'Kuttanad' - Where Snake Boat raising is a cult

In Kuttanad , the land of lakes and rivers, snake boat racing is something of a cult , just as bull fighting is in spain . Sleek and immaculately poised , the snake boats are the pride of every village. These race boats dominate the thoughts and actions of the people of this region during the months of August and September ,when nearly 20 minor and major regattas are held.

Most of the major water festivals of the region are associated with legends connected with famous temples like Champakkulam ( Ambalappuzha),Payipad (Haripad) and Aranmula . These festivals best retain the flavour of ancient Kerala culture , especially the Uthrittathi boat race on the Pampa, in Aranmula ,where devotion,music and sheer artistry and grandeur of the boats, known as “Palliyodams”,make it a unique experience for the spectators.

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race on the Punnamada lake, near Alappuzha , held on the second saturday of August every year, is , however ,the most competitive and popular of the boat races. On the day of this fiercely fought boat race, the tranquil lake-front is transformed into a sea of humanity with an estimated two lakh people, including tourists from abroad, coming to watch the event. For the people of each village in Kuttanad , a victory at this race for their village boat is something to be celebrated for months to come.

Communal Amity

Preparations for the big event begin several weeks in advance . The snake boat is smeared with sardine oil for smooth passage through water. The best oarsmen are selected and , under the supervision of the seniormost oarsman,the practice sessions begin. Around 150 oarsmen ,who would represent the village ,take the vow to observe strict abstinence and celibacy till the race is over as the captain hands over the oars to each of them. Each ward in the village and at times rich individuals take their turn in feeding the athletes on the days of the practice at mass feasts on the river banks.

Even in the days of untouchability ,this was a feature of the regattas with caste Hindus, Harijans,Christians and Muslims sitting in the same row for the feast symbolising the communal amity in Kuttanad. In fact , the church has a traditional role in the celebrations at Champakkulam though the water festival there is associated with a temple legend.

The Pageantry and Excitement

the festival begins with a procession of the snake boats. The snake boats and the smaller varieties of kerala race boats like the 'churulan' ,' veppu' and 'oadi' move in a formation down the 1.4km stretch of the lake as the sturdy villagers, their biceps rippling in the sun, row with an elaborate flourish of the oars to the singing of couplets from ' kuchelavritham vanchi pattu' the classic Malayalam poem written by Ramapurathu Warrier to regale king Marthanda Varma of Travancore in early 19th century during a boat journey form Vaikom to Thiruvananthapuram . The numerous beaded umbrellas held aloft in each boat, the gilded sterns of the ebony black snake boats and the changing patterns that the rowers weave with their oars transform the lake into a kaleidoscope. Floats giving glimpses of Kerala's rich cultural heritage follow the race boats, with artists performing 'Kathakali','Theyyam','Panchavadyam' and 'Padayani'.

And then a quiet falls on the lake front, broken only by the sound of ripples lapping the embankment and the rustle of palm leaves in the wind. The snake boats line up at the starting point for the great race, as the starters flag goes up, the scene freezes into a tableau; the rowers tense with their paddles poised, the pacekeepers alert and the steersmen straining against their long oras.

The flag falls in a blur and suddenly the thumping begins. the crowd erupts into a roar,birds flutter up from their perch on the trees and the snake boats hiss their way down the lake in a haze of spray , fighting a pitched battle in the dappled waters. 'Ayyo-poyye..... ayyo-poyye'...- the cadence grows to a crescendo as the oars dip and flash 100 to 120 times a minute and the steersmen hurl their gigantic oars in a high arc....

The Rajas of Yore

The story of these battling boats goes back 400 years in history whe the rajas of the erstwhile principalities of chempakassery and kayamkulam, which form the present Alappuzha district,frequently crossed swords on the backwaters of Kuttanad. The chempakassery troops suffered heavy casualities at the hands of the superior navy their rivals commanded . It soon dawned on the chempakassery raja that the real defect was with his war boats, which were sluggish and cumbersome.

He called all the boat architects in the land to his court and told them of his desire to have better, faster boats for the troops . After days of hard labour , a man who was reputed to be the best boat architect in chempakassery , koduppunna venkitanarayan asari, came up with a specimen which satisfied the raja's requirements. It had speed , manoeuvability and capacity to carry a 100 able – bodied warriors on board and its eel-like construction was most ideal for launching an ambush since it could be easily kept concealed behind the overhanging bushes on the river banks . The asari was generously rewarded and in the subsequent battles , the chempakassery raja emerged victorious.

The Deceit

The story goes on to tell how the defeated Kayamkulam Raja sent a spy to chempakasseryto learn the secret of the new war boat . The spy , a handsome youth, succeeded in seducing asari's daughter , the girls mother was overjoyed by the prospect of getting his as her daughter's bridegroom and persuaded her husband to teach him the construction of the boat.

Needless to say , the deceitful youth disappeared the moment he thought he had learnt the secret. Asari was imprisoned by Chempakassery Raja for treason. But he was released and showered with many honours when the snake boats built by the Kayamkulam Raja proved to be no match for the war boats of Chempakassery in the next battle. The subtleties of the snake boat's design are hard to pick and even today it requires years of apprenticeship under a master boat architect before one could independently undertake the construction of this ancient boat.

When a village decides to have a new snake boat, a committee is formed to raise the money which is required to build the boat. The boat architect is summoned and the searh for the 'anjili' tree of the required size often takes the villagers to the high ranges of kerala . As the snake boat takes shape out of the huge trunk,the 'asari' relies mainly on his instinctive estimates .

Of late the boat builders prime concern is to make the snake boat as long as possible so as to seat more and more rowers for speed. The Nedumbhagham snake boat entered the Guiness Book of Records as the longest rowing boat in the world. But its 135 feet length has since been overtaken by Vellankulangara snake boat, which is 140 feet long.