Boat Races in Kerala:Secrets unveiled

Submitted by UMAMAHESWARI on Sun, 2007-02-04 21:32. About_Kerala

___ Kerala is known for the picturesque backwaters and boat races. The annual regattas at Aranmula Champakulam, Punnamadakayal are national festivals of historic importance, as well as thrilling sights to the beholder.

For the uninitiated, the boats used for racing are called snake boats. Locally they are called Chundans, Odi, Kayalodi, Irutttukutti, The nomenclature ids based on the shape of the prow and the helm. The boats are generally classified based on where they are used-like those intended for the placid waters of the rivers and the smaller lakes and those meant to ply in the open back waters where waves have to be encountered. As the riverboats have to face only the currents, easy maneuverability is required more than just a stable keel. The pro and the helm are raised considerably and the stream lining is almost as horizontal as vertical.

In the case of backwater boats, the pro and the helm are kept very low, to avoid cutwater and top heaviness. The gunwale is curved at both ends, to prevent the waves from dashing in. Here the boatmen turn around in their seats instead of steering the boat in a semicircle. Though the pro and the helm are of the same build, a slight modification is made at one end.

The origins of the boats date back to the days of yore. These boats served once as war canoes for local rulers. The ancient principalities, of Chempakasseri, Kayamkulam, Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur, had long water fronts and so found it necessary to maintain considerable fleets of war canoes manned by trained hands, skilled alike both in paddling the boats, and in weapons of war.

Not just boats, but boat-songs are equally popular. There are classics like kuchelavruttam composed by Ramapurattu warrier-a gifted poet.
The story goes like this. Once in a distressed condition he was persuaded to present before the Maharaja who was visiting the Vaikom temple. When the poet met the Maharaja, he was about to embark on the royal boat to Thiruvananthapuram. The warrier hurriedly met him. Being a patron of art and culture, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja, commanded him to get into the royal boat. He asked the poet to sing a song to the accompaniment of rowers. He began to sing the story of Kuchela visiting Lord Krishna. The song ended and the story was completed when the Royal boat reached Thiruvananthapuram. (The metaphor is that he compared himself with Kuchela and the Maharaja to the Lord)

Once, a war was raged on the land and in the backwaters as well between Chempakassery and Kayamkulam. The king of Chempakassery thought of building a boat, which could carry arms and soldiers.
So a boat was made with an elevated prow. In the war, Kayamklam was defeated. So a spy was sent to Chemapkassery to find out who had built the boat.

When another war broke out Chemapkassery was astonished to find a similar boat. The king was angry and summoned the boat designer. He replied the boat was constructed in such a way as to help to move it move forward and the kayamkulam boat was constructed in such a way as to make it move backward, ensuring victory.

In 1952, when Travancore and Kochi merged Nehru visited Thirukochi. A baoat race was conducted and Nehru out of delight jumped into the boat and traveled for a while. This marked the beginning of Nehru Trophy boat race every year on second Saturday in the month of August in Punnamadakayal (kuttanad in Alappuzha).

The main body of the boat is scooped out of a single trunk. It requires two dozen people to launch a snake boat. Two quintals of iron is required to construct one chundan vullam. Tremendous skill and balance are required to ply these boats. A kettuvullam can accommodate goods which otherwise require three Lorries to do the same task.
Boat races are held at Kuttanad in the first week of July, and on Aranmula on the fifth day of Thiruvonam.
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