Vallam kali

Vallam kali (vaḷḷaṃ kaḷi, literally: boat game), 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 in spring during the season of the harvest festival Onam. 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.^[1]

Aranmula Boat in Uthrattathi Boat Race

Boat race witlh snake boats

Nehru tropy boat race 2024 at Punnamada lake, Alappuzha

Vallam Kulangara - Snake boats

The race of chundan vallam ('snake boat', about 30–35 meters (98–115 feet) long with 64 or 128 paddlers aboard^[2]) is the major event and a major tourist attraction. Other types of boats which do participate in various events in the race are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam, Vadakkanody Vallam, and Kochu Vallam. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a popular vallam kali event held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Kerala, India.

To aggrandise ^{[definition needed]} this sport and showcase Kerala's backwaters to the world, the Government of Kerala initiated IPL style regatta ^{[clarification needed]}named Champions Boat League in 2019.^[3]

History

Vallam-kali

In Kerala, during an early 13th-century war between the feudal kingdoms of Kayamkulam and Chembakassery, King Devanarayana of Chembakassery commissioned the construction of a war boat named Chundan Vallam and tasked a famous carpenter of the day with the responsibility of creating it.^[4] Hence, the technical methods for creating these snake boats are around 8 centuries old. Of the snake boats still in use today, the Parthasarathi Chundan is the oldest model.^[1][5]

Vallam kali has mainly been conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in Autumn. The race of chundan vallam is the major event. Vallam kali also includes races of many other kinds of traditional paddled longboats of Kerala, and is one of the major tourist attractions in the state.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race

Vanchipattu

Vanchipattu (lit. 'boatsong') is a form of poetry in the Malayalam language that is commonly used during vallam kali and related festivals. During Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali, the vanchipattu is performed by the participants for its significance in the rituals. Ramapurathu Warrier is considered to be the pioneer of the vanchipattu.^[6]

List of periodical vallam kali events

• Kandassankadavu Boat Race, Thrissur district
• Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha district
• Triprayar Boat Race, in Conolly Canal, Triprayar, Thrissur district
• Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali at Aranmula, Pathanamthitta district
• President's Trophy Boat Race in Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam
• Kallada Boat Race in Kallada River, Kollam district
• Pampa Boat Race in Neerattupuram
• Champakulam Moolam Boat Race
• Kumarakom Boat Race
• Payippad Jalotsavam
• Sree Narayana Boat Race in Karunagappally, Kollam district
• Thazhathangadi Boat Race, Thazhathangadi, Kottayam district
• Gothuruth Boat Race, in the Periyar, Ernakulam district^[7][8]
• Piravom Boat Race in Piravom
• Thuruthippuram Boat Race, in the Periyar, Ernakulam district

Minor events

• Paravur Jalothsavam & Boat Race in Paravur Thekkumbhagam, Kollam district
• ATDC Boat Race, Alappuzha district
• Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Boat Race, Pulinkunnu
• Neerettupuram Pampa Boat Race
• Karuvatta Boat Race
• Kavanattinkara Boat Race
• Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela, Kumarakom
• Mahatma Boat Race, Mannar, Alappuzha
• Kottapuram Boat Race, Kottappuram
• Kodungallur and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam, Pallana
• Indira Gandhi Boat Race, in Kochi Lake, Ernakulam district
• Kaithappuzhakkayal Boat Race, in Kaithappuzha Lake, Ernakulam district
• Biyyam Kaayal Boat Race, Ponnani
• Uthara Malabar Boat Race, Thejaswini Lake, Kasaragod district
• E. K. Nayanar Trophy - Malabar Jalolsavam, Mangalassery, Kuppam River, Kannur district
• Kuppam Boat Race, Kuppam River, Kannur district^[9]
• Kattampally Boat Race, Kannur district^[9]
• Madayi Boat Race, Pazhayangadi River, Pazhayangadi, Kannur district^[9]

See also

• Sport in India - overview of Sports in India.
• Chundan Vallam
• Aranmula Kottaram
• Kerala backwaters