Kuttanad: The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is an annual spectacle that lures the world to Alappuzha. The event is named after the first Prime Minister of India, who got so excited by the scintillating regatta that he jumped onto the winning boat - the Nadubhagam chundan - to celebrate with the rowers. Even though it was announced that the boat in which Nehru rode would be protected in a museum, it hasn’t happened after all these years. The chundan vallam, which is kept covered just with a plastic sheet in the premises near the Nedumudi Panchayat Office, is on the verge of ruin, as it is exposed to rain and sunlight. Nadubhagam chundam won the boat race that was held in Vattakayal Lake in 1952, in which Nehru took part. After reaching New Delhi and enjoying the race, the PM sent a trophy in the shape of a chundan vallam with his signature on it. From 1954 onwards, the annual regatta came to be known as the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Thomas Isaac's promise
The boat that retired from competitive events was transferred to the boat house in 2013. Thomas Isaac, who was the finance minister in the first Pinarayi government,announced that the boat would be protected in a museum. Even though officials from the archaeological department came and conducted the necessary inspections, nothing happened after that. The project to open a coir museum and a boat museum was envisaged to stop the tourists from leaving Alappuzha, immediately after the houseboat ride.
The boat committee was ready to release the snake boat after the minister’s announcement. The boat which was kept in the boat house since 2013, was completely sunk under water during the 2018 floods. After the boat house too got destroyed, the boat is now covered using just a plastic sheet. The boat could be revived at least to be able to turn into a memorial, by spending Rs 10 lakh. Meanwhile, boat race lovers and the people of the locality hope that the authorities will take significant measures to save the boat before it is too late.
