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UAE team, Keralites gear up for Nehru
Trophy snake boat race
by Juhan Samuel
Kochi: Hundreds of participants are gearing up for this year's Nehru Trophy snake boat race, with some taking 15 to 20 days leave from their work in anticipation of the event. The uniqueness of this year's race is that a UAE team has evinced interest in taking part. Kerala's Department of Tourism has confirmed receiving a request from the UAE to field a 20-member team and said that it is making arrangements to provide the visitors from the Gulf region with a boat. The participants say that the 11 to 12 days of practice includes daily classes and patching up of snake boats in every village of Kerala's Alleppey District. Competition appears to have taken a backseat, as the event has now become more of a marketing opportunity for companies like TVS and other private institutions, all of whom are keen to sponsor the boat race to gain the maximum mileage out of it.
This year around 18 chundan valloms (large snake boats that carry between
100 to 150 people) and 42 smaller boats are taking part in the race. The
winner of the first prize will get Rs.200,000 and each participant is
being given financial support to meet their daily expenses. Participation
in the race is a matter of pride and prestige for every village along
the Kerala coast. Money is no object for any village while making the
snake boat of its choice. Farmers usually man these boats, which are led
by one captain and several singers. "We are undergoing 11 days of rigourous
training and practice for which we have selected good youngsters. Our
main aim is to win this year's trophy, and we are hopeful that we will
win. It's a great matter of pride and prestige for our village," said
A.R. Sukunan, a boat captain. T.K.Sadashivan, another boat team leader,
said: "For all these days of tough practice and training, our ultimate
aim is to win the trophy. This is a prestige issue for us and for our
coast." The boat race will take place in Kuttanadu, an area of lakes and
rivers. Snake boat racing here is something of cult, just as bull fighting
is in Spain. This water-related festival is not seen in any other part
of the world. The synchronized way of rowing needs long and devoted training
and inherent aptitude. Most of the water-related festivals of Kerala are
associated with legends relating to the state's famous temples like Champakkulam
(Ambalapuzha), Payipad (Haripad) and Aranmula. Kerala's snake boat race
has history going back 400 years.
-Aug 5, 2006
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