Sunday 1 December 2013

Boat Race in Kerala Gives You a Feel of the Grandiose of Tradition and Culture

Significance of boat race in Kerala is strengthened by the commemoration of the harvest festival of Onam in Kerala. Whenever you are in Kerala during the Onam festival, it will be clearly evident that this festival scores as an important event in the life of people, mostly in the village setting. It is marked with variety of celebrations in Kerala. A major form of the celebration is the arrangement of boat race which marks an historical event and showcases the strength and unity among different community members in Kerala villages. 

boat race in Kerala
 During this event, you will surely be transcended into historical days, probably more than 500 years ago. Origin of the boat race in Kerala is said to be around the backwaters of Alleppey or Alappuzha. In the older days, these were said to be conducted for the entertainment of the local rulers as well as the general public. Presently also, it is a form of Kerala attractions, but the historical values and established traditions make these boat races a much talked about event. 

Plenty of boat races organised in and around the backwaters of Alleppey


In the present day scenario, the boat race in Kerala is said to be conducted in different places, all of them being around the backwaters and rivers of Alleppey. You can choose to become a part of these events which are primarily four in number, while there are about 15 such minor races. If you visit Kerala attractions during the month of Onam, which is the time for people to celebrate the wholesome harvesting season, then you can be a part of these events. This means that you have to plan your trips between the months of July and September, the exact dates of each varying according to different phases of the moon. Nehru Trophy Boat Race is one of the major Kerala attractions among these races which are having a fixed timing during the second Saturday of August every year. 


•    Nehru Trophy boat Race in Kerala is considered to be the most exciting among all the races. As the name suggests, it is held in memory of the Late Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, commemorating the event of 1952, when he was welcomed in Alleppey by the impromptu boat race in his honour. The trophy at stake in this boat race in Kerala is the one which was donated by Nehru.
•    Aranmula Boat Race is a two day occasion which is more concerned with religious sentiments of the local people and devotees of Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple, which is held in reverence to the practices of transporting offerings to the temple from nearby villages.
•    Champakkulam Moolam Boat Race is another snake boat race event in Kerala and is also associated with temple rituals.

Boat race in Kerala is an annual affair. For best enjoyment of different Kerala attractions, you need to plan your vacations accordingly. Your trip itinerary should comprise of villages around the town of Alleppey and its backwaters. These are the locations where local communities prepare for their show of reverence for the local gods and the event is marked with show of unity among these communities. 

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