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Kerala Adventure Travel

If you love thrill and excitement in your life, join us in our trail of adventure in Kerala. Kerala Adventure is inviting to those who love to take challenges in their lives. Come and discover the unexplored and not ventured portions of Kerala with the Kerala Adventure. Kerala offers a number of adventure tourist destinations that ranges like mighty mountains, dense forests and rippling rivers. The choice of adventure activities in Kerala is vast and you have the option from camping, canoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, mountain biking, parasailing, rafting, trekking and wildlife safaris.
Kerala is well-known for its boat races along with the water sports. Kuttanad and the upper Kuttanad area are mainly famous for the boat races. The annual boat races are a source of entertainment, celebration and gaiety for the locals comprising majority of the agriculturists and fishermen.

Boat Races

Nehru Trophy Boat Race

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most colorful water sport in Kerala. It is organized at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha every year on the second Saturday in the month of August. People from all over the world come over here to witness this prestigious cultural event of Kerala. The trophy was named as Nehru Trophy because the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru handed it over to the winners of the first boat race. The event was an impromptu and was held in the honor of the Prime minister who visited Alappuzha in 1952.

In the year 1952, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin. On his way to Alleppey from Kottayam He was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey on his way from Alleppey to Kottayam. After enjoying the sail in the snake boat known as Chundan, Pandit Nehru donated a rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner.

Champakulam Moolam Boat Race

The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race is the oldest and most popular snake boat race in Kerala. It is closely associated with the Sri Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. The boat race is held on the Champakulam Lake on the Moolam day of the Malayalam calendar month Midhunam. It is also the day of the installation of the deity at the Temple.According to the local legends, the Maharaja Devanarayana of Chempakasseri built a temple at Ambalappuzha at the instruction of the royal priest. But as the deity was being installed, he was informed that the idol was not auspicious. The minister suggested to the disturbed king to bring down the idol of Sri Krishna, presented to Arjuna by the Lord himself, from the Karikulam temple in Kurichi. The minister with a few others went to Kurichi, met the authorities and returned with the idol. On the way back they had a night halt at Champakulam. The next morning, the boats from the entire region gathered to escort the idol in a ceremonial procession through the lake to the Temple.

Aranmula Boat Race

The Aranmula Boat Race is a two day water carnival rather than a sports competition. It is held during the festival of Onam. According to the local beliefs, this event is performing of a very famous legend. The story thus goes that once a devout Brahmin made votive offering of feeding one pilgrim a day. One day Sri Krishna himself made an appearance to him. Overwhelmed, the Brahmin vowed to offer 51 measures of rice and all the ration for the thiruvona sadya or the sumptuous Onam feast at the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple.

Once the rivals from another village stopped the thiruvonachilavu thoni or the boat carrying the offerings. But the villagers of the Brahmin's own village came to the rescue on snake boats. Since then, a fleet of about 48 palliyodam representing the nearby backwater villages carried the offering. A palliyodam is a large, luxurious snake boat used especially by the gods and the royalty.

Water Sports

Kerala is covered by the rivers, lagoons and lakes in the interiors and surrounded by the sea on the west. These geomorphological features make it an ideal destination for tourists with fascination for the water sports. The water sports are enjoyed for adventure and thrill. While at Kerala, you can enjoy water sports like Canoeing, Catamaran Sailing, Kayaking, Para Sailing, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling and Wind Surfing.