Nine snakeboats, one river: Thazhathangadi set for Champions Boat League race on October 24

Nine snakeboats will compete at the Thazhathangadi boat race on the Meenachil river in Kottayam district on October 24, as part of the Champions Boat League (CBL). The CBL is a professional snakeboat racing series organised by Kerala Tourism, which brings together traditional racing crews from across the State at venues along Kerala's backwaters and rivers.

A preparatory meeting chaired by Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan at the Kottayam Collectorate decided to speed up arrangements for the event. A local committee of elected representatives, members of the Kottayam West Club and officials has been formed to coordinate the work.

The Tourism department will put in place the infrastructure required for the race and will provide prizes and bonuses for the participating snakeboats. The Major Irrigation department has been given the task of clearing obstructions along the race track. The Kottayam municipality and the Thiruvarpu grama panchayat will trim tree branches and clear overgrown grass along both banks of the river.

Snakeboats, known in Malayalam as chundan vallam, are long, narrow racing craft rowed by large crews and steered by a helmsman. They are central to Kerala's boat race tradition, and the CBL was launched to give the sport a regular annual calendar and a professional platform for the oarsmen and their clubs.

Security and safety arrangements

The police and the Fire and Rescue Services will handle security at the venue. Special measures will be taken to stop spectators from entering the finishing point and to regulate traffic. Small boats will not be permitted on the race track, and additional police personnel will be deployed if needed.

The Speaker also directed the authorities to ensure strict adherence to the green protocol. Local bodies have been asked to remove waste, including food waste, immediately after the race. Medical teams, along with ambulances, will be stationed at the starting and finishing points.

District panchayat president Joshi Philip, District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena, municipal chairperson M.P. Santhosh Kumar and District Police Chief K.M. Sabu Mathew attended the meeting.

Why the race matters

Boat races draw large crowds to riverbanks and backwater towns in Kerala, and they carry considerable cultural weight for the communities that build, maintain and row these vessels. Hosting a CBL leg also brings short-term economic activity to the host area, with visitors spending on travel, food and local trade.

At the same time, large gatherings on riverbanks pose questions of crowd management, safety on and near the water, and cleanliness. The decisions taken at the Kottayam meeting reflect a standard set of arrangements for such events: coordination among several departments, restrictions on the water, medical standby and a clean-up plan.

For the crews, the October 24 race is the immediate target. For local authorities, the weeks ahead will be about clearing the track, readying the banks and making sure that the crowds that gather along the Meenachil can watch the race safely and leave the river and its banks as they found them.