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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 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.
The race of chundan vallam ('snake boat', about 30–35 meter (100–120 feet) long with 64 or 128 paddlers aboard) 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.
In an effort to aggrandise this sport and showcase Kerala's backwaters to the world, the Government of Kerala initiated IPL style regatta named Champions Boat League in 2019.
History
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. 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.
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.
Vanchipattu
Vanchipattu (lit. 'boatsong') is the form of poetry in Malayalam language 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.
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
- 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
- Kattampally Boat Race, Kannur district
- Madayi Boat Race, Pazhayangadi River, Pazhayangadi, Kannur district
See also
- Sport in India - overview of Sports in India.
- Chundan Vallam
- Aranmula Kottaram
- Kerala backwaters
References
- ^ Neethu & Athul (24 November 2021). "Vallam Kali: The famous festival of boat race in Kerala". Our Backpack Tales. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- "Snake Boat Races (Vallam Kali)". 10 May 2024.
- "Champions Boat League | Boat Races". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- MS, Prasanth. "karichal chundan - Nehru Trophy Winner 2016, karichal, karichalchundan, karichalchundan.com,payipad boat race,kerala snake boat race,snake boat race in kerala". Karichalchundan.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- "Origin of Vallamkali (Boat Race)".
- Pillai, R. Ramabhadran (8 August 2015). "A fusion twist to Vanchipattu". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- "Gothuruthu Boat Race, Gothuruth Boat race, Ernakulam, Muziris Heritage Site, Kerala, India - Kerala Tourism". Keralatourism.org. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- Archived 2014-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Internationally famous Boat racing Festival of Kerala". Keralapicnicspot.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
External links
- Dates of the various races and other useful traveller information
- The great snake boat race of India
- Champions Boat League
- Aranmula
- Nehru Trophy Boat Race
- Google video of Vallamkalli
- Online game on Vallamkali at www.gamezindia.com
- Snake Boat Race
- Gothuruth Boat Race since 1938
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