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.

Other Snake Boats

Valiya Diwanji

Valiya Diwanji Chundan is one of the most popular snake boats in Kerala. Named after Diwan Rajakesavadasan, the architect of Alappuzha city, the Valiya Diwanji Chundan was built in 1928. The boat was owned by the NSS (Nair Service Society) unit at Nedumudi in Alappuzha district. The boat is currently owned by the NSS unit in Ayaparambu.The 125-feet boat could carry 107 people including 91 paddlers, 5 steersmen and 11 choristers.Valiya Diwanji has been participating in the Nehru Trophy since the beginning of the championship. Since the boat was owned by Nedumudi village it was also known as Nedumudi Thekkemuri Chundan.Valiya Diwanji won its maiden Nehru Trophy in 1979, 50 years after its debut. They repeated the win in 1981. The boat won in other major events too. Victories became rare as the boat got older which led to the decision to build a new boat. The new Valiya Diwanji Chundan was launched in July 2016. The vessel earned praise for its beauty and craftsmanship.The 128-feet snake boat can carry 88 paddlers, 5 steersmen, 7 choristers and two idikkar (rhythmic pole beaters). With various wins including the Champakulam Rajapramukhan trophy, the Valiya Diwanji is aiming for another victory at the Nehru Trophy championship.

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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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St. George Chundan

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.

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Karichal Chundan

The Karichal Chundan is another evergreen star of Kerala's backwater racing circuit. Built in 1970 and launched on September 8, 1971, the boat is also known as 'Kaari' and 'Emperor of the Waters'. In the last 50 years, Karichal Chundan has won 16 Nehru Trophies.Karichal won its first Nehru Trophy in 1974. The boat achieved a hat-trick by winning in the next two years as well. Victories in 1982, 1983 and 1984 gave Karichal Chundan its second hat-trick. The fact that every team that has ridden this boat has won the Nehru Trophy, adds to its legendary status.Karichal Chundan has reached the Nehru Trophy finals for an astounding 33 times and it has won the championship 16 times, including the 2024 race.Over the last 50 years, the Karichal Chundan has undergone several repairs and renovation works. The last round of renovations on the boat was done in the year 2020. While maintaining its old form, significant changes were made to the boat, making it practically a new chundan vallam.

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