First played | 1952 |
---|---|
Characteristics | |
Team members | 64 or 128 paddlers aboard per side |
Type | Vallam Kali |
Equipment | Snake boat, Iruttukuthy Boat, Veppu Boat, Thekkanodi Boat |
Venue | Punnamada Lake |
Presence | |
Country or region | India |
The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is an annual vallam kali held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Vallam Kali or Vallamkaliy literally means boat play/game, but can be translated to boat race in English. The most popular event of the race is the competition of Chundan Vallams (snake boats). Hence the race is also known as Snake Boat Race in English. Other categories of boats which participate in various events of the race are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam (Vaipu Vallam), Vadakkanody Vallam and Kochu Vallam.
This Boat race has its origin in the Kerala district Alappuzha and was inaugurated in 1952 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The winner was awarded a trophy in the name of Jawaharlal Nehru.
In 2019, Nehru Trophy Boat Race was also made a part of the newly constituted CBL - Champions Boat League [1] and Star Sports Network become its television broadcasting partner.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons of the league were dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [2]
In 2024 the edition was postponed due to Wayanad landslides [3] and held on September 28. [4]
As a Club United Boat club Kainakary(UBC Kainakary) won the most number of trophies in Nehru Trophy boat Race With 2 hattrick. Karichal chundan has the most number of Nehru trophies, a total of 16. The current hat-trick title for continuously winning 5 times in a row is held by Pallathuruthy boat club . The fastest Snake boat was won by Karichal chundan rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club in the 2024 Boat Race with a time of 4.14.35
Year | Club | Winners | Captain | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
1952 | Nadubhagam Boat club | Nadubhagam Chundan | Chacko Mappila Maathu Mappila | |
1954 | Kavalam team | Kavalam Chundan | Thomman Joseph | |
1955 | Nedumudi NSS Karayogam | Paarthasarathi Chundan | KG Raghavan Nair | |
1956 | Kavalam team | Kavaalam Chundan | Thomman Joseph | |
1957 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Joseph Cheriyan | |
1958 | Ponga Boat club Kavalam Boat Club | Nepoleon Chundan Kavalam Chundan | Cheriyan Joseph TJ Job | |
1959 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Cheriyan Varghese | |
1960 | Kavalam boat club | Kavalam Chundan | Maathachan | |
1961 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Cheriyan Varghese | |
1962 | Kavalam boat club | Kavaalam Chundan | TJ Job | |
1963 | U.B.C Kainakary | Kainakary Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
1964 | St. George Chundan | PK Thankachan | ||
1965 | Parthasarathi Chundan | PK Thankachan | ||
1966 | Pulinkunnu boat club | Pulinkunnu Chundan | Thommichan | |
1967 | Pulinkunnu Chundan | Thommichan | ||
1968 | U.B.C Kainakary | Parthasarathi Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
1969 | Pulinkunnu boat club | Pulinkunnu Chundan | CC Chakko | |
1970 | U.B.C Kainakary | Kallooparamban Chundan | Varghese Antony | |
1971 | Kumarakam boat club Champakulam boat club | Kallooparamban chundan Pulinkunnu Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan Chakkamma Kannotuthara | |
1972 | Kumarakam boat club | Kallooparamban Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
1973 | Kallooparamban Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | ||
1974 | Friends boat club | Karichal chundan | PC Joseph | |
1975 | Karichal chundan | PC Joseph | ||
1976 | UBC Kainakary | Karichal chundan | PK Thankachan | |
1977 | Thayankari boat club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | KS Varghese | |
1978 | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | KS Varghese | ||
1979 | UBC Kainakary | Aayaparambu Valiya Diwanji Chundan | Ravi Prakash | |
1980 | Pullangady boat club | Karichal chundan | Ramachandran | |
1981 | No Winners | |||
1982 | Kumarakam boat club | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
1983 | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | ||
1984 | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | ||
1985 | Friends boat club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | PC Joseph | |
1986 | Village boat club, Kainakary | Karichal chundan | Sanni Akkarakkalam | |
1987 | Karichal chundan | Sanni Akkarakkalam | ||
1988 | Pallathurathi boat club | Vellamkulangara Chundan | TP Rajbhavan | |
1989 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
1990 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
1991 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
1992 | Sreelakshmana boat club | Kallooparamban Chundan | VN Velayudhan | |
1993 | UBC Kainakary | Kallooparamban Chundan | C G Vijayan Mampalathuchira | |
1994 | Jet Airways | Champakulam Chundan | Antony Akkarakkalam | |
1995 | Alappuzha boat club | Champakulam Chundan | Jos Jhon | |
1996 | Champakulam Chundan | Anil Madhavan | ||
1997 | Navajeevan club | Alappat Chundan | KP Poul | |
1998 | Pallathuruthi boat club | Champakulam Chundan | Domanic Kuzhimattom | |
1999 | Kumarakam town boat club | Alappat Chundan | Sampath Kaniyamparampil | |
2000 | Alappuzha boat club | Karichal chundan | Bency Moonnuthickal | |
2001 | Friends boat club | Karichal chundan | Tobin Chandy | |
2002 | Kumarakam boat club | Vellamkulangara Chundan | Sanny Jakob | |
2003 | Navajeevan boat club | Karichal chundan | Thampi Podippara | |
2004 | Kumarakam Town boat club | Cheruthana Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | [5] |
2005 | Payippad Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | ||
2006 | Payippad Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | ||
2007 | Payippad Chundan | Kunjumon Meluvallil | [6] | |
2008 | Kollam Jesus Boat Club | Karichal chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | [7] |
2009 | Champakulam chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | [8] | |
2010 | Kumarakam Town Boat Club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | Joseph Philip | |
2011 | Freedom boat Club | Karichal chundan | Jiji Jacob Pollayil | |
2012 | Sri Ganesh Chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | ||
2013 | Harippadu Star Boat Club | Sri Ganesh Chundan | Arun Kumar | |
2014 | United Boat Club Kainakary | Chambakulam Chundan | George Thomas | |
2015 | Kumarakam Vembanad Boat Club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | Jameskutty Jacob | |
2016 | Karichal chundan | Jameskutty Jacob | ||
2017 | Thuruthippuram Boat Club | Gabriel Chundan | Ummen Jacob | |
2018 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Payippadan Chundan | James Kutty Jacob | |
2019 | Nadubhagam Chundan | Narayanankutty N Udayan | [9] | |
2022 | Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkathil | Santhosh Chacko | ||
2023 | Veeyapuram Chundan | Alan Moonnuthickal | ||
2024 | Karichal chundan | Alan Moonnuthickal |
Alappuzha district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to Alappuzha in 1990. Alappuzha is the smallest district of Kerala. Alleppey town, the district headquarters, was renamed Alappuzha in 2012.
The Malayali people are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala & Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They form the majority of the population in Kerala and Lakshadweep. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the eleven classical languages of India. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 through the States Reorganisation Act. Prior to that, since the 1800s existed the Kingdom of Travancore, the Kingdom of Cochin, Malabar District, and South Canara of the British India. The Malabar District was annexed by the British through the Third Mysore War (1790–92) from Tipu Sultan. Before that, the Malabar District was under various kingdoms including the Zamorins of Calicut, Kingdom of Tanur, Arakkal kingdom, Kolathunadu, Valluvanad, and Palakkad Rajas.
Kumarakom is a tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam, in Kerala, India, known for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala. In January 2023, when Kerala was listed by The New York Times in their "52 places to go in 2023" list, Kumarakom got a special mention for its backwater tourism.
Vallam kali, also known as snake boat race, is a traditional boat race in Kerala, India. It is a form of canoe racing, and uses paddled war canoes. It is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in spring. Vallam kali includes races of many kinds of paddled longboats and 'snake boats'. Each team spends about ₹60 lakhs for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Chundan vallam, known outside Kerala as Kerala snake boats, are one of the icons of Kerala culture used in the Vallamkali or boat race.
The Kerala backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and canals lying parallel to the Arabian Sea of the Malabar coast of Kerala state in south-western India. It also includes interconnected lakes, rivers, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km (560 mi) of waterways, and sometimes compared to bayous. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. There are 34 backwaters in Kerala. Out of it, 27 are located either closer to Arabian Sea or parallel to the sea. The remaining 7 are inland navigation routes.
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The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race is one of the oldest vallam kali in Kerala state of south India. The race is held on the River Pamba on Moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple.
Alappuzha, formerly known as Alleppey, is a city and municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about 130 km (80.8 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Alappuzha has a population of 240,991 people, and a population density of 3,675/km2 (9,520/sq mi).
Kainakary is a village in Kuttanad Taluk in Alappuzha District of the Indian state of Kerala.
Kavalam Chundan is a snake boat that belongs to Kavalam village. This snake boat was formerly known as Kainakary Puthan Chundan.
Payippad Vallaarattu, or Jalotsavam, is a three-day water festival conducted in Payippad Lake, 6 km from Haripad of Kerala state in south India. There is a close relation between this Payippadu Vallam Kali and Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple.
The Sree Narayana Jayanthi Vallam Kali or Boat Race, at Kumarakom, Kerala is held in September every year during Onam festival. More than 1,000 oarsmen in boats of different sizes and shapes participate. Even though snake boats participate in this race, the importance is given here is for iruttukuthi, in which about 50 oarsmen row. The successful iruttukuthi wins the Sree Narayana Ever Rolling Trophy.
Champakulam is a village in Kerala, India. It is in Alappuzha district. Champakulam is part of Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, and is resplendent in green paddy fields, coconut groves and water fowl. Champakulam is an important tourist spot and is famous for the Champakulam Moolam Boat Race. The river Pampa flows through the village, splitting it into two. It is connected by road to Alappuzha, Changanassery and Edathua.
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The Triprayar Boat Race is a popular Vallam Kali held in the Conolly Canal in Triprayar of Thrissur District, Kerala, India. The boat race is conducted by the Thriprayar Arts and Sports Club in front of the Shree Rama Temple. The race is for 3 kilometre from Vennakkadavu to Triprayar.
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