Vallam Kali: Encyclopedia - Vallam Kali

Vallam Kali

Vallam Kali (or Vallamkali) literally means boat game (race) in Malayalam. It is the traditional boat race in Kerala (a state in south India).

It is mainly contacted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in Autumn. Vallam Kali include races of many kinds of traditional boats of Kerala. The race of Chundan Vallam (snake boat) is the major item. Hence Vallam Kali is also known in English as Snake Boat Race and a major tourist attraction. Other types of boats which do participate in various events in the race are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam (Vaipu Vallam), Vadakkanody Vallam, Kochu Vallam.

Vallam Kali - The most renowned of these races

• Nehru Trophy Boat Race
• Champakulam Moolam Boat Race
• Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali
• Payippad Jalotsavam
• Indira Gandhi Boat Race, at Ernakulam lake.

Vallam Kali - Other boat races in Kerala

• ATDC Boat Race, Alappuzha.
• Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race, Pulinkunnu
• Neerettupuram Boat Race
• Kumarakom Boat Race
• Karuvatta Boat Race
• Kavanattinkara Boat Race
• Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela
• Kottayam Mahatma Boat Race, Mannar
• Thazhathangadi Boat Race, Kottayam
• Kottapuram Boat Race
• Kodungallur and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam, Pallana.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vallam Kali", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki