: The Champakulam ‘Moolam’ boat race will be held on the Pampa river at Champakulam on Monday.
Eleven boats, including six chundans, (large snake-boats with carrying capacity of 100-odd oarsmen) will take part in the race. Three boats belonging to the ‘Veppu’ category and two of the ‘Odi’ class will also compete in the race. The Moolam boat race is associated with the commemoration of the installation of the idol at Sri Krishna Temple at Ambalapuzha.
A team of devotees will leave the Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple by boat on Monday after the ‘ucha puja’ to take part in the race at Champakulam. The team will visit Mapilasseri ‘tharavad,’ a Christian family, to present gifts, called ‘Moolakazhcha’. It is part of a traditional observance to honour the Christian members of the family. The ancestors of the family were believed to have extended support to the entourage carrying the idol of Sri Krishna for installation at the Ambalapuzha temple. It is said the devotees who carried the idol from Kurichi had stopped at Mapilasseri for the night.
A cultural procession was taken out on Saturday. The procession, ‘vigraha vilambara ghoshayatra,’ was taken out from Kurichi Karimkulam Sri Parthasarathy temple to Champakulam Madhom Mahalakshmi temple.
