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The battle of the snakeboats

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race on the Punnamda Lake, near Alappuzha, held on the second Saturday of August every year, is the most competitive and popular of the boat races. On the day of this fiercely-fought boat race, the tranquil lake front is transformed into a sea of humanity with an estimated 200,000 people, many of them tourists, who come to watch the event. For the people of each village in Kuttanad, a victory at this race for their village boat is something to be celebrated for months to come.

The race courser, that has a length of about 1370 meters, is divided into various tracks for the competition. When they are advancing through various tracks, the boats look like the fast-moving snakes. The oarsmen splash their oars in unison with the rhythmic chants and beats of drums.

Seven categories of boats participated in this year's water olympiad: Chundan, Churulan, Iruttukuthi (Grade A and B), Veppu (Grade A and B) and Thekkan Oodi (women).

Also see: Visiting the temple cities of Tamil Nadu

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