Valiya Diwanji is reborn to rule over Punnamada

Alappuzha: The launching ceremony (‘Neeraniyal’) of the brand new   Valiaya Diwanji, the snake boat that has a permanent place in the history of Nehru trophy boat rce at Punnamada, Alappuzha,   will be held at Ayaparambu  village on Wednesday. The new snake boat  owned by Ayaparampu   NSS Karayogam, (number 622), bears the name of the legendary boat, one of the four chundans  that took part in  the congregation that received Jawaharlal Nehru during his visit to the boat race at Punnamada in 1952. 

Valiya Divanji  won the Nehru trophy in 1979 and 1981 but failed to live up to its reputation thereafter.  So it was sold off last year. “The work on  the new chundan began on September 16, 2015, “  says  Mr R.  Madhusudhanan Nair, president, NSS Karayogam. The villagers collected at least Rs 42 lakh  and Rs 22 lakh  was provided by the tourism department to make the new Diwanji.

  “All works were finished in record time with the daily effort of over 14 skilled carpenters,” he said. The  history of the  chundan  begins way back in 1928 when it was constructed  by Nedumudy NSS Karayogam. Two decades later  in 1949,  it was bought by Ayaparambu NSS Karayogam  and it was named   Valiya Diwanji  as a  mark of respect to  Raja Kesava Das, also known as the architect of Alappuzha.

Valiya Diwanji  has a length of at least 125 feet and can carry 107 people,  including 91 rowers , five  amarams and 11 fiddlers at a time. The chundan was constructed with 750 cubic feet wood and 500 kg of metal iron and brass. When   Diwanji touches the waters on Wednesday, the villagers will look forward to it regaining its old glory in the boat race  that will be held on the second Saturday of August.