Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Kerala’s Snake Boat Racers Defy Floods and Financial Strain
Snake boat racing is a traditional sport in Kerala, India.
Long wooden boats with raised ends race across the backwaters.
About 100 people row together in each boat while others chant and beat wooden poles.
Floods made life difficult for many villages, but the rowers kept practicing.
The boats are expensive to maintain, and their communities receive only limited financial help.
People still support the races because they represent local pride and identity.
Different religious communities take part and pray for the boats together.
The racers compete for the prestigious Nehru Trophy.
Around 20 wooden snake boats will race on a 1.4-kilometre course at Punnamada Lake.
Each boat is about 100 feet long and carries roughly 100 rowers.
Racers continued training despite deadly monsoon floods that killed 28 people across Kerala this month.
The Veeyapuram boat costs nearly 7 million Indian rupees to operate each season, while sponsorships and prizes cover only a fraction.
The centuries-old sport brings together Hindu, Christian and Muslim traditions and remains a source of village pride.
- Who
- About 20 teams of rowers, including the United Boat Club and its approximately 150 rowers.
- What
- A prestigious snake boat race, known as vallam kali, and the effort to preserve the tradition.
- When
- The report was dated Aug. 19 and described races scheduled for that weekend during a three-to-five-month season.
- Where
- Punnamada Lake in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, India.
- Why
- Teams compete for village pride and the Nehru Trophy while communities work to preserve a centuries-old cultural tradition.
More Support Needed
Tradition Must Continue
Financial future of the sport
More Support Needed
Veeyapuram shareholder Manikanthan Nair TM said boat-owning communities receive little government help while facing financial hardship and natural disasters.
Tradition Must Continue
Veeyapuram secretary Kamarudeen KA said the community would keep the boat running despite the challenges because it provides pride, recognition and identity.
Role of public promotion
More Support Needed
Boat owners argue that communities need greater assistance because the government uses snake boat races to promote tourism.
Tradition Must Continue
The article says the races continue to attract community funding, sponsorships and participation despite limited returns.
- Race course
- 1.4 kilometres at Punnamada Lake
- Typical boat size
- About 100 feet long
- Rowers per boat
- Approximately 100
- Season length
- Three to five months
- Veeyapuram launch funding
- About 9 million Indian rupees raised in 2019
- Veeyapuram annual costs
- Nearly 7 million Indian rupees per season
- Recent flooding
- Floods killed 28 people and displaced thousands across Kerala this month