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Vallamkali or the Snake Boat Race is the most enchanting facet of the festival of Onam. The event is promoted as a major tourist attraction of the state of Kerala and draws a large number of domestic and international tourists. Vallamkali has been going on for good number of years and its popularity is soaring with each passing year. Much credit for the success of Snake Boat Race can be attributed to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru who was so enamoured by this colourful event that he instituted a trophy for the race.
The Legend
There is also an interesting legend behind this very
electrifying event. The story goes that once about
10 kilometers up the river Pamba from Aranmulla, the
head of the Katoor Mana, a Nambudiri family, offered
his daily prayers and was waiting to feed a poor man
to complete the ritual. After waiting for long,
Brahmin closed his eyes and started praying to Lord
Krishna. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a
ragged boy standing before him. The Brahmin lovingly
gave a bath to the boy, a new set of clothes and
also a sumptuous meal.
To the utter surprise of the Brahmin, the boy
vanished after having the meal. He searched for the
boy and spotted him at the Aranmulla Temple but the
boy disappeared again. Namboodari concluded that it
was no ordinary boy, but God himself. To commemorate
the event, he began to bring food to the Aranmulla
temple every year during the time of Onam. And, to
protect the food from the river pirates, Kovilans or
snake boats used to accompany the entourage.
As the tradition gained popularity, the number of
snake boats increased leading to the custom of a
grand carnival called Snake Boat Race.
About the Boat
Vallamkali boat are no ordinary boats and there are
fixed measurements to it. It is about 100 feet long
and has a seating capacity of 150 men. The boats are
usually made of anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), though
sometimes teak and kadamb (Naucleacadamba) wood is
also used. The curled ends of the boats are shaped
like cobra hoods and it is from this shape that boat
has derived its name. Each boat is meticulously
crafted by skilled craftsmen and a lot of patience
and hard work goes into making and decorating it.
The boat is treated as a deity and a holds a lot of
emotional value for the village folk. Only men are
allowed to touch the boat that too with bare feet.
Each boat belong to individual villages located near
the river Pamba.
Vallamkalis are tastefully decorated with green and
scarlet silk umbrellas. The number of umbrellas
attached to a boat holds significance as it
signifies the affluence of the family to which they
belong. To render a more maginificient look to the
boat gold coins, ornaments and tassels are also
added.
Great care is also taken for the upkeep of the boat.
A carpenter repairs the boat on an annual basis. The
boats are lubricated with fish oil, coconut shell
and carbon mixed with eggs. This also helps to keep
the wood strong and boats slippery in water. This
way one can always find a boat ready for a swim.
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