ALAPPUZHA: The three- month season of rhythmic tapping on the rim of snakeboats has kicked off today. The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race will be inaugurated at 2.30 pm on the Pampa River on Saturday by PWD Minister G Sudhakaran at Champakulam. Unlike the previous seasons, this one promises to be exciting because the government turned boat races into league sport by introducing the Kerala Boatrace League (KBL).
One of the oldest boat races in the state, it is believed to have begun in1545 A.D. It is held on the Moolam star in the month of ‘Mithunam’ in the Malayalam calendar. The Champakulam boat race is welcomed as the harbinger of the Onam festival. Though Champakulam boat race is out of the list of KBL since it’s being held as part of tradition, the rowers here are very excited to be part of the maiden season of KBL. KBL matches begin along with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race to be held on the second Saturday of August to end by October 2 (Saturday) at Kottappuram of Thirssur district.
Joseph Elamkulam, a boat race commentator, says preparations for welcoming the new season have begun weeks ago. Snake boats have been smeared with sardine oil for smooth passage through water, the oarsmen have been selected and under the supervision of the senior-most rowers, practice sessions have already begun. “Around 150 oarsmen will represent the village. Each ward in the village and rich individuals take their turn in feeding the athletes on practice days at mass feasts on the river banks”, he says.
Even in the days of untouchability, a feature of the regattas was that caste Hindus, Scheduled Castes, Christians and Muslims sat in the same row for the feast symbolizing communal amity in Kuttanad. In fact, the Church has a traditional role in the celebrations at Champakulam though the water festival there is associated with a temple legend. According to Vinod Karichal, boat race buff, historically and traditionally, boat races were mainly in the districts of Alappuzha, Kollam and Kottayam. The popularity of this event has now spread to districts like Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.
