The crowd is restless. Ice-cream sellers are making a killing off the throng, thanks to the hot and humid air. Too short to see over the heads of grownups, children try to peek between restive hips and fidgety knees. Their parents pause the conversation with other bystanders now and then, to make sure their wards haven’t fallen into the water unnoticed.
Image courtesy: keralatourism.org
This is the scene of the Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Snake Boat Race at the Pampa river in Pulinkunnu, near Alleppey, Kerala.
Vallamkali or snake boat racing is held on snake boats, the traditional war boats of Kerala. Snake boats are named so because they resemble a serpent with its hood raised. This high-adrenaline race is accompanied by rousing and rhythmic Malayalam boat songs (vanchipattu) sung by the oarsmen to pep themselves up and to coordinate their rowing.
Image courtesy: youtube.com
The snake boat has years of history behind it. In the 14th century, many wars in parts of Kerala were waged on water. After a particularly crushing defeat, a king of Alleppey, Chembakasseri Devanarayana, tasked his master carpenter with creating the perfect boat for naval warfare, and the snake boat was born. Usually made of wood from the anjili (Jungle Jack) tree, these boats are about 100-200 feet long and can be a host to around 150 oarsmen at a time. The boat’s hull is regularly conditioned with a mixture of fish oil, the ash of coconut shells, and eggs, so the boat can move smoothly through water.
Image courtesy: youtube.com
Snake boat races are usually held from July to September. These races, which attract a large number of domestic and international tourists, are the highlight of the harvest festival, Onam, which usually falls in August/September.
Getting there
Keralatourism.org publishes a festival calendar, which carries the dates of the major boat races each year. Most of the major and minor races are held in Alleppey (also known as Alappuzha) district. Once you have the dates sorted out, the rest is easy. The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airportat Nedumbassery, which is 90kms from Alleppey. Alleppey also has its own railhead that is connected to many major cities.
