Kerala Snake boats to sail the River Thames
Published April 16, 2010 | 
The famous snake boats of Kerala that measure up to over 100 ft, were always part of the thrilling annual boat race events in the State. Now these expectational attractions of Kerala will be getting international exposure. If everything goes well, Kerala snake boats will be setting sail in the waters of the River Thames, as part of a trial run of the inaugural ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
Unique to Kerala, the snake boats steered by over 120 oarsmen have always been the main attractions in the local boat races and festive occasions. From being a spectacle confined to the Kerala waters, the snake boats are now set to be showcased at an event attended by the British Queen. The proposal to include the snake boat in the ceremony along with boats from other parts of the world was put forward by Keraleeyam, a cultural organisation with members from Kerala and across the globe.
A snake boat now costs more than Rs.3 million and since it would cost close to Rs.5 million to transport it, we have decided that we will gift this snake boat to Britain after the trial run is over,” the sports minister added. including Britain, said state Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar
Kerala can be proud of its exceptional snake boats making into the waters of the River Thames if the central government agrees to coordinate with the state government and Keraleeyam for the event. Transporting the snake boat and the oarsmen involves logistics and huge funding requirements and when it happens it will be indeed a moment of pride for all malayalees!
Rowing all the way to Olympics!
Published November 18, 2009 | Snake Boat race lovers who flock to “The Land of Snake Boats” just to be a part of the boat race fervor are in for some good news. You can keep your eyes open and lookout for the 2012 London Olympics. For people who have not yet had the blessed opportunity to see the wonderful sight of a snake-boat being manned by 100-125 oarsmen, who along with four helmsmen, paddle in unison to the swift cadence of ‘vanchipattu’ (song of boatmen) sung by 25 singers (who never illustrate a slight dwindle in their enthusiasm all throughout the race) – this is the time to get lucky! The Snake boat race may make an international debut at the forthcoming Olympics.