Boat Races in Kerala
Boat Races in Kerala
The boat races in Kerala are one of the most important tourist attractions. These boat races are held in several parts of Kerala and are a reflection of the team spirit and integration of the people living in this backwater country. All the boat races of Kerala draw large crowds and one can witness the excitement and jubilation of the people on this occasion.
Snake Boat Races in Kerala
The Kerala snake boat races are held during the months of August- October to coincide with the Onam festival, the harvest festival in Kerala. Most of these snake boat races of Kerala are held in the Kerala backwaters and is a feast for the eye. The Kerala snake boat races are the largest team sport in the world and all these boat races are preceded by colorful water parades.
Most of the snake boat races taking part in the boat race will have four helmsmen, twenty five singers, and one hundred to one hundred twenty five oarsmen. These oarsmen row in unison to the rhythm of the Vanchipattu (song of the oarsmen). Large numbers of people throng both sides of the backwaters to cheer their favorite snake boat as it slices through the backwaters to the finishing point. Each and every snake boat race in Kerala has a legend attached to it and most of the snake boat races are related to temple festivals. These boat races are held annually without fail.
Champakulam Moolam Boat Race
The Champakulam Moolam boat race is one of the important boat races in Kerala and the oldest snake boat race in Kerala and is held on the moolam day in the Malayalam month of Midhunam (June- July). This snake boat race, held on the Champakulam Lake is to commemorate the installation of a Hindu deity at the Sree Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha in Alleppey.
There is a legend behind this Champakulam snake boat race and has to do with the carrying of the deity from Kurichi in Kottayam district to the temple at Ambalappuzha by the king himself. Devanarayana, the Chempakesseri king who built the Ambalappuzha temple wanted to install a deity and chose one to be installed. But the royal priests warned the king that the idol that he chose was not auspicious and he should choose to have another idol installed instead. The king was dejected; however, his minister in consultation with the royal priests suggested that another idol installed at the Kurichi temple be brought and installed at the Ambalappuzha temple. The king then went to Kurichi temple with his royal priests and demanded that the idol be handed over for installing at the newly constructed temple at Ambalappuzha. It was a rather tedious journey in those days and the king and his entourage stayed for the night at Champakulam and had a pooja performed at night. On the next morning the people of Champakulam learned that their king was in their midst and that he was carrying an idol of a deity to be installed at the Ambalappuzha temple.. It was then that all the boats of the area assembled and accompanied the king and the deity in a colorful procession along the Champakulam Lake up to the Ambalappuzha temple. This event is celebrated annually with much pomp and the annual Champakulam boat race is just the annual enactment of this very journey. The Champakulam boat race is held for various categories of boats and is not confined only to the snake boats..
Aranmula Uthrattadi Boat Race
The Aranmula boat race is another famous boat race in Kerala and is held during the Onam season. It is more of a water fiesta and a festive occasion for the people than a boat race in the typical sense. It is spread over a period two days. This boat race has a legend attached to it. It is believed that a devout Brahmin (Hindu priest) used to feed one Sree Krishna devotee every day of the week as a mark of respect and offering to Sree Krishna. It was believed that one day the Lord, Sree Krishnan appeared before him and thanked him for his offering. The devout Brahmin was so overjoyed by the apparition that he vowed to offer 51 measures of rice to the Lord at the temple at Aranmula. When the villagers learned about the whole incident they accompanied him on 48 snake boats to the Parthasarathy temple at Aranmula. This act is enacted every year and the Aranmula Boat race is held annually to mark this very event.
The event is marked by a colorful water carnival in which an idol of Sree Krishna is taken out in a procession accompanied by snake boats and children dressed as nymphs and princesses. On the second day, snake boats fully decorated and carrying several oarsmen and singers assemble near the temple and then turn back in pairs creating a magnificent feat for the eyes. After the competition of the pageantry and the water fiesta the snake boat race is held. Innumerable numbers of tourists throng to witness this snake boat race that is one of the most colorful snake boat races in Kerala.
.
Payippad Jalotsavam
The Payippad boat race also held during the Onam season is held on the Payippad Lake. It is also one of the most important boat races in Kerala. This boat race is held to celebrate the installation of the deity at the Subramaniya Swamy temple in Harippad, 35 km from Alleppey. There is a religious belief attached to this boat race. It is believed that when the temple at Harippad was completed and the devotees were planning to install a deity of Sree Aiyyappa in the temple, there was an apparition and the devotees were told to go to the Kayamkulam Lake beneath which they would find the idol of Lord Subramaniya immersed in water. The devotees accompanied by expert divers went to the Kayamkulam Lake and found the idol of Lord Subraminya lying immersed in water. The divers then took the idol and had it installed in the temple at Harippad. This event is celebrated annually in the form of the famous Payippad boat race that is one of the most colorful boat races in Kerala. It is celebrated with much pomp and gaiety by the people in this backwater village.
Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race
The Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race is the most famous snake boat race in Kerala and is held every year on the second Saturday in the month of August. It is held in memory of the visit of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru traveled along the Kerala backwaters in a boat when he visited Kerala for the first time. He was enthralled by the beauty of Kerala backwaters and wanted a boat race to be held and instituted a trophy for the winners. He watched the boat race and wanted this boat race to be held annually. The Nehru Boat race is now held annually to commemorate this occasion. Over sixteen snake boats take part in the Nehru Trophy Boat race apart from scores of other boats in different categories. The winner of each category of boats is also awarded a trophy. The boat race is preceded by a colorful pageant and people of the Indian army and Navy are also seen performing aerial shows and acrobatics on this occasion.
For the people of Kerala this is one greatest Kerala festivals and Keralites living in different parts of the country come to view this magnificent spectacle. The Nehru Trophy boat race is also the most highly publicized boat race in the country.
There are also other prominent boat races like the Alappuzha Rajiv Gandhi boat race, Pulinkunnu Boat race, Kumarakom boat race, Kottayam boat race and the Indira Gandhi boat race in Ernakulam among others.
The boat races in Kerala are one of the most important tourist attractions. These boat races are held in several parts of Kerala and are a reflection of the team spirit and integration of the people living in this backwater country. All the boat races of Kerala draw large crowds and one can witness the excitement and jubilation of the people on this occasion.
Snake Boat Races in Kerala
The Kerala snake boat races are held during the months of August- October to coincide with the Onam festival, the harvest festival in Kerala. Most of these snake boat races of Kerala are held in the Kerala backwaters and is a feast for the eye. The Kerala snake boat races are the largest team sport in the world and all these boat races are preceded by colorful water parades.
Most of the snake boat races taking part in the boat race will have four helmsmen, twenty five singers, and one hundred to one hundred twenty five oarsmen. These oarsmen row in unison to the rhythm of the Vanchipattu (song of the oarsmen). Large numbers of people throng both sides of the backwaters to cheer their favorite snake boat as it slices through the backwaters to the finishing point. Each and every snake boat race in Kerala has a legend attached to it and most of the snake boat races are related to temple festivals. These boat races are held annually without fail.
Champakulam Moolam Boat Race
The Champakulam Moolam boat race is one of the important boat races in Kerala and the oldest snake boat race in Kerala and is held on the moolam day in the Malayalam month of Midhunam (June- July). This snake boat race, held on the Champakulam Lake is to commemorate the installation of a Hindu deity at the Sree Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha in Alleppey.
There is a legend behind this Champakulam snake boat race and has to do with the carrying of the deity from Kurichi in Kottayam district to the temple at Ambalappuzha by the king himself. Devanarayana, the Chempakesseri king who built the Ambalappuzha temple wanted to install a deity and chose one to be installed. But the royal priests warned the king that the idol that he chose was not auspicious and he should choose to have another idol installed instead. The king was dejected; however, his minister in consultation with the royal priests suggested that another idol installed at the Kurichi temple be brought and installed at the Ambalappuzha temple. The king then went to Kurichi temple with his royal priests and demanded that the idol be handed over for installing at the newly constructed temple at Ambalappuzha. It was a rather tedious journey in those days and the king and his entourage stayed for the night at Champakulam and had a pooja performed at night. On the next morning the people of Champakulam learned that their king was in their midst and that he was carrying an idol of a deity to be installed at the Ambalappuzha temple.. It was then that all the boats of the area assembled and accompanied the king and the deity in a colorful procession along the Champakulam Lake up to the Ambalappuzha temple. This event is celebrated annually with much pomp and the annual Champakulam boat race is just the annual enactment of this very journey. The Champakulam boat race is held for various categories of boats and is not confined only to the snake boats..
Aranmula Uthrattadi Boat Race
The Aranmula boat race is another famous boat race in Kerala and is held during the Onam season. It is more of a water fiesta and a festive occasion for the people than a boat race in the typical sense. It is spread over a period two days. This boat race has a legend attached to it. It is believed that a devout Brahmin (Hindu priest) used to feed one Sree Krishna devotee every day of the week as a mark of respect and offering to Sree Krishna. It was believed that one day the Lord, Sree Krishnan appeared before him and thanked him for his offering. The devout Brahmin was so overjoyed by the apparition that he vowed to offer 51 measures of rice to the Lord at the temple at Aranmula. When the villagers learned about the whole incident they accompanied him on 48 snake boats to the Parthasarathy temple at Aranmula. This act is enacted every year and the Aranmula Boat race is held annually to mark this very event.
The event is marked by a colorful water carnival in which an idol of Sree Krishna is taken out in a procession accompanied by snake boats and children dressed as nymphs and princesses. On the second day, snake boats fully decorated and carrying several oarsmen and singers assemble near the temple and then turn back in pairs creating a magnificent feat for the eyes. After the competition of the pageantry and the water fiesta the snake boat race is held. Innumerable numbers of tourists throng to witness this snake boat race that is one of the most colorful snake boat races in Kerala.
.
Payippad Jalotsavam
The Payippad boat race also held during the Onam season is held on the Payippad Lake. It is also one of the most important boat races in Kerala. This boat race is held to celebrate the installation of the deity at the Subramaniya Swamy temple in Harippad, 35 km from Alleppey. There is a religious belief attached to this boat race. It is believed that when the temple at Harippad was completed and the devotees were planning to install a deity of Sree Aiyyappa in the temple, there was an apparition and the devotees were told to go to the Kayamkulam Lake beneath which they would find the idol of Lord Subramaniya immersed in water. The devotees accompanied by expert divers went to the Kayamkulam Lake and found the idol of Lord Subraminya lying immersed in water. The divers then took the idol and had it installed in the temple at Harippad. This event is celebrated annually in the form of the famous Payippad boat race that is one of the most colorful boat races in Kerala. It is celebrated with much pomp and gaiety by the people in this backwater village.
Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race
The Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race is the most famous snake boat race in Kerala and is held every year on the second Saturday in the month of August. It is held in memory of the visit of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru traveled along the Kerala backwaters in a boat when he visited Kerala for the first time. He was enthralled by the beauty of Kerala backwaters and wanted a boat race to be held and instituted a trophy for the winners. He watched the boat race and wanted this boat race to be held annually. The Nehru Boat race is now held annually to commemorate this occasion. Over sixteen snake boats take part in the Nehru Trophy Boat race apart from scores of other boats in different categories. The winner of each category of boats is also awarded a trophy. The boat race is preceded by a colorful pageant and people of the Indian army and Navy are also seen performing aerial shows and acrobatics on this occasion.
For the people of Kerala this is one greatest Kerala festivals and Keralites living in different parts of the country come to view this magnificent spectacle. The Nehru Trophy boat race is also the most highly publicized boat race in the country.
There are also other prominent boat races like the Alappuzha Rajiv Gandhi boat race, Pulinkunnu Boat race, Kumarakom boat race, Kottayam boat race and the Indira Gandhi boat race in Ernakulam among others.
)
)
)
Hotels / Resorts in Alleppey / Alappuzha
About Us | Kerala Destinations | Tour Packages | House Boats | Cab / Coach | Ayurveda | Special Packages | Testimonials | Contact
All Right Reserved | © 2007 A1KeralaHolidays | Powered by IndiaOneWeb