Payippad Boat Race
An occasion to witness Haripad’s unparalleled sense of unity. The boat race utilizes the abundance of water bodies with which Haripad is blessed. Payipad lake is around 35 kms away from Alapuzha. The Onam festival is celebrated here with a boat race which is conducted on the 3rd day of Onam. I was unable to see the final race itself, but, I saw practice runs of the same. The boats vary from 100 feet to 130 feet and can carry more than 100 oarsmen. This shot is of the Payipad lake. The race starts from the far end. You can see a boat doing an u-turn. It almost covers the entire breadth of the lake.
Getting there
94 kilometers from Cochin (Via, Cochin – Alleppey – Haripad). Change bus for Payipad at Haripad, from where it is just 3 kilometers . 129 kilometers from Trivandrum (Trivandrum-Quilon-Haripad). Change bus for Payipad at Haripad.
Boat Teams
The teams are highly spirited and work in a much synchronised manner. They are motivated by cheer leaders in the middle of the boat. The cheer leaders bang a pestle on the middle of the boat to provide the rhythm for rowing.
