Kerala’s festivals are full of exciting activities worth witnessing. Onam is perhaps the state’s biggest and most prominent festival. The annual harvest festival falls in Malayalam month of Chingam, which means it typically falls in the month of August-September.
It is one of the major holidays in September 2017 in India. The festival is celebrated over 10 days with the last day culminating into Onam. Onam 2017 falls on September 6.
Malayali people celebrate Onam with great devotion and pomp. It happens to hold the significance of New Year day for the Malayali community. For those with a religious bent, this Hindu festival commemorates the Mahabali, Vamana (Vishnu avatar), Kashyapa and Parashurama-related mythologies of Hinduism. The festivities are characterized by prayer sessions, folk dance performances, martial arts performances, and games like tug of war among other rituals.
However, one of the most important aspects of the festival of Onam is Vallam Kali meaning Boat Race.
Conducted on paddled canoes, Vallam Kali involves canoe races which are mainly conducted during the festival of Onam. It is a sight to behold and one of the best things to witness in the state of Kerala. The paddles longboats carrying men rowing in synchronicity to emerge victorious is a delightful sight.
One of the biggest bat race events is the Chundan Vallam race or snake boat race. The Nehru Boat Race, one of the major annual events, attracts tourists from all over the world every year. It is held in the Punnamada Lake near Alleppey.
The boat race is an age-old tradition which dates back to the 13th century when King Devanarayana of Chembakassery commissioned the construction of a war boat called Chundan Vallam. Other popular snake boat races (or Vallam Kali events) include Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali, Kumarakom Boat Race,
Champakulam Moolam boat race, and President’s Trophy boat race which is a major tourist attraction in Kollam’s Ashtamudi lake. All of these boat races have loyal fans as well as participants who attend the event every year.
The Aranmula snake boat race, the oldest of these events, is held near a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna. It is mesmerizing to see snake boats move in pairs to the rhythm of singing, chanting and shouting while the spectators watch in awe. Here is the schedule for prominent boat races in Kerala for 2017:
06th Sep 2017 – Payippad Boat Race – Held at Payippad in Alappuzha District
06th Sep 2017 – Kumarakom Boat Race – Held at Kumarakom in Kottayam District
08th Sep 2017 – Aranmula Boat Race – Held at Aranmula – Pathanamthitta District
So, if you plan to visit Kerala this monsoon, do not miss these wonderful snake boat races in God’s Own Country!
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