Kerala’s own “IPL”
Who would have ever thought that the boat race in Kerala would become so big? Not even those residing there would have ever dreamt of the kind of attention it now gets world over.
And going by its popularity, it seems there is now an IPL-kind of a contest – Champions Boat League, or CBL, will kick off on 10 August. Known as Vallam Kalli, there will be a total of 9 teams and they will compete in a visually spectacular 12 boat races on the backwaters of Kerala for cash prize. The races will happen over a period of 3 months, spanning across the backwaters of Kerala. The grand finale will be held on 1st Nov and in Kollam. The cash prize is Rs.25 lakhs for the winning team.
More than the cash, it is all about the pride of winning such a prestigious race that too in front of a huge global audience.
Each long, canoe-style boat can accommodate 100 rowers. Each village builds its snake boat, with each home contributing eggs and oil that lubricate the outside of the craft.
Now this is what we call a fantastic idea – not just for the locals but even to attract more tourists. Guess, the rest of the states in India could learn a lesson or two from this tourist-savvy state of Kerala. Gods own country indeed!