Alappuzha, Aug 22 — All roads in Alappuzha led to Punnamada lake on Saturday where the 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race is turning the tranquil backwaters into a theatre of speed, spectacle and raw sporting passion.
The stage came alive at 3.30 p.m. when the mother of all races — the snake boat race began.
Of the 71 boats taking part in this year’s regatta, including 22 iconic chundan vallams, it is the snake boat race that commands every eye.
On the roughly 1,100-metre race track, the long, sleek snake boats hurtle through the water, powered by the rhythmic strokes of more than 100 oarsmen packed into each boat.
For the rowers, it is a contest of extraordinary stamina and synchronisation.
For the spectators lining the banks and watching from packed houseboats and vantage points, it is an adrenaline-fuelled battle that can turn on a single stroke.
The roar of the crowd, the drumbeats and the thunderous rhythm of hundreds of oars striking the water together make the snake boat race unlike any other sporting spectacle in Kerala.
The Nehru Trophy has a history as colourful as the boats that compete for it.
The race traces its origins to 1952, when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited Kerala.
During his visit, he travelled by boat to Alappuzha, where a spontaneous boat race was organised in his honour.
Pandit Nehru was so captivated by the spectacle that, according to the history of the event, he jumped into one of the winning boats after the race and joined the celebrations.
The exuberant moment prompted him to donate a silver trophy shaped like a snake boat later on.
The trophy became the prize for the annual race, which was subsequently named the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
More than seven decades later, that spontaneous celebration has grown into Kerala's most celebrated water sporting event.
This year's edition was inaugurated by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat among the chief guests.
A holiday has been declared for educational institutions and government offices in Alappuzha district, while elaborate traffic restrictions are in place as thousands converge on the town.
But once the boats line up at Punnamada, the political speeches and ceremonial grandeur fade into the background and the focus is only on the beautiful boats.