The 68th edition of Kerala’s highly celebrated water sports event, the Nehru Cup Snakeboat Race, concluded in the Punnamada backwaters of Alapuzha district late evening on Sunday, 4 September.
A snake boat with the name Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkethil Chundan came first in the colourful race, witnessed by thousands of foreign and domestic tourists.
The race marks the beginning of this year’s tourism season in the state.
Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkethil Chundan, the snake boat that came first, is owned by the Pallathuruthy Boat Club, comprising about 70 boatmen.
In the closely contested final race, Nadubhagam Chundan, paddled by NCDC Boat Club came second.
Champakulam Chundan, managed by the Kerala Police, and Veeyapuram Chundan, managed by the Punnamada Boat Club, completed the final line-up in the snake boat race.
Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal inaugurated the race, which got a political twist this year with an invitation extended to Union Home Minister Amit Shah by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Congress-led Opposition accused the ruling CPI(M) of surrendering such a Nehruvian legacy — a competition that began with a trophy gifted by the first prime minister — to the BJP.
But both Shah and Vijayan were absent on the occasion.
Though an invitation was extended to chief ministers and lieutenant governors who attended the Southern Zone meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to witness the race, none except the Andaman & Nicobar Lieutenant Governor DK Joshi turned up.
He was also the chief guest on the occasion.
The competition, which began at 11 am, continued till 7 pm.
Public Works Minister PA Muhammad Riyas and Agriculture Minister P Prasad were present at the event, along with all MPs and MLAs from the Alappuzha district.
The Nehru Trophy Society’s chairman and district collector VR Krishna Teja delivered the welcome speech.
Over 2,000 police officials, including 20 DySPs, 50 Inspectors, and 465 sub-inspectors, handled the security arrangements for the event.
The competition was conducted after two years, with the gap due to the lockdowns precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
