Preparations are in full swing for the 69th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) to be held on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on August 12. As many as 72 boats, including 19 chundan vallams (snakeboats), will participate in nine categories in this year’s race. Besides snakeboat race, competitions will be held under churulan; iruttu kuthi ‘A’; iruttu kuthi ‘B’; iruttu kuthi ‘C’; veppu ‘A’; veppu ‘B’; thekkanodi thara; and thekkanodi kettu categories. Last year, 77 boats, including 20 snakeboats, had participated under nine categories in the NTBR.
Ticket price
Online ticket sale (https://nehrutrophy.nic.in/pages-en-IN/online_ticket.php or https://feebook.southindianbank.com/FeeBookUser/kntbr) which began last week is getting a good response. Ticket sales through counters in different parts of the State began on Tuesday. Tickets are available under seven categories with prices ranging from ₹100 to ₹3,000. Officials said that tickets had been made available in all government offices in Alappuzha and major offices in other districts except Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Idukki.
Houseboat parking
In view of the installation of the starting device for the race, and construction of pandal and tracks, authorities have urged houseboat operators to avoid parking vessels between Punnamada Starting Point and Finishing Point until 6 p.m. on August 12.
Snakeboats registered for the NTBR are Karichal Chundan (Village Boat Club, Kainakary); Jawahar Thayankari (Kodupunna Boat Club); Anari Chundan (Samudra Boat Club, Kumarakom); Nadubhagam Chundan (UBC Kainakary); Alappadan Puthan Chundan (IBRA Ernakulam); Devas Chundan (PBC Alappuzha); St. Pius X Chundan (Niranam Boat Club); Veeyapuram Chundan (Pallathuruthy Boat Club); Vellamkulangara Chundan (Luna Boat Club, Karumadi); Ayaparambu Pandi Chundan (Lourde Matha Boat Club, Chennamkari); Mahadevikad Kattil Thekkethil Chundan (Police Boat Club, Alappuzha); Karuvatta Sree Vinayakan Chundan (SH Boat Club, Kainakary); Niranam Chundan (NCDC Boat Club Kaippuzhamuttu, Kumarakom); Champakulam Chundan (Kumarakom Town Boat Club); Thalavady Chundan (Thalavady Town Boat Club); Cheruthana Chundan (Vembanad Boat Club); Payippad Chundan (KBC and SFBC, Kumarakom); St. George Chundan (St. Johns Boat Club, Thekkekara); and Sree Mahadevan Chundan (Mankombu Boat Club).
