Race Course, Mass Drill, Boat Clubs and Winners

Zonkerala Articles -> Race Course, Mass Drill, Boat Clubs, Participating Boats and Previous Winners

Nehru Trophy Boat Race : Race Course :

The race course for the boat race has a length of about 1370 meters and is divided int various tracks, for conducting the competition. When the snake boats row through these tracks, it will appear as fast moving snakes.

Mass Drill in Nehru Trophy Boat Race :

The mass drill by the oarsmen of all the chundan vallam's participating in the race is a good experience to watch. They will move the oars according to the rhythm, all at once. This is a wonderful sight in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

Participating Boats in Nehru Trophy Boat Race :

There are 16 participating snake boats in this years Nehru Trophy Boat Race. They are :
1. Nadu Bhagam Chundan 2. Vellamkulangara Chundan 3. Jawahar Thayankari 4. ShreeGaneshan
5. Anari Chundan 6. Karuvatta Chundan 7. Pattara Chundan 8. St.George
9. Ayaparampu Valiya Diwanji 10. Chambakkulam Chundan 11. Karichal Chundan 12. Kallupparamban
13. Alappadu Chundan 14. Payippad Chundan 15. Ayaparambu Pandy 16. Cheruthana Chundan

Winners of Nehru Trophy Boat Race till now :

The winners of the first Nehru trophy boat race were Nadubhagom Chundan in 1952. Kavalam Chundan won the title in 1954 followed by Parthasarathi(1955), Kavalam(1956), Napoleon(1957), jointly by Kavalam and Napoleon(1958), and so on. The trophy was won by Napoleon in 1959 and Kavalam in 1960 and again the same continued till 1962. Geargose won the title in 1963, followed by St.George in 1964 and son on.

The boats and their respective year of winning Nehru Trophy are as follows :

Nadubhagom Chundan - 1952
Kavalam Chundan - 1954 , 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962
Napoleon - 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961
Geargose - 1963
St.George - 1964
Parthasarathi - 1965, 1968
Pulincunnu - 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
Kalloparamban - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1993
Karichal Chundan - 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 2000, 2001, 2003
Javahar Thayamkari - 1977, 1978, 1985
Ayaparambu Valiya Diwanji - 1979
Vellamkulangara - 1988, 2002
Champakulam - 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998
Alappadan - 1997, 1999
Cheruthana Chundan - 2004
Payippad Chundan - 2005, 2006

The Karichal Chundan won the Nehru Trophy for the maximum number of times(12) followed by Champakulam(8), Kavalam Chundan and Kallooparamban( 5 times each).

Boat Clubs Rowing the Boats in Nehru Trophy Boat Race :

There are many boat clubs hired by the people of the locality to row their boats. The most important boat clubs participating in the boat race now are Kumarakom Town Boat Club, Alappuzha Town Boat Club, Friends Boat Club, Chennamkari&Venattukad, United Boat Club, Kainakary and Navajeevan Boat Club, Arpookkara. Among them the Kumarakom Town Boat Club rowed the boats to the Nehru Trophy for the last 3 consecutive years, in 2004 for Cheruthana Chundan and for Payippad chundan in 2005 and 2006. Both these boats won the trophy for the first time in the history of Nehru Trophy.