>GünniX at 08:18, 15 October 2020

2020-10-15T08:18:15Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{More references|date=February 2015}}

'''Chundan vallam''' ('beaked boat'), known outside Kerala as '''Kerala snake boats''', are one of the icons of [[Kerala]] culture used in the [[Vallamkali]] or boat race.
[[File:Kerala boatrace.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Snake boats during the Aranmula Uthrattathi Boat Race]]
[[File:Boat,Snake Boat,kerala372.jpg|thumb|Snake Boat]]
[[File:Chundan Vallom by Joseph Lazer.jpg|thumb|Preparing the snake boat]]

==Naval architecture==
Constructed according to specifications taken from the ''[[Sthapathya Veda]]'', an ancient treatise for the building of wooden boats, these boats vary from 100 to 138 feet in length.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Desk|first=thREAD|date=2016-09-04|title=The snake-boat charmers|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/thread/arts-culture-society/article9042940.ece|access-date=2020-10-11|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> With the rear portion rising to a height of about 20 feet, and a long tapering front portion, it resembles a [[snake]] with its hood raised. Hulls are built of planks precisely 83 feet in length and six inches wide. The boats are a good example of ancient '''vishwakarma'''' prowess in [[naval architecture]].

==Traditions and customs==
Traditionally each boat belongs to a village, and the villagers worship that boat like a [[deity]]. Only men are allowed to touch the boat, and to show respect they should be barefooted. To make the boat slippery while in the water and to reduce absorption of water and thereby reduce the resistance of the hull, it is oiled with a mixture of fish oil, the ash of [[coconut]] shells, and [[Egg (food)|eggs]].
Repair work is done annually by the village [[carpenter]].

==Capacity and usage==
Traditionally a boat will be commanded by a village leader (''kaarnavan'' or ''karanaadhan'') with first ''adanayampu'',{{clarify|date=December 2017|reason=What is this supposed to mean? Do not half-translate things.}} and under him there will be three main paddlers who control the movement of the boat with a {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} main rudder-oar (''adanayampu''). Sitting two to a row along the length of the boat, there will be 64 paddlers, representing 64 art forms (or on occasion 128 paddlers). They row in rhythm of the ''vanchipattu'' ('boat[man's] song'). There will be around 25 singers in a row at the middle between the paddlers. In the middle of the second half of the boat is a platform for eight people to stand from where the [[cantor]] will lead the song. They represent the ''Ashtadikpalakas'' ([[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] or gods who guard the eight directions).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chundan Vallam (India) - Traditional Sports|url=http://www.traditionalsports.org/traditional-sports/asia/chundan-vallam-india.html|access-date=2020-10-11|website=www.traditionalsports.org|language=en-gb}}</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category}}
*[[Vallam kali]]
*[[Aranmula Boat Race]]
*[[Aranmula Kannadi]]
*[[Kallada Boat Race]]
*[[Dragon boat]]
*[[Waka (canoe)|Waka]]
*[[Swan boat (racing)]]
*[[Nouka Baich]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Waters of Kerala}}
{{Canoeing and kayaking}}
{{Tourism in Kerala}}

{{coord missing|Kerala}}

[[Category:Boat races in Kerala]]
[[Category:Paddling]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Kerala]]
[[Category:Canoes]]
[[Category:Traditional boats]]

Chundan vallam - Revision history

>GünniX at 08:18, 15 October 2020