Karuvatta Chundan | A Legacy on the Backwaters

Karuvatta village in Alappuzha district is home to two snake boats with similar names, owned by two rival organisations.

Residents of Karuvatta bought the Pacha Chundan in 1976 and named it after their village. The boat underwent major repairs in 2009 and 2015. Apart from the funds amassed by the stakeholders, Kerala Tourism also supported the efforts with a grant. The boat is currently owned by 240 stakeholders. The Karuvatta Chundan is 123 feet long and it can hold 100 people.

On its debut after the repairs, the snake boat came second in the Nehru Trophy championship.

Meanwhile, a group of youngsters initiated the building of a new snake boat. The work commenced in December 2024. And the plan is to build a boat that can hold 83 paddlers. The new boat is expected to make its debut in the 2025 Nehru Trophy.

Other Snake Boats

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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Jawahar Thayankari

Jawahar Thayankari Chundan made its grand entry into the snake boat race circuit on July 31, 1973. 52 years later, the vessel continues its dominance on the backwater arena, amassing victories and adulation. The vessel is the pride of the people of Thayankari - a village in Alappuzha district.The boat was named Jawahar Thayankari in the honour of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The boat has the capacity to hold 92 people on board, and it’s co-owned by 250 shareholders based in Thayankari. The boat is fondly called 'Vellikkoomban' (Silver-tipped) owing to the silver tip on its front end. In the past 50 years, Jawahar Thayankari has emerged victorious in almost all major snake boat events in Kerala. It won the first Nehru Trophy in 1977 and became champions in 1978, 1985, 2010 and 2015. The boat also finished second in the Nehru Trophy finals 14 times. Today, the Jawahar Boat Club regularly supplies rowers to the Thayankari Snake boat.

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Kalluparamban Chundan

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.

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Anari Puthen Chundan

The Anari village in Alappuzha district is a legacy participant of the famed Payippad Jalolsavam (water fest) from the time of the event’s inception. The villagers entered the snake boat race with a refurbished palliyodam (a large snake boat) bought from Aranmula in 1954. The Anari Chundan is co-owned by the farmers, middle income families and NRIs hailing from this hamlet in Cheruthana Panchayat. The villagers replaced the old boat in 1986, but it didn't win any significant titles.The villagers sold the old boat and commissioned the construction of a new one. The new Anari Chundan emerged victorious in major races like Payippad, Kallada, Piravom, Thazhathangadi, Karuvatta, Kannetty, Pallana and the President's Trophy. Though the boat made it into the Nehru Trophy finals four times, victory eluded it.Anari residents refurbished the new chundan and relaunched it in 2021, after a decade of its debut. The boat is still in pursuit of the Nehru Trophy championship.

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