Snake Boat Race experience

Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Snake Boat Race

College is the time with loads of moments to cherish for the rest of the life time. I share an incident during my 4yr graduation studies at   Pulinkunnoo . Pulinkunnoo has indeed occupied a considerable amount of space in my mind. So much I have spoken about the life there that when ever in TV a backwater scene is aired my wife says...see here's your Pulinkunnoo.

I remember only Dhanesh now along with a few others who accompanied that time when we got into this. It was a time when Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Snake boat race was organized in the scenic backwater surrounded Pulinkunnoo. There will be boats representing the nearby wards and clubs. We were given a chance to join the rowing team of Pulincunnoo 'chundan' ['chundan' means- snake boat]  which was not in competition that time due to a crack in the boat which couldn't be repaired. We were definitely not in our natural senses to accept this offer considering this 'small' crack in the boat. :).

So we all took the row saying "eethu vallamada thuzhayendathu"*!, and sat back to back on the side rail of the very long boat. Due to the crack the water seeping inside needed to be manually removed using buckets by the rowers itself. So we all started to row the boat with all the strength but I am not sure the boat was getting even 1% 'row-power' contribution from us!. Who cares we all were rowing with full fury. The entire ambiance was indeed awesome. We couldn't hear anything else but  the loud thud noise made by the the leader standing in the middle of the boat with his "olakka"*! kind of wooden rod:).. We all were also shouting no matter it didnt make any sense. Vanchipattu[2] was everywhere..Aaarpoooy errro errro erro..With each rowing I was getting wetter and wetter with the water spattering from the one sitting in front. Tourists were taking photos and crowd were waving. I thought they are all waving at us only and I too raised my row and waved back!.

The demonstration round was planned to start right from the jetty near our kunchayi chettans shop and go little ahead till jankar cross and return back. Onward trip we completed and we started rowing back to the finish line. As we were approaching the finish line may be half way I think, I don't know from some were the ghosts of vallamkali or evil of vellamadi [getting drunk] stuck each of the rowers of our boat. We all started rowing with never before fury just like we were in real race. We just want to finish at top speed. Meanwhile everyone forgot about removing the water which is getting filled inside the boat. Almost 100m from finish line I realized that I am sitting with knee deep water in the boat. I just jumped and stood up. So did most of us. Some of the localities were shouting "chadiko*[jump]". I was like.."what" chadiko means were..it was right in the middle of the lake. We looked face to face. Many started jumping out of boat but I was not that confident to jump since I was not sure to reach the other bank. 'Kettalam erangi*'  I was sweating even though I was drenched completely.

St. Marys Church Pulincunnoo[1]

That time a tourist boat came near to the boat to rescue the 'still thinking' guys like us on the sinking boat. The motor boat neared at the front end of our boat and even now I don't remember how i ran over the just half feet wide side rail till the front of the boat to jump to the rescue boat. As soon as I jumped the snake boat capsized and turned upside down. Later the tourist boat dropped us at the VIP stands in front of the St Marys Church and we all sat there and saw the main event of vallam kali* [boat race] in grand.

[1] Pic Source: St Mary's Church Pulincunnoo

[2] Vanchipattu - literal meaning " Boat Song". Its a traditional song sung while rowing the boat to boost the rowers enthusiasm. See this video of vanchipattu

* Malayalam language