Boat races in Kerala this year | Fusion - WeRIndia

Kerala is known for its backwaters. Many tourists visit the place for backwaters. However, many tourists also visit the state for the boat races which are held there every year. Here are some of the most famous boat races of Kerala that occur around Onam and has visitors from India as well as other countries.

Nehru Trophy Boat

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most popular boat race of all the boat races held in Kerala. It is hosted at the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha on August 13th. Women’s boat races are also held here. Chundan Vallams (snake boats) are the main attraction here.

Payippad Boat Race

This race will be held on September 16th. It is one of the oldest and popular boat races in Kerala. It is held at the Payippad river in Alappuzha district. This is the race with most number of snake boats second only to the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. The race is quite colorful with water pageants apart from the races.

Kumarakom Boat Race

This race will also be held of September 16th during the festival of Onam at the Kumarakom backwaters on Sree Narayana Jayanti. The race commemorates the arrival of Sree Narayana Guru in 1906 to the place. In this race, the iruttukuthi boats are given more importance even though the snake boats are also used.

Aranmula Boat Race 2016

This race is held on September 17th at river Pamba in Aranmula of Pathanamthitta district. The race is held based on the star Uthrattathi. The race consists of 48 Chundan Vallams. The festive mood is held up by the oarsmen singing traditional boat songs during the race. This boat race is also held during the festival of Onam. Snake boats are also used in this race. Kerala races are known for the usage of snake boats.

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