The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is an annual vallam kali held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha in Kerala. Vallam Kali or Vallamkali literally means boat play or game, but is translated to boat race in English. The most popular event of the race is the competition of Chundan Vallams, meaning snake boats. Hence the race is also known as Snake Boat Race. Other categories of boats participating in various race events are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam (Vaipu Vallam), Vadakkanody Vallam and Kochu Vallam.
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History
This boat race has its origin in the Kerala district Alappuzha and was inaugurated in 1952 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The winner was awarded a trophy in the name of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru visited Alappuzha on 22 December 1952 and travelled through the Kuttanad backwaters, where the people of the region received him with a fleet of snake boats. An impromptu race of nine boats was rowed in his honour and the Nadubhagam Chundan won; Nehru then climbed onto the winning boat and rode it to Alappuzha.
After returning to Delhi, Nehru sent a silver trophy shaped like a snake boat, bearing his signature and the words "To the winners of the boat race which is a unique feature of the community life of Travancore Cochin". The award was first called the Prime Minister's Trophy and later became known as the Nehru Trophy. The first formal race for the trophy was held in 1954 at the Kainakary backwaters, and it was later moved to a course on Punnamada Lake at Alappuzha, where it has been held since.
In 2019, Nehru Trophy Boat Race was also made a part of the newly constituted CBL - Champions Boat League and Star Sports Network became its television broadcasting partner.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons of the league were dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024 the edition was postponed due to Wayanad landslides and held on September 28.
Course and format
The race is traditionally held on the second Saturday of August. The main event is rowed on Punnamada Lake over a course of about 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi), divided into parallel tracks marked with bamboo poles, with several snake boats racing at a time. A chundan vallam (snake boat) is more than 100 feet (30 m) long and is paddled by a large crew.
Winners
As a Club United Boat club Kainakary(UBC Kainakary) won the most number of trophies in Nehru Trophy boat Race With 2 hattrick.
Karichal chundan has the most number of Nehru trophies, a total of 16. The current hat-trick title for continuously winning 5 times in a row is held by Pallathuruthy boat club .
The fastest Snake boat was won by Karichal chundan rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club in the 2024 Boat Race with a time of 4.14.35