Bash on the Backwaters

Rhythm Of Love The nilakaars or rhythm makers have a special place in the middle of the boat. The oarsmen, a study in synchronised motion, w...

Work That Body
Two days prior to the big event, a practice session gets underway. Such sessions are rigorous8212;twice a day, eight days in a row. Earlier, these used to extend up to 15 days. But rising costs have forced a cutback. Here, the team is doing the vechu pattu, or moving the oars in butterfly-like formation, to a ritualistic song..

Rhythm Of Love
The nilakaars or rhythm makers have a special place in the middle of the boat. The oarsmen, a study in synchronised motion, will row according to the rhythm set by the nilakaars who use their wooden sticks to beat on steel drums. The nilakaars8217; repeated cries of 8216;8216;Swami, Appa Ayappa8217;8217; enthuses the team to put in their best effort. Says Karthikeyan, captain of a leading boat team, 8216;8216;This is a unique combination of the mass concentration into a single rhythm.8217;8217;

Snake Shake
Snake boats or chundan vallams are a major draw. This year 19 of these long, narrow boats, made with the wood of the wild jacktree, took part. Each snake boat team comprises three groups. The oarsmen are the majority, sometimes almost 95 on one boat. The 11 nilakaars are in the middle while the rear is brought up by the five amarakaars or anchors with their long oars.

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Ladies Special A picture of poise, the women8217;s team wearing traditional mundus and flowers in their hair, splice the waters with the oars of their thekkanodi, a smaller version of the snake boat.	nbsp;	Making A Splash Supporters throw themselves into the water as they cheer their teams on. At a time, four snake boats race the distance of 1,350 metres in one heat. A total of four heats take place in four tracks. While the snake boats are the main focus of the race, the event also sees smaller boats participating, as well as processions of traditional artistes.
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All About Rituals
A day to go, team members catch up on some much needed rest. However, not everyone is as lucky. Someone has to ready the boat for the race. Its sides are sand-papered, and dried and polished with grease, a secret ritual performed at the crack of dawn. On D-day, at an auspicious time, the bedecked boat is launched into the water after a short pooja and a ride to the nearest temple or church. Post-celestial appeasement, there are other pressing matters. Like the 8216;love feast8217;, where all participating teams lunch together..

TV-Friendly
The festival is a gala spectacle and draws crowds in thousands from all over the globe. Loud cheering, roars of encouragement, prayers and thunderous applause8212;the spectators8217; response is rousing. A big tourist attraction, the event is covered by major television networks..

Folk Fun
Artistes perform Theyyam, a folk art form, on one of the houseboats in a procession that livens up the festival. The race provides a platform to showcase Kerala8217;s cultural arts, with artistes performing Kathakali, Kaikottikali and Theyyam.

D-Day
The race kicks off with a two-minute mass drill of the snake boats.