Boat Races of Kerala

The traditional boat race in Kerala, “Vallamkali” literally means boat game/race. “Vallamkali” is also known as Snake Boat Race in English. Boat races in Kerala are conducted during the harvest season, which comes around the time of Onam, the state harvest festival of Kerala. Some of the most popular and renowned boat races in Kerala are Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali, Payippad Jalotsavam, Kumarakom Boat Race and Indira Gandhi Boat Race.

Payippad Jalotsavam is the oldest snake boat race in the world. Other boat races in Kerala are ATDC Boat Race, Alappuzha, Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race, Pulinkunnu, Neerettupuram Pampa Boat Race, Karuvatta Boat Race, Kavanattinkara Boat Race, Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela, Mahatma Boat Race, Mannar, Thazhathangadi Boat Race, Kottayam, Kottapuram Boat Race, Kodungallur and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam, Pallana, Kallada Boat Race, Kollam.

The meandering backwaters of Kerala with its lush greenery make it an apt host for the scintillating boat races. Boat Races in Kerala acclaim to have the maximum number of participants in any individual sports in the world. One boat would bear almost 100 men. Revelry includes eye-catching water floats, attractively decorated boats, and the beautiful songs of the oarsmen.

Payippad Jalotsavam, which is considered to be the oldest snake boat race in the world, is the only one conducted for continuous three days in Kerala. It is conducted in the month of September. There is a story behind this sport - The people of the Haripad village decided to build a Sree Ayyappan temple. Before the installation of the idol the people had a vision that they should install the idol of Sri Subramanya Swamy which they will find in the Kayamkulam river. The exact location of the idol will be under a whirlpool in the river. The people found the idol as per the vision and brought back Subramanya vigrah in a boat, escorted by the devotees in other boats ceremoniously. In remembrance of this event a three day water festival is conducted each year, the famous Payippad Jalotsavam. Payippad is almost 35 km away from Alleppey.

The snake boat races of Kerala from July to September are:
Champakulam Moolam Boat Race
The oldest and most popular snake boat race in Kerala, and is closely connected to the Sree Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. The race is held on the Champakulam Lake on the moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Temple.

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