ALAPPUZHA: ‘Word of mouth publicity’ was the only option for Kuttanad’s traditional water sport Vallamkali, long before the netizens took up the job. They held small street meetings and cultural rallies with the support of Karas during the season from June to September to draw people to the regattas. Its popularity went beyond Kuttanad and Aranmula only after an excited Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru jumped into the Nadubhagom Chundan in 1952.
With the advent of internet, Vallamkali is popular across the globe and it has evolved into a powerful tourism promotion tool. Kuttanadan youths now trumpet the season's arrival in the cyber world, and its publicity is a great social networking affair. Two Facebook groups - Nehru Trophy Boat Race Kerala and Boat races Kerala — have been at its forefront.
C.V. Vinod Kumar, the administrator of ‘Boat races Kerala, says the six-year-old group was instrumental in disseminating even minute details of races, boats, culture, geographic specialities and the people behind them. They come alive during the season, and the two now have some 14,000 members.
They suggest new ideas, trends and strategies and share official announcements so that they draw more tourists and race enthusiasts. Boat races of Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod are also talk of the cyber town.
They include the defunct Ambedkar and Ayyankali boat races and Thakazhi, Mother Theresa, Mavelikara, Anapraalu, Edathua, Indira Gandhi Trophy, Ernakulam, Matha Amrithananda Mayi, Kollam and Alappad Sudhakaran Memorial boat races.
“We have been researching in this regard for a decade. We had launched a campaign a couple of years ago after finding it difficult to get information. Right now, the online research goes well with the Boat Races Kerala,” said C.V Gopakumar, another admin. The cyberspace now enjoys the beauty of chundans (snake boats) like Attupuram, Karuvatta, Shree Ganesh, Sree Vinayakam, Pulinkunnu, Alappad, Illikulam and Champakulam and Sree Ganesh has lifted the Rajapramukh trophy.
