Kayamkulam Boat Race (Alappuzha) | Champions Boat League

The Kayamkulam Boat Race is held on the Kayamkulam Lake in Alappuzha district. Launched in 2010, it is one of the most recent snake boat racing events in the state.

Though the event is new, Kayamkulam is significant in the history of snake boats. The origins of Kerala's signature snake boats traces back to the feud between the princely states of Chempakassery and Kayamkulam. It is said that these boats were crafted to conduct warfare on the backwaters.

The Kayamkulam Lake is Kerala's third largest lake. The race track, located between Karthikapally church and Panmana, is 1,200 metres long and 70 metres wide. The track is set on the shallow portion of the lake and special pavilions have been constructed in the middle of the waters to mark the starting and finishing points.

The Kayamkulam Boat Race falls in the last leg of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).

CBL Boat Races

President's Trophy Boat Race

The President's Boat Race is held annually at the Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam district. The first race was held here on August 31, 2011. The then President Smt Pratibha Patil was present to watch the event. That's how the tournament got its name.The race is now a part of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).The 1200-metre race track extends from the Thevalli bridge across Ashtamudi Lake to the boat jetty near the KSRTC bus station. The President's Boat Race used to offer the second biggest cash prize after the Nehru Trophy. Now the winnings are based on performance in the League.The inaugural race was a grand success as 16 snake boats participated in it. Ganeshan Chundan rowed by Kollam St. Francis Boat Club won the cup in the debut event. Races for other snake boat categories like Veppu, Iruttukuthi and Thekkanvadi were also held.

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Thazhathangadi Boat Race

Snake boat races are an integral part of Kerala's cultural heritage. The origin of the current format of systematic snake boat races began at Thazhathangadi in Kottayam district in 1887. Diwan Peshkar (Chief minister) Rama Rao of the Travancore kingdom is credited with founding the Thazhathangadi Boat Race.The Thekkumkoor kings reigned Kottayam before the Travancore rule. They used to conduct boat races at Thazhathangadi for the entertainment of the royal family. During the Thekkumkoor rule, Thazhathangadi used to be the capital and commercial centre. It was Diwan Rama Rao who built the Kottayam town and shifted the capital there.Being interested in snake boats and the utility of various kalivallams (sporting boats), the Diwan gave shape to the Thazhathangadi Boat Race. He divided the races based on different boat classes. This led to the birth of Kerala's first ever systematic public snake boat race. The event became a matter of pride for local residents whose enthusiasm turned it into an annual event.In 1937, Sri Chithira Thirunal Rama Varma, the last ruling Maharaja of the Travancore kingdom, came to watch the race. Following his visit, the race was renamed as Sri Chithira Boat Race. Later in 1956, when Emperor Hayley Salasi of Ethiopia visited Kottayam, snake boat race was held in his honour at Thazhathangadi. After that the event was christened as Hayley Salasi Ever-rolling Trophy.The boat race wasn't conducted for many years due to various reasons until the West Club at Kottayam took the initiative to revive the tournament in 1998. Every year since, the Thazhathangadi Boat Race is conducted by the Kottayam City Corporation annually where major clubs and snake boats vie for the Golden Jubilee Ever-rolling Trophy.

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Kainakari Boat Race

Kainakari is a scenic locale in the Kuttanad region of Kerala's Alappuzha district. The lush paddy fields and the proximity to various water bodies including lake, rivers, canals and ponds make this village an enchanting destination for travelers. Five major rivers originating from the Western Ghats, including Pamba, feed the massive Vembanad Lake at Kainakari.As a land deeply linked to the waters, its people are adept at using various kinds of boats for business and commutation. This village is also home to the greatest snake boat rowing team in Kerala, UBC (United Boat Club) Kainakari. The team has an unbeaten record of 14 Nehru trophy wins.The Kainakari Boat Race is unique as it is conducted on the Pamba River, unlike other races that are held on backwaters. This annual event is now part of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).

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Cheruvathoor Boat Race

The Champions Boat League at Cheruvathoor in Kasaragod district is one of the most prominent boat races in North Malabar. Hosted on the scenic Tejaswini River at Kottappuram, the event showcases thrilling competitions between traditional boats such as Chundan Vallam, Churulan, and Irutukuthi. Adding to the festive spirit, a vibrant water procession is also organized as part of the celebrations.

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