Aranmula Snake Boats, Parthasarathy Temple & Aranmula Metal Mirrors

Aranmula Snake Boat Race

Aranmula Snake Boat Race or Aranmula Vallamkali, as it is known in the local language of Malayalam, is held annually on Uthrattathi or Uthrittathi day, usually the 4th day after Thiru Onam. Aranmula Snake boat race is conducted during the Onam (or Thruonam) Festival Season. Thiruonam is Kerala’s traditional harvest festival, celebrated during August or September. Aranmula Snake boat race is a canoe racing activity among nearby villages.

Aranmula snake boat race

Each boat is more than 30 feet long with a minimum of 124 oarsmen rowing; many others are standing on the boat singing ‘Vanchipaattu’; the traditional song encouraging the oarsmen. These snake boats are decorated with Kerala’s traditional golden lace, flag, and colorful umbrellas. Only men are allowed to row the snake-boats in these races. Nobody wears a shirt or footwear. Traditional ‘Mundu’, also known as “Vesti”, and ‘Turban’ to head, are the visible dress code followed. It is a pleasure watching these snake boats glide swiftly through the water. 48 snake boats participated in last year’s Aranmula Vallam Kali.

Mannam Trophy is awarded to the winners of the boat race.

There are 52 or more snake boats in the 2022 races. Aranmula Snake Boat Race 2022, or Aranmula Vallamkali 2022, was held on the 11th of September, 2022.

Trophy Boat races are the highlight of Kerala Tourism during the Onam season. Allapuzha Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Aranmula Snake Boat Race, Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, Neerattupuram Boat Race, etc., are a few.

2023 Aranmula Uthrittathi Vallamkali Update

The 2023 Aranmula Snake boat race alias Aranmula Uthrittathi Vallamkali is held on the afternoon of the 2nd of September, 2023.

In 2023, 48 snake boats are participating in the Uthrattathi Vallamkali or Uthrattathi Boat race in two batches. Batch A has 32 boats in 9 groups; five groups have four snakeboats each, while the remaining four group matches have three snakeboats each. Batch B has 16 snakeboats in 4 group matches; each group comprises four snakeboats.

Edaseerimala and Edakulam are the Winners of the Mannam Trophy, in Group A and Group B, respectively.

Anamula Parthasarathy Temple


Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, Kerala, India.

Anamula Parthasarathy temple is a temple that is one of the ancient temples dedicated to Parthasarathy or Lord Krishna. “Thanka Anki”, which is the Golden dress of Sabarimala temple’s Lord Aiyappa, which the Travancore royal family donated, is kept at Ananmula. It is taken to Sabarimala temple every year for a few days. The backside of the temple is the holy river Pamba. Temple celebrates its annual festival during the regional calendar’s month of ‘Meenam”. It is believed that Lord Aiyappa of Sabarimala temple, after getting the Tiger’s milk from Sabrimala, came to Aranmula in a country boat made of six bamboo and landed here on his return journey to Pandalam palace, where his parents were residing. Thus, the name Aranmula. ‘Aru’ is six, and ‘Mula’ is bamboo in Malayalam, the local language of Kerala.

Aranmula Metal Mirrors

Aranmula metal mirror
Aranmula metal mirrors are handmade from special metal alloys.

Aranmula Metal Mirror, or Anamula Kannadi, is handmade with metal alloys. Unlike mercury-coated mirrors, which have mercury at the backside, these mirrors reflect the image from the front of the mirror. The exact metals used to make the mirrors are still a secret to the outside world. It is made of some alloys and takes many days of polishing by hand to make it smooth.

There is also the famous VastuVidyaGurukulam, supported by the government, which promotes the traditional art, culture, and heritage of Aranmula.

How to Go To the Site of Aranmula Snake Boats, Temple, Metal Mirrors

Aranmula is 110 kilometers from the capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, previously known as Trivandrum. Chenganoor is the nearest railway station to the Aranmula snake boat race site, nine kilometers away. Aranmula is well connected by roads. Cochin International Airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, around 110 to 125 kilometers away; receptively, are the nearest airports.

Being a small village, there are no hotels at Aranmula. You can stay at Malakkarethu House or Thundiyathu Homes. The first one, Malakkarethu house, is next to the boating race pavilion, where VIPs are seated on the banks of the river Pampa. From here, you can see the snake boat coming from a long distance and see them pass right in front of you until the finish. Thundiyath home is 100 feet from Malakkarethu’s house at Ikkara Mukku (or Ikkara Junction), Aranmula.

Aranmula is a beautiful heritage village.

Comments

  1. […] Aranmula Snake Boat race and Alleppey Nehru trophy boat race are a real treat to the eyes. These are conducted on the 5th day after Onam (in August or September) and on the second Saturday of August respectively. […]

  2. […] There is another famous Parthasarathy temple at Aranmula, […]

  3. […] snake boat race‘s history is linked to the history of Aranmula Parthasarathy temple, a 900-year-old famous temple […]

  4. […] mirror. Aranmula is famous for the Aranmula snake boat race, which is conducted during the Indian holidays of the Onam […]

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