Payippad Chundan | A Century of Kerala Boat Racing

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.

Other Snake Boats

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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Nadubhagam Chundan

The Nadubhagam Chundan was the winner of the inaugural Nehru Trophy race in 1952. And it also has an intriguing origin story - rife with rivalry, hurt pride and competitiveness.Nadubhagam and Amichakary were two villages in Champakulam at Alappuzha district's Kuttanad area. Both villages had boat clubs and they used to take turns rowing the Champakulam Chundan for local competitions. But in 1927, Amichakary denied Nadubhagam the chance to compete in the Champakulam Moolam Boat Race. Humiliated and enraged, Nadubhagam villagers complained to the Travancore Diwan M E Watts. He assisted them in buying a palliyodam (a type of snake boat). After a few refurbishments, the Nadubhagam Chundan was ready for the backwater battles.In 1940, Nadubhagam retired the old boat and built a new one. After their victory in 1952, Nadubhagam Chundan failed to lift the cup despite reaching the finals 36 times. The boat was refurbished in 1986 and 1996, but victory still eluded them. As the ageing vessel had lost its edge, Nadubhagam residents decided to build a new one in 2014.The new snake boat was able to break the jinx and it lifted the Nehru Trophy title in 2019. The new Nadubhagam Chundan continues its winning streak in other major events.

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Thalavady Chundan

Thalavady is a village in Upper Kuttanad Panchayat in Alappuzha. A group of boat race obsessed residents, decided to build a snake boat to represent the village. The initiative led by the Thalavady Boat Club received support from various sources including NRIs from the village.The 127-feet long, 5 feet wide Thalavady Chundan has the capacity to carry 83 paddlers, 5 steersmen and 9 choristers. The boat was launched on January 1, 2023. The chundan vallam's front end is shaped like a racehorse. The horse sculpture made of teak wood was mounted on the boat after being consecrated at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.Thalavady Chundan has proved to be a dark horse in the circuit in its inaugural year by winning the Neerattupuram race.

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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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