Nehru Trophy Boat Race

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is one of the most popular snake boat races in Kerala. It is held every year on the second Saturday of August at the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha in Kerala. This boat race is named after the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and there is an interesting story behind it. When Nehru visited Kerala in 1952, he was enthralled by the beautiful sight of the snake boats and the rhythmic movement of oars that accompanied each of them. It is believed that he could not control his excitement and jumped into one of the boats himself without caring for his own security. Eventually, the boat race came to be named after Pandit Nehru to honour his love for snake boats. Every year, the winner of the race is presented with a trophy known as the Nehru Trophy. During the boat race festival, Lake Punnamada and the region surrounding it come to life. Beautiful snake boats, colourful water floats and pretty country rafts adorn the lake. Every year, more than 2 lakh visitors from India and abroad come here to be part of the festivities. Various kinds of boats compete in different categories. However, the most popular ones are the Kerala snake boats, locally known as Chundan Vallam, which have 100 rowers sitting on both sides and paddling away in unity. The sight is truly a spectacle to behold.