Snake boat race support boats and Kerala backwaters during Vallam Kali
boats · sport
Support and rescue boats operate alongside traditional Chundan Vallam snake boats during a Vallam Kali (snake boat race) in Kerala, India.
Your archive
Exquisite Houseboat from Kerala, with palm leaves on roof
From the archive record
The exclusive houseboat made from palm leaves and bamboo in Kerala. The houseboats in Kerala, south India, are huge, slow-moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips. They are a reworked model of Kettuvallams (in the Malayalam language, Kettu means "tied with ropes", and vallam means "boat"), which, in earlier times, were used to carry rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. Kerala houseboats were considered a convenient means of transportation. The popularity of Kettuvallams has returned in the function as major tourist attractions. Such a houseboat is about 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m) long and about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide at the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by ropes of coconut fiber; the usual wood is 'Anjili'. The roof is made of bamboo poles a
License this footage
Broadcast-quality masters are available from Wilderness Films India.
Keep exploring
More boats
- Result 1
Result 2Kerala snake boat race preparations and rowing on scenic backwaters
boats · sport
Snake boats take to the Kerala backwaters during preparations for a Vallam Kali boat race in Kerala, India.
Result 3Kerala snake boat race officials monitor start on backwaters
sport · boats
Officials oversee the start of a traditional snake boat race on the Kerala backwaters in India. A motorised judging boat displays a prominent "STARTER" banner, with race officials positioned on board to supervise the event.
Result 4Snake Boat Race rowers gather before the competition begins in Punnamada Lake, in Kerala
sport · boats
Participants in a traditional Kerala Snake Boat Race (Vallam Kali) as they wait for their turn before the competition. The rowers, dressed in coordinated race attire, walk along a paved pathway leading towards the waterfront staging area.
Result 5Traditional Boat racing on the Backwaters of Kerala
Alappuzha, Kerala·boats · sport
The viewing area of a traditional Vallam Kali (Snake Boat Race) held on the scenic backwaters of Kerala, India. Spectators gather along the waterfront as Chundan Vallams (Snake Boats) line up near the riverbank in preparation for the race.
Result 6Festival atmosphere during Kerala's famous Snake Boat Race on Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha
Kerala·boats · sport
The lively atmosphere of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (Vallam Kali) on Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Large crowds gather along the lakeside to watch the traditional Chundan Vallam (Snake Boat) teams compete across the water.
Result 7Houseboats cruise through the Kerala Backwaters under monsoon skies
Alappuzha, Kerala·river · monsoon
The Kerala Backwaters in Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kerala, India, under an overcast monsoon sky. Traditional houseboats (Kettuvallams) navigate the wide canals while smaller motorboats travel between villages.
Result 8Traditional snake boats race across Punnamada Lake during Kerala's Nehru trophy boat race
Alappuzha, Kerala·boats · sport
The Nehru Trophy Boat Race (Vallam Kali) on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Teams compete in traditional Chundan Vallams (Snake Boats), recognised by their long wooden hulls and distinctive elevated sterns.