Experience the Frenzy of Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha,Kerala

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a well-known Vallam Kali (traditional boat race) held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Kerala, India. The major highlight of the event is the race of ChundanVallams (beaked boats).Held on the second Saturday of August every year, this snake boat race is named after India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The carnival in August will stir the adventure-sports junkie in you. Nehru Trophy Boat Race adds significant importance to the culture and tradition of this place. Every year over 2 lakh people gather to view and be a part of this enthusiastic festival including locals and tourists from around the world. If you’re planning to visit Kerala during this time, then you ought to know every facet about this fierce competition.

It’s a serious competition between ChundanVallam, which is locally known as snake boats. The aerial view of Punnamda Lake in Alappuzha looks stunning with 100-120 feet long boats carrying 95-100 passengers on both sides. The oars cutting violently through the calm waters give this competition a dash of raging passion. The backwater tour of Alappuzha, where thesnake boat race is taking place is also known astheVenice of the east. Exploring this carnival can indeed become one of the best experiences of your life.

To paint a clearer picture, you will be excited to know that the boats which carry the oarsmen also carry 10-20nilakkar (cheerleaders) and 5 amarakkar (Controllers). These cheerleaders constantly sing energetic and appealing religious mythological songs. It is a very prestigious and important event in Kerala, for which they start preparing a month before the carnival date. To learn some of the intricate details about its origin and importance, take a look at the explanation about the snake boat race in Kerala.

In the year 1952, when the Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru visited Kerala, he was completely fascinated by the captivating beauty of race boats. He hopped into one of those boats to travel from Kottayam to Alappuzha, and at the end of the journey, a boat race was organized by the local administrator in the honor of the Prime Minister. Hence, a trophy was announced for the winning team. Since then, this annual festival is the life of Kerala and there are many things to do and was also named after the Prime Minister.

The inner detail is what stirs the real flavor of any event. Along with the fierce competition between the snake boats, there are also some original folk dance performances in the carnival. You haven’t heard these details about the carnival.

• The rowers make 90-120 strokes on an average with a span of one minute.
• They can cover a distance of about 1.4km within 5 minutes.
• These snake boats have a record of being the biggest vessel in water to be used for sports purposes.
• Tickets of different categories are available which start with INR 1500 per person. Better seats are available for a clearer view of the boat at a higher price.
• Tickets are available on the authorized ticket counters only.

If you are excited to witness the Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2019, then this is how you can reach the destination of the carnival.

Doesn’t matter what your budget is or which travel route suits your mood; take a look at three ways you can reach Alappuzha easily.

The airport in that area is very close to the Trivandrum International Airport and the Cochin International Airport. It is an easy journey and you will only have to cover around 150km and 75 km respectively. Both routes have regular flights along with reasonable taxi and other transport fairs on the road.

You will be able to reach Alappuzha easily by train as it is well connected with all the major metropolitan cities like Cochin, Trivandrum, Vellore, Delhi, Chennai Coimbatore, and Mumbai. The railway station is around 4 km away, you can take a bus, hop into a cab, or even an auto will take you to the center of the city.

Reaching by road can also be an option; Alappuzha is reachable by National Highway-47. The KSRTC bus services also offer the bus facility to local people and tourists for all available routes at reasonable tickets.

Kerala indeed has other attractions, but this exceptional annual boat race has to be one of the best. The culture and enthusiasm displayed all throughout the festival are brilliant. If you have been planning to visit Kerala, then the second Saturday of August 2019 is perfect to scale around your trip. You sure wouldn’t want to miss the excitement and charm of the event.