Kalluparamban Chundan | A Kottayam Challenger in Snake Boat Racing

The Kalluparamban Chundan is a boat to emerge from Kottayam district to challenge mighty vessels from Alappuzha. The chundan has beaten major contenders from Kuttanad and has even brought the Nehru Trophy to Kottayam.

The Kalluparamban Chundan won the Nehru Trophy in its debut year 1970. They proved that it wasn't beginners' luck by winning the trophy in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The winning streak ended after 1973 until 1992 when they reclaimed the Nehru Trophy and repeated the win in 1993 also. That was their last victory in the prestigious event.

Kalluparamban has won other races including the Thazhathangadi race, several times. The chundan's last Nehru Trophy race was in 2009. The famous snake boat is now out of the racing circuit. Loyal fans are still waiting for the glorious return of the Kalluparamban Chundan to the backwater arena.

Other Snake Boats

Veeyapuram Chundan

Veeyapuram Panchayat in Alappuzha district is known as the Capital of chundan vallams (snake boats). There are more than five snake boats in this panchayat, including the Veeyapuram Chundan, which was launched in 2019. The boat is co-owned by Veeyapuram south and north villages along with the residents of Puthanthuruth and Venkidachira. The NRI organisation named Nanma also supported the efforts to build the Veeyapuram Chundan.At 121-feet, Veeyapuram Chundan is comparatively shorter than other snake boats in the racing circuit. It can hold 83 paddlers, 5 steersmen and 7 choristers.In their inaugural year, Veeyapuram Chundan won the third Champions Boat League. They finished second in the Nehru Trophy finals, just a fraction of a second behind Champakulam Chundan.

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Mahadevikkadu Kattil Thekkethil Chundan

The Mahadevikkadu Kattil Thekkethil Chundan is privately owned by brothers Kattil Thekkethil Bijoy Surendran and Brijesh Surendran of Mahadevikkadu village in Karthikappally Taluk, Alappuzha. Also known as Katti and Garudan, this snake boat was launched on July 15, 2015.At 126 feet, the Kattil Thekkethil Chundan is currently the longest snake boat. It has the capacity to hold 110 people. This is also the first snake boat to have been built using chess board blocks.On its debut year, the boat rowed by St Francis Boat Club reached the finals of the Nehru Trophy. The snake boat repeated the feat in 2016 with the Kerala Police team on the helm. Kattil Thekkethil clinched the coveted Nehru Trophy in 2022. The Pallathuruthy Boat Club team that rowed the boat registered a hat trick with this win.Garudan's victory lap didn't end here. They became the Champions Boat League toppers by winning eight of the 12 races in the competition in that year.

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Payippad Chundan

The history of snake boat race in Kerala is deeply linked to the history of Payippad Chundan. The village of Payippad in Alappuzha district has been competing in various races on their own chundan for over a century.Payippad first bought a snake boat named Gopalakrishnan, but it didn't last long. So, the villagers built a new boat, but this vessel couldn't win a single Nehru Trophy and was eventually sold off.Payippad built a new boat, which won back to back Nehru Trophy races from 2005 to 2007, recording a hat-trick. They had to wait till 2018 for the next win. In 2023, Payippad commissioned the construction of a new snake boat, which was completed in 10 months. The Payippad Puthen Chundan is 126 feet long and 5 feet wide. It can hold 91 paddlers, 5 steersmen and 9 choristers.

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Champakulam Chundan

Champakulam in Alappuzha district is deeply linked with the origins of snake boats. These types of vessels were originally war boats developed during the reign of Chempakassery kings, centuries ago. Today's race boats are rooted in the craftsmanship and traditions of that erstwhile era.The first Champakulam Chundan was launched in 1974. The boat won the Champakulam Boat Race in the inaugural year and repeated the feat in 1975 and 1976, recording a hat-trick. The boat also reached the finals of the Nehru Trophy in all three years since its launch. Champakulam Chundan won the coveted trophy for the first time in 1989 and completed a hat-trick with wins in 1990 and 1991. Their next victory on Punnamada was in 2009.Owing to its age, this chundan was retired and the new Champakulam Chundan was launched in 2013. Owned by 250 shareholders, it has a capacity to carry 100 people.

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