Nehru trophy snake boat race 2026
Location: Punnamda backwaters alappuzha district.
72 nd edition of the Nehru
Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) held at Punnamada Lake on August 22nd 2026 saturday
21 chundan vallams ( snake boats) participated.
snake boats
total 6 heats 4 tracks
HEATS 1.
track 1. Thalavady | VBC Kaingari ( ....)
track 2 Sree Vinayakan
( | KTB CFCBC )
track 3 :Ayaparambu Pandi | I.B.A.
track 4 : Veeyapuram | UBC Kaingari
HEATS 2.
track 1.Divanji | Valiya Diwanji BC
track 2: Champakulam | Champakulam BC |
track3: Jawahar | Nadubham Pamb BC |
track 4: Vellam Kulangara | NSH BC |
HEATS 3
track 1. Parthan | Jr Kaingari BC
track 2: Nadubhagam | Punnamada BC
track 3: Payippadan 2 | PBC 2
track 4: Melpadam | Pallathuruthy BC |
HEATS 4
track 1 : St. Pius X | St. Pius X BC |
track 2:
Karichal | Nedumudi BC
track 3: Cheruthana | Nadubham BC
track 4:
| Aroma-1 | Aroma BC
HEATS 5
track 1: | Niranam | N.B.C. Niranam
track 2: ----NIL no snakeboat
track 3: Punnayolan | Kumarakom Town BC |
track 4: Arappukkara | Imanuval BC |
HEATS 6
track 1: NIL ---
track 2: Karuvatta | G.H.S. BC |
track 3: Alappad | St. George BC |
track 4:Aanari | Arora BC |
FINALS 2026
winner aroma chundan snakeboat
Nadubhagam Chundan came second in 4:23.448
Veeyapuram Chundan came third
k********
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categories
The race is held in four main categories Chundan : Is the lord of the race. It
can accomodate about 100 oarsmen who can produce 90 to 120strokes per minute,
the 100 foot chundan can cover a distance of 1.4 kms in about 5 minutes. The
first design of a chundan was submitted by Kodupunna Venkitanarayanan Asari .
Because of the eel like structure these boats are called snake boats by
foreigners .
Churulan
Iruttukuthi A, B
Veppu.A B
thekkanodi thara
thekkanodi kettu
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Nehru trophy results 2026
Chundan snake boat category : Winner Nehru Trophy 2026 Aroma chundan
rowed by Aroma boat club The Aroma Chundan, rowed by the Aroma Boat Club, clocked 4:23.328 to finish first. Nadubhagam Chundan came second in 4:23.448, while Veeyapuram Chundan came third
Eruttukuthy A grade: m******
Eruttukuthy B Grade:
******
Eruttukuthy C Grade:
v********
Veppu A Grade: ******
Veppu
B Grade: ****
Churulan: ***
thekkan odi thara (women) :
***il
Thekkan odi (women) Kettu: ***
. ....
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Registered snake boats 2026
A total of 71 racing boats will compete in various categories at the 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race, to be held at Punnamada Lake on August 22.
There are 22 boats in the Chundan (Snake Boat) category alone.
The number of boats competing in the other categories is as follows:
Churulan – 2
Iruttukuthi A – 3
Iruttukuthi B – 16
Iruttukuthi C – 14
Veppu A – 5
Veppu B – 4
Thekkanodi Thara – 1
Thekkanodi Kettu – 4
Registered Chundan (Snake Boats)
Thalavady Chundan – Kainakary Village Boat Club
Viyapuram Chundan – UBC Kainakary FC
Aroma-1 – Aroma Boat Club
Melpadam Chundan – Pallathuruthy Boat Club
Cheruthana Chundan – Nattakom Boat Club
Punyalan Niranam – Kumarakom Town Boat Club
Nadubhagam – PBC Punnamada & NCFC Boat Club
Karuvatta – GLC Boat Club, Cheruthana
Vellamkulangara – SH Boat Club
Jawahar Thayankari – Nattakom Fans Boat Club
St. Pius X – St. Pius X Boat Club
Niranam Chundan – Niranam Boat Club
Ayaparambu Valiya Diwanji – Valiya Diwanji Boat Club
Aanari – Aanari Boat Club
Champakulam Chundan – Champakulam Boat Club
Karichal Chundan – Thekkekara Boat Club (TBC)
Ayaparambu Pandi – IBRA Kochi
Karuvatta Sree Vinayakan – KTBC Fans Club
Arpookara Chundan – Emmanuel Boat Club, Kumarakom
Alappad Chundan – St. John's Boat Club, Thekkekara
Payippadan 2 – Pallathuruthy Boat Club
Parthan – Junior Kainakary Boat Club
Two new snake boats ( Punnyalan Niranam snake boat and Arpookkara snake boat) will make their debut in this year's Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Both boats have the distinction of being community-owned (people's) snake boats.
The Punnyalan Niranam snake boat was previously rowed in the 15th Niranam Nercha Boat Race. It is believed to have been built around 11–12 years ago. The boat was later handed over to Kumarakom, where the Kumarakom Town Boat Club undertook its complete restoration and maintenance.
During the initial phase, the restoration work on the Niranam snake boat was carried out under the leadership of Suresh Kumar and his team.
The Punnyalan Niranam is believed to have been built by skilled traditional boat builders near Koyirikkal, koyimukku sabu achari. Maintenance work is currently in progress and is expected to be completed by July 7. Final preparations are expected to continue until September 12.The boat measures approximately 128 feet in length and 63 inches in width. It has been fitted with five rowing sections and can accommodate 85 rowers, along with the required helmsmen and supporting crew. The Kumarakom Town Boat Club will row the Punnalan Niranam snake boat,The Kumarakom Town Boat Club has already begun dummy heat practice sessions in preparation for the Nehru Trophy. The club is conducting regular physical conditioning as well as on-water training for the rowers selected for the competitions.
The Arpookkara snake boat is another traditional boat that had remained inactive for many years before being brought back into service.
Similarly, work on the Arpookkara snake boat is also progressing. This boat measures 128 feet in length and 64 inches in width, and it too will carry 85 rowers.Immanuel Boat Club will compete with the Arpookkara snake boat.The Immanuel Boat Club has an impressive record in previous Nehru Trophy Boat Races. The club hopes to build on its past successes and emerge as one of this year's leading contenders.
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The Nehru trophy
In 1952 the then prime minister of India Shri Jawaharlal Nehru on his visit to
kerala took the water route from Kottayam to Alappuzha. A race was organised
in his honour. The victor of the race was Nadumbaghom chundan. Nehru was so
excited seeing the race that he leapt on to the boat and congratulated the
winners
Later that year he send a token of his appreciation - a miniature silver
chundan
mounted on a ebony case. The plaque on the trophy bears the
following inscription above his
signature " To the winners of the boat race
which is a unique feature of community life in
Travancore - CochinThere
after the event became an annual feature named prime minister's trophy boat
race and is
held on the second saturday of August every year. After nehru's
death it was renamed as Nehru Trophy
...