Festive Boat Races
- POSTED ON: 8 Sep, 2017
- TOTAL VIEWS: 1315 Views
- POSTED BY: Sujith Chandran | Josephine Keh | Chari Vijayaraghavan
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
Have you ever witnessed a boat race? Take a look at these immensely popular races from Asia!
1. Snake-Boat Race
The ‘Vallam Kali’ or boat race is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam. Vallam Kali include races of many kinds of traditional boats of Kerala. The traditional ‘snake boat’ is more than 100 feet in length, and the stern rises to a height of about 20 feet. It can accommodate more than 100 oarsmen, who row in the rhythm of the ‘vanchipattu’ (boatman’s song). There are singers in a row in the middle between the oarsmen.
The race of Chundan Vallam (‘Snake Boat’- resembles a snake with its hood raised) is another major attraction. It is considered the largest team sport in the world.
This particular event, the President’s Trophy race at Kollam, a historic port-city (attended by the President of India) is a new tourist-oriented addition from 2011. The racecourse is a 1.2 km stretch of the Ashtamudi Lake near Kollam city. Part of Kerala’s backwaters, Ashtamudi Lake has the status of a ‘Ramsar site’- identified as a Wetland Ecosystem & Waterfowl Habitat of international importance for conservation and sustainable use.
2. The Dragon-Boat Race
Another popular boat race in Asia is the dragon boat race – more popular in South East Asian countries. As one can guess, the shape of the boat and the head of the dragon give the boats this name. The sport is highly competitive with even corporate sponsors in the fray!