The placid water of Alappuzha district’s Punnamada Lake coruscates with the glistening of awe-inspiring chundan vallams (the beaked boats) for Vallamkali (snake boat race) on August’s second Saturday every year. The thrill in the air is palpable as the oarsmen prepare themselves for the Nehru Trophy boat race. The nail-biting finishes, the valiant attitude showing off the faces of the participants, the ear-splitting thunderous roar of the teams, and the captivating natural surroundings constitute the perfect recipe for adrenalin racing adventure sports.

This year’s Nehru Trophy was organized on 8th August. The fiercely competitive race was watched by over 2 lakhs people this year. Chinese Ambassador to India Mr. Le Yucheng was the special guest for the occasion. The banks of the lake witnessed the assemblage of enthusiast viewers from different villages of Kuttanad. A resounding victory in the race would translate into months of gala celebration for the winning village. Guests were given a roaring reception. 16 lavishly decked chundan vallams took part in the race this year. The boats are exquisite examples of Kerala’s exalted artistic forms with the architectural configuration of the boats taking inspiration from the Sthapathya Veda, an ancient treatise for the building of wooden boats.

The race started and proceeded to the tune of effervescent and rhythmic war song of Vanchipattu. It impregnated the air with exhilaration, frenzy and war spirit. The ruffled water frantically gave way to the snake boats with hundreds of oarsmen vigorously working on the oars. Absolute graced and discipline characterized the event. Chundan vallam of Vembanadu boat club Jameskutty was declared winner. The captain, Jawahar Thayankari, received the prestigious Nehru trophy from the Chinese Ambassador.

Punnamada Resort has made special arrangement for its august guests to view the race from close quarters. The colourful and vibrant event was taken to the next level by a host of events that familiarized the guests with the attractions of God’s own country. Traditional Kerala dance forms like ottamtullal, mohiniyattam, and bharatha naatyam were organized wherein the graceful movements of the dancers held the tourists spellbound. Food buffet featured gourmet cuisines that could be a bon-vivant’s delight like duck roast, karimeen, kerala porota cookies, cake items etc. It was a memorable event that would linger in the mind of guests for eternity.

Punnamada Resort
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Contact us
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Punnamada Resorts Pvt Ltd Punnamada,
Alappuzha ,Kerala
India – 688 006
Phone: (0477) 2233691 / 692 / 693
Fax: (0477) 2233694
Email: [email protected]