CHANGANASSERY, KERALA: One of Changanassery's much-loved water festivals is preparing for a revival, with plans underway to bring back the Changanassery Boat Race and Tourism Week celebrations after a gap of 12 years.

The traditional snake boat event is proposed to be held at Manakkachira on the Alappuzha–Changanassery (AC) Canal, with organisers aiming to conduct the celebrations before October 15, 2026. The return of the event is expected to bring renewed attention to Changanassery's connection with Kerala's celebrated boat-racing tradition and its role as an important gateway to Kuttanad.

A Festival Returning to the Water

The Changanassery Boat Race was last organised in 2013. Financial difficulties initially affected the continuation of the event, while the accumulation of water hyacinth and waste in the AC Canal later created further obstacles. Subsequent challenges, including the Kerala floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed efforts to restore the water festival. 

The planned revival has therefore generated considerable interest among local residents, boat-race enthusiasts and the tourism sector.

Preparations Underway on the AC Canal

Recent efforts to remove water hyacinth and waste from the canal have helped improve conditions for the proposed return of the regatta. However, further work is required to prepare the racing stretch.

Plans are being considered to clear accumulated silt and mud from an approximately one-kilometre section of the proposed race track. The Irrigation Department has inspected the canal and preparatory steps are underway in connection with the required dredging and cleaning work. 

The recent restoration of passenger boat services from the Changanassery boat jetty after weed removal has also drawn attention to the importance of keeping the region's waterways clear and navigable.

Tourism Week Expected to Add to the Celebrations

The proposed return of the boat race is expected to be accompanied by a Tourism Week celebration, adding a wider cultural and tourism dimension to the event.

Changanassery has historically benefited from its strategic location near the Kuttanad backwater region. A successful revival of the water festival could once again provide an opportunity to promote local tourism, Kerala's traditional boat-racing heritage and the waterways connecting Changanassery with the surrounding backwater destinations.

Renewed Hope for a Traditional Water Festival

The planned return of the Changanassery Boat Race represents more than the revival of a sporting event. For local communities, it is also an opportunity to bring back a traditional celebration that had been absent from the region's cultural calendar for more than a decade.

With canal preparation and organisational efforts progressing, the return of the chundan vallams, or traditional snake boats, to the waters of the AC Canal is expected to create a new festive attraction for Changanassery and the wider Kottayam–Kuttanad tourism region.