Vallam Kali
Encyclopedia
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
(a state in south India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.)
It is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...
in autumn.
Vallam Kali includes races of many kinds of traditional boats (paddled longboat) of Kerala.
The race of Chundan Vallam
Chundan Vallam
Chundan Vallam , known to the outside world as Kerala snake boats, are one of the icons of Kerala culture used in the Vallamkali -Architecture:...
(snake boat) is the major event.
Hence Vallam Kali is also known in English as Snake Boat Race and now in recent years has become a major tourist attraction.
Other types of boats which do participate in various events in the race are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam (Vaipu Vallam), Vadakkanody Vallam, Kochu Vallam. The Nehru Trophy vallamkali winner for the 2008 is Karichal Chundan (chundan = snake boat.)
The most renowned of these races
- Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali at Aranmula, PathanamthittaPathanamthittaPathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
- President's Trophy Boat RacePresident's Trophy Boat RaceThe President's Trophy Boat Race is a popular Vallam Kali held on the Ashtamudi lake on Atham day which marks the start of Onam Celebrations in Indian state of Kerala....
in Ashtamudi lakeAshtamudi LakeAshtamudi Lake in the Kollam District of Kerala, India, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' in the local language of Malayalam...
, KollamKollamKollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram... - Nehru Trophy Boat RaceNehru Trophy Boat RaceThe Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a popular Vallam Kali held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Vallam Kali or Vallamkali literally means boat play/game, but can be translated to boat race in English. The most popular event of the race is the competition of Chundan Vallams . Hence the...
in Punnamada Lake, AlappuzhaAlappuzhaAlappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum... - Kallada Boat RaceKallada Boat RaceThe Kallada Jalotsavam is a popular Vallam Kali held on the Kallada River at Munroe Thuruthu on 28 days after Onam in Indian state of Kerala.The boat race is conducted along the straight portion of Kallada River...
in Kallada RiverKallada RiverThe Kallada River is one of two major rivers that flow through the Kollam District of Kerala, India. It originates on the Kulathupuzha hills near Ponmudi and travels for 121 km, flowing through Punalur, Pathanapuram, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara and Kollam before ending at Ashtamudi Lake...
, KollamKollamKollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram... - Thazhathangadi Boat Race (Kottayam Boat Race), Kottayam
- Champakulam Moolam Boat RaceChampakulam Moolam Boat RaceThe Champakulam Moolam Boat Race is the oldest and most popular vallam kali in Kerala state of south India. The race is held on the river Pampa on Moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple.-The legend:It is said...
- Payippad Jalotsavam, the oldest snake boat race
- Kumarakom Boat Race
Other boat races in Kerala
- ATDC Boat Race, AlappuzhaAlappuzhaAlappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
- Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race, Pulinkunnu
- Neerettupuram Pampa Boat Race
- Karuvatta Boat Race
- Kavanattinkara Boat Race
- Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela
- Mahatma Boat Race, Mannar
- Thazhathangadi Boat Race, KottayamKottayamKottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
- Kottapuram Boat Race
- Kodungallur and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam, Pallana
- Indira Gandhi Boat RaceIndira Gandhi Boat RaceThe Indira Gandhi Boat Race is an annual boat race conducted in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is conducted in the last week of December in the Lake of Kochi, by the Department of Tourism of the state of Kerala. This boat race is one of the most popular vallam Kali in Kerala...
, in Kochi Lake - Kaithappuzhakkayal(കൈതപ്പുഴക്കായല്) Boat Race, in Kaithappuzha Lake, PanangadPanangadPanangad is a village in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics:As of the 2001 India census, Panangad had a population of 14527 with 6866 males and 7661 females....
/Kumbalam ,Kochi. - Bineesh Thomas 12:15, 8 September 2011 (UTC)
Boat races held outside Kerala
- Canadian Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Brampton, Canada, organized by Brampton Malayalee Samajam