Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2024: District collector announces public holiday in Alappuzha on September 28

The 70th Nehru Trophy Boat Race is set to take place on September 28, with 74 boats competing across nine categories, including 19 Chundan Vallams (snake boats). The finals will commence at 4 PM, with the fastest boats from the heats competing for the prestigious Nehru Trophy.   

Alappuzha: The Alappuzha District Collector has announced a holiday for government offices and schools on Saturday (Sep 28) due to the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. Officials have confirmed that preparations for the 70th edition of the race are complete. The event will be inaugurated at 2 PM on the 28th, with participation from ministers and local representatives.

The boat race, originally scheduled for August 10, was postponed to September 28 due to the Chooralmala landslide disaster in Wayanad. Various cultural events and the grand cultural procession, usually organized by the cultural committee, along with competitions like the Vanchipattu (boat songs) organized by the infrastructure committee, have been canceled in light of the disaster.

Strict security arrangements will be implemented in connection with the boat race. There will be stringent restrictions on the movement of speedboats and the use of drones. Ticket sales are currently underway both through government offices in five districts and online via Bank of Baroda and SBI.

This year, a total of 74 boats will compete in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race across 9 categories. Among them, 19 boats are in the Chundan Vallam (snake boat) category. Other categories include Churulan Vallam (3 boats), Iruttukuthi A Grade (4 boats), Iruttukuthi B Grade (16 boats), Iruttukuthi C Grade (14 boats), Veppu A Grade (7 boats), Veppu B Grade (4 boats), Thekkanodi Thara (3 boats), and Thekkanodi Kettu (4 boats).

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race will begin at 11 AM with the heats of the smaller boats. After the inauguration ceremony, scheduled for 2 PM, the heats of the Chundan Vallam (snake boats) and the finals of the smaller boats will take place. The finals are set to start at 4 PM.

In the Chundan Vallam category, there will be five heats. Four boats will compete in each of the first four heats, while the fifth heat will feature three boats. The four boats with the best times will qualify for the Nehru Trophy finals. In all categories of the smaller boats, the winners will be decided based on their finishing times.