches and has a longstanding relationship with its water bodies. Due to being blessed with an enormous number of water bodies, the inhabitants of Kerala have mastered boat making. From the prehistoric ages, boats of varying sizes were made to trade and transport commodities and people.

Every year in the month of August, Kerala witnesses celebrations of Onam, a harvest festival dedicated to King Mahabali across the state, and people decorate their houses and streets with beautiful floral rangolis which is accompanied by joyous singing and dancing. However, what happens to be the focal interest of the festival is the annually held Vannam Kali or Boat Race in which numerous teams consisting of over 100 rowers per team compete against each other in long boats such as the Chundan Vellam ( snake boat ). Every year there are various competitions of boat races held in Kerala, however, the most notable competition/event is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race was inaugurated by India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952 when he visited Kerala and witnessed the massive boats. The competition is held in the Punnamada lake of the Alappuzha district in Kerala and various boats such as the Chundan Vellam, Churulan, Iruttukuthy, and, Veppu take part in the sporting event. Pandit Nehru also donated a unique silver rolling trophy in the shape of a snake boat which adds to the event’s pride and glory.

The sporting event is held in the Punnamada lake which is divided into 4 tracks which are 10m wide with a track length of 1400m. Each boat has 111 team members and 25 singers who motivate the teammates by singing the Vanchipattu which are special songs sung for the oarsmen, this makes the snake boat race the largest team sport event in the world.

The oarsmen are vigorously screened for selection months ahead of the actual boat race since rowing the boats requires massive muscular arm strength for which the oarsmen undergo training. A typical day for the trainees starts at 5 AM with physical exercises such as stretching and pushups, the oarsmen then practice rowing their boats at least thrice during the day and then thrice during the noon till about 6 PM. The oarsmen are offered wholesome meals which consist of protein in the form of fish, meat, and pulses. The entire training is a costly and strenuous affair that often leaves the fittest of the oarsmen with several bruises. The race is generally held annually on the second Saturday of August and witnesses massive crowds making who specially arrive to cheer for their favorite team. Most people have high emotions attached to the sporting event making which makes winning even more important for the teammates on every boat.

The Nehru Trophy is now the first event of the 12 events in the Champions Boat League which happens to be a premier league for Snake boat competitions established by the Kerala State Tourism Departments and is held annually in Kerala between August and November, the races are held from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and are broadcasted on the Star Sports network of channels. The winning team of the championship is awarded a cash prize of INR 25 lakhs and the runners up and second runners up are awarded INR 15 lakhs and INR 10 lakhs respectively. For more information on the CBL, check https://championsboatleague.in/.

Overall, the Kerala boat race is a unique sporting event that is combined with festivities and culture which attracts thousands of tourists from within India and abroad to witness opulent boats and hardworking oarsmen.