St. George Chundan | The Saint of Kuttanad's Backwaters

Known as the 'Saint' of the backwaters in Kuttanad, the St George Chundan was the first snake boat to be launched with the accompaniment of Christian rites.

Named after Kuttanad's favorite saint, the St George Chundan is owned by the Changamkari Nadubhagam Christian Union. The boat that was launched in 1957 was famous for its width.

The St George Chundan won its only Nehru Trophy in 1964. The snake boat was successful in Champakulam, Neerattupuram, Kumarakom and Indira Gandhi Boat Race, but a second Nehru Trophy win still remains a dream.

The snake boat was renovated in 1974, 1984, 2002 and 2007 but did not yield any victories. So, the owners sold it off and decided to build a new one. The new St George Chundan Vallam, launched in 2014, was noted for its beautiful stern. The 123-feet long, 5 feet wide boat can carry 85 paddlers, 5 steersmen and 9 choristers.

The new snake boat won the 2019 Mamman Mappila Trophy and Changamkari natives are still holding on to the dream of lifting the Nehru Trophy again.

Other Snake Boats

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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Cheruthana Chundan

Cheruthana is a small village in Alappuzha district, surrounded by the Pamba and Achankovil rivers. According to local history, the snake boat was introduced here in the 1800s.The Cheruthana Chundan started participating in competitive races in the 70's. This boat won several major races and was active until 1981. Despite its active and strong presence in the snake boat race arena, this boat couldn't win the Nehru Trophy.The new Cheruthana Chundan was launched in 1982 and it was renowned for its aesthetic beauty among chundan fans. The boat has won at Payippad, Mannar and Karuvatta several times over the years. In 2004, the skilled rowers of Kumarakom Town Boat Club earned the boat its first Nehru Trophy win. The Cheruthana Boat Club repeated the feat several times over in later years.

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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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Vellamkulangara Chundan

The Vellamkulangara Chundan is another famed snake boat to hail from Vellamkulangara village in Veeyapuram Panchayat in Alappuzha. Also called 'Vellichudan' (silver snake boat), the boat was initially known as Napoleon.Napoleon went on to conquer the Nehru Trophy with wins in 1957, 1958 and 1959, completing a hat-trick. They became champions again in 1961.Vellamkulangara residents bought Napoleon and renamed it as Vellamkulangara Chundan in 1975. Vellamkulangara won their first Nehru Trophy in 1988. The boat was refurbished in 2001 and it paid off with another Nehru Trophy win in 2002.The boat was retired in 2010 and the newly-built Vellamkulangara Chundan was launched in 2013.

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