Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Nehru Boat Race in Alappuzha on Saturday. Contestants participated with full vigour in the competition.
The Nehru Boat Race trophy on display.
A memento being presented to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Punnamada in Alappuzha on Saturday as he arrived to inaugurate the Nehru Boat Race.
Gabriel snake boat finishes first at Punnamada in Alappuzha in the Nehru Boat Race.
Heated competition between two competitors during the Nehru Trophy boat race at Punnamada in Alappuzha.
Contestants vigorously row their boat during the competition.
A record 78 boats of different sizes, carrying 20 to 100 rowers on board, raced on the picturesque water body in Alappuzha, a prominent port town of the past that retains its old-world charm.
Of the 78 boats, 24 were ‘chundans’ (snake boats), each with a carrying capacity of about 100 rowers. Twenty chundans took part in the race in five heats, while four participated in an exhibition race.