Boat race is one of the most popular mass celebrations in Kerala. Punnamada Nehru trophy boat race, Aranmula boat race, Champakkulam boat race, Payippad boat race, President’s boat race etc. are some of the major boat races in Kerala. In the races, Snake boats (Chundan Vallam) of up to 100 ft. are used, and these boats rowed by experienced oarsmen compete head-to-head in rhythm to the songs sung in special tune in groups in full volume.

Over the years, the fame of this spectacle has reached far and wide, and today, it is a great tourist attraction that lures many visitors from all over the world. Every year, from July to November, boat race is conducted across various backwaters in Kerala. Nehru trophy boat race conducted at Punnamada backwaters, the most prestigious among the races, became very famous when our first Prime Minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the event in 1952.