Kottayam: Arpookkara Chundan, Kottayam district’s first ever crowd-funded snake boat, is finally ready to touch the waters, fulfilling a dream long cherished by an entire village. Built at a cost of Rs 65 lakh, the 128-ft-long snake boat will be launched on August 2, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Arpookkara’s sporting and cultural legacy.
Former Minister V N Vasavan, patron of the boat-building committee, told reporters at Arpookkara on Friday that the launch ceremony will begin with a formal gathering at 1am in front of the ‘malippura’, where the boat was constructed. Chief sculptor Sabu Narayanan Achari will be honoured with a ponnada and a memento.
Fellow craftsmen, including Rajesh Naduthotti and his team, who cut the timber, Subhash Mangalassery, owner of the land where the malippura stands, and John Koikkal, who provided the wood, will also be felicitated. Fr James Mullassery CMI, patron and director board member of the snake boat committee, and temple priest Sreejith will offer blessings on the occasion. The boat is scheduled to enter the waters at 12.05pm. Subsequently, shareholders of the chundan will row the boat in a ceremonial procession through the Pennar Thodu stream to Maniyaparambu. A formal reception will be accorded to the chundan at the Maniyaparamb Chathurveni Sangamam at 2.30pm. The programme will conclude with a demonstration rowing by the Emmanuel Boat Club in Kumarakom, which will compete with Arpookkara chundan in the forthcoming Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Committee office-bearers said the project is the result of an unprecedented people’s movement in Central Travancore. Over 500 families have taken shares in the boat, making it the first mass-participation chundan project from the region to enter the Nehru Trophy race. “The dream of the people of Arpookkara to own a chundan boat has become a reality through the collective efforts of the village. This is Kottayam’s first people-funded chundan, made possible by an extraordinary popular movement,” they said.
Construction of the boat began in September last year under the leadership of Sabu Narayanan Achary. The boat will carry 95 persons during competition, including 83 rowers, five helmsmen and seven drummers.
The project is spearheaded by Fr James Mullassery with the support of a 20-member board of directors. N K Kurian, Sanoop Manalel, Dr Mathew Puthiyidam, Sunny Chirayil, Joy Vattathil, Baiju Mathirampuzha and Subhash Mangalassery coordinated the construction activities.
Two weeks ago, the Kumarakom Town Boat Club, another club in Kottayam to participate in the Nehru Trophy, launched its newly built snake boat, Punyalan Niranam, at Niranam in Pathanamthitta. With this, two major boat clubs from Kottayam are participating in this year’s race with brand-new snake boats.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com