Row, row, row your boat in Kerala, this June

Emerald and sapphire – the two prominent colours of Kerala!  One is the colour of its swaying palm groves and the other is of the many lakes, rivers and water bodies that dot its landscape. Kerala is a place known for its serenity and peace, for the leisurely pace at which life proceeds and for the rich diversity of aquatic life that breeds in its waters. However, those not so familiar with God’s own country can never imagine the excitement and thrill that fills the atmosphere during the months of June and October – thanks to what is the official boat racing season in the state! The season begins with much fanfare and gaiety with the Champakulam Boat Race Festival, on June 23, It’s one of the largest and most eagerly awaited sporting events in the region.

 The beautiful, resplendent waters of Kerala!

The story behind the sport

The Champakulam boat races are rooted in a history that is nearly 500 years old. According to legends, the festival is a recreation of the day when several boats including that of Chempakasseri’s Raja chaperoned the statue of Lord Krishna. Apparently the king had ordered the bringing forth of a Krishna idol from Karikulam temple in Kurichi to be installed at the temple in Alapuzzah. The people bringing it down the river were met with great respect and attention and several boats came out to escort the auspicious deity down the river. The king was so pleased with this that he announced the day to be commemorated with a pageant each year. Hence, the genesis of the boat races down the Pamba river!

Thrilling, exciting and utterly entertaining - the boat races of Kerala!

A race to the finish

Known locally as the Champakulam vallom kali (boat race) this spectacular event is much awaited by the locals, marking as it does the opening of the boat racing season in Kerala. On the day of the races, thousands of people, locals and tourists alike, descend on the banks of the Pamba river to await the beginning of the races. Those vying for the best views will even venture to clamber up the tall coconut trees! There are several types of boats in the races ranging from the chandan vallams or snake boats to the veppu, iruttu kuthi, and churulan. The show, of course, is always stolen by the beautiful snake boats that never fail to capture the attention due to their sheer length (almost 100 ft) and beautiful raised prows. Each boat has between 90 to 100 strong, well-trained men manning the oars with fervor as they sing along together to keep up the momentum and the tempo. They also ensure that everyone dips and pulls the oars at exactly the same time. As the men pull vigorously at the oars, the calm waters give way to frenzy of foam and spray even as the audience shouts encouragements and claps along. The excitement continues unabated till the end of the races.

Other similar events

If this boat racing event sounds fun, rest assured you will enjoy the several other equally exciting events that take place in succession during the season. These include:

• Nehru Trophy Boat Race
• President's Trophy Boat Race
• Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali
• Payippad Jalotsavam
• Kumarakom Boat Race
• Kallada Boat Race
• Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race

How to get there

The festival takes place in the village of Champakulam and can be reached by the nearest railway station which is at Alapuzzah, 26 km away. Visitors can fly into the nearest airport at Cochin, which is some 85km from Alapuzzah.

If this festival has aroused your curiosity and interest, why not whet it with a visit to the stunning locales of Kerala? You can book your Kerala tour packages on Makemytrip.com. Hotel and flight bookings are also available. 

Grand Kerala Shopping Festival: Unleashing Shopping Tourism

As you plan your year-end shopping sprees, hunt for discounts and make New Year plans; I have just the perfect option for you. High on culture, relaxation, fun, shopping and most importantly LUCKY DRAW PRIZES, the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) is set to roll out on December 15, 2012. This 45-day long festival will be one of Asia’s biggest Trade Fairs with businessmen and shopkeepers from all over the world setting up shops in Kerala.

An initiative of the Kerala Tourism Board to make Kerala an international shopping destination, this festival gets bigger and better this year. There are free indigenous handicrafts and souvenirs, guaranteed scratch cards on every purchase, loyalty cards, 100% VAT refunds, free Ayurvedic treatments, holiday packages and would you believe me if  I say 101 kilograms of gold to be given away! Packing your bags already? Wait, there is more.

For first time travelers to Kerala, this is a perfect time to visit the state because it will be at its best in hospitality, beauty and splendor. Another special characteristic of the festival is that while it is a melting pot of cultures from across the globe, one still gets to enjoy the distinct Kerala flavour. Starting from the mascot of the festival, an elephant to houseboat stays and indigenous metal and wooden handicrafts, the event is also about enjoying the natural bounty and local talent of this gifted destination. For those who are interested in the art and culture of Kerala, there will be Kathakali dance performances and other cultural shows to entertain; and an art workshop and exhibition too.

Prepare yourself to be taken in by the plush green valleys, spice plantations, dense and luscious forests, backwaters, coconuts and the brilliant shopping opportunities this December and January!

Make your trip to GKSF and Kerala special and hassle free with air tickets, train tickets and hotels offered by MakeMyTrip and make ‘Memories Unlimited’. 

Cat Got Your Tongue

Cat got your tongue. I can say with some assurance, and most of you would agree, that more often than not this phrase is used in conjunction with some very uncomfortable situation. Like it used to be during the times when we had to explain why all the sweets kept in the fridge magically disappeared or why the neighbour’s dog was sporting all the colours of a rainbow on its body.

But I digress. The story begins with a trip that I took to the fairyland of green pastures, cascading waterfalls, and lingering lagoons. Yes, I am talking of Kerala. Now before you start badmouthing me for an apparent disconnect between the rant about ‘cat got your tongue’ and the trip to Kerala, let me state that something quite bizarre happened in Kerala that left me speechless.

There were three of us- all dim-witted males. It was during the summers that after our final year papers we decided to explore the ecstatic beauty of Kerala. Our first stop in Kerala was the small town of Alappuzha. If only I had studied English literature better, I might have been able to paint the beauty of Alappuzha with exquisite words. Alapuzzha was, I hope it still is, like a green belt of paradise that had intermittent lagoons, vast lakes and numerous fresh water rivers. We had heard a lot about the Alapuzzha beach and were itching to get there. The Alapuzzha beach is a sand and water paradise. It is quiet and not overpopulated by throngs of tourists. We stripped to our shorts and made a run for the crashing waves. Soon, we had quite forgotten about everything else-exams, results, job, stress, etc. It was like we were in a parallel world that had no place for anything other than fun and enjoyment. We did not leave the beach until it was evening; the calm of the evening breeze was like a delicious dessert after a sumptuous meal of vigorous beach fun during the day time. The nearby palm groves were the object of our exploratory spirit during the day. In the evening, we found the light house to be the Everest that we had to climb. So like a band of adolescent super heroes, we marched up to the light house; all set to climb to the very top.

This is where all the craziness begins. A combination of factors led to what happened afterwards. First, we were excited by the beauty of the beach; second, we were at the top of the world (that’s what we thought in the light house); third, we had loads of beer with us. It was only a matter of time before the dumb suggestion came along “Dude, this is the perfect place to gulp down some beer.”

Dumb as the idea was, the other two of us concurred without an iota of hesitation. So the cans and the bottles were out and we engaged in some lively conversation about life, philosophy, politics, the sultry movies; almost everything except for the unnecessary part of life like studies, job, and money (we had neither of the three). Our deep reverie into philosophy was interrupted by the gruff voice of an elderly man. After some deliberation, one of us concluded that the old man must be an apparition we were all seeing! It was only when the old man took out his baton and angrily waved it that it dawned upon us that he was a night constable. The constable said something in his local dialect which, his angry contorting face expressions suggested, could only have meant “Get the hell out of here or you will find this baton taking a real liking to your skin”.  

Dazed and drunk, we walked back to the Alapuzzha beach. The beach looked even more enchanting in the dead of the night. It must have been the peace and the serenity that led to one of my friend passing out on the beach. And, it must have been the alcohol that made the other two of us decide to hire a cab and explore the Allapuzha town during the night.  

We hired a cab at a price that would have sent Uncle Scrooge to an early grave. Anyhow, we set upon our course and had at least two places in mind. Our first stop was at the 18^th century Krishnapuram Palace. Although we were not allowed inside the palace at that time of the night, we stood outside admiring the pristine architecture and the historical charm of the palace. Next we went over to the calm and ethereal Vembanad lake. It was here that for the first time I understood why Kerala is called ‘God’s Own Country’. So beautiful and peaceful was the area around the lake that at that time I could almost feel the spiritual connect with nature and God. We knew that the Vembanad Lake was also abode to a small but exotic island-the Pathiramanal. This island can be accessed only through a boat and we could find none at that time of the night. We sat there on the shores of the lake staring at the stars and their shining reflection in the crystal waters of the lake.

It was so surreal out there by the lake that we could not detach ourselves from the shores of the lake. We paid the cab driver and asked him to leave. Sitting by the shore we, the two of us in our senses, chatted for a long time. The lullaby of the cool night breeze soon worked its charm and we dozed off. In the morning, we were rudely awakened by our third friend. He was looking pretty furious and kept asking us “What happened? Where the hell are we? Tell me. Come on, speak up. Cat got your tongue?”