Vellamkulangara Chundan | From Napoleon to Nehru Trophy Champion

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.

Other Snake Boats

Karuvatta Chundan

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.

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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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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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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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