Chundan Vallam known to the outside world as Kerala snake boats, are one of the icons of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 culture used in the Vallamkali (boat race.)

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 ft in length.
With the rear portion towering to a height of about 20 ft., and a long tapering front portion, it resembles a snake

Snake

Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...

 with its hood raised.
Its hull is built of planks precisely 83 feet in length and six inches wide.

Traditions & customs

Traditionally each boat belongs to a village, and the villagers worship that boat like a deity

Deity

A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....

. 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, it is oiled with a mixture of fish oil, coconut

Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

 shell carbon and eggs

Egg (food)

Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...

.
Repair work is done annually by the village carpenter

Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

.

Capacity and usage

Traditionally it will be commanded by a Kaarnavan / Karanaadhan village leader) with First Adanayampu and under him there will be three main oarsmen who control the movement of the boat with a 12 feet (3.7 m) main rudder-oar (Adanayampu).
Sitting two to a row along the length of the boat, there will be 64 oarsmen, representing 64 art forms (or on occasion 128 oarsmen.)
They row in rhythm of the vanchipattu (boatman's song.)
There will be around 25 singers in a row at the middle between the oarsmen.
In the middle of the second half of the boat is a platform for eight people to stand from where the main singer will lead the song. They represent the Ashtadikpalakas (the Devas or Gods who guard the eight directions.) A colourful and decorated umbrella also will be there.

External links

• http://www.sohanroy.com/projects.php?a=chundan - Aries Punnamada Chundan - An innovative project by Aries
• http://www.sohanroy.com/gallery.php?id=13 - Photo gallery of Aries Punnamada Chundan's inauguration
• http://www.ariesmar.com/ Aries Marine & Engineering Services constructed the innovative design of Aries Punnamada Chundan
• Chundan Vallam list Details of different chundan vallam (snake boats) in kerala

• http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=474665&sid=LIF 'Uruku Chundan'- news (Kerala's longest snake boat in Guinness Book)
• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/09/29/stories/2008092950501500.htm 'Uruku Chundan'- news (Kerala's longest snake boat in Guinness Book)
• http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep292008/national2008092892604.asp Steel snake boat enters Guinness book (Aries Punnamada Urukku Chundan )
• http://www.transportweekly.com/pages/en/news/articles/54712/ Aries Chundan to enter Guinness Book of World Records
• http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=328&id=612852 Steel Snake boat from Kerala enters Guinness book of records
• http://www.amazingworldrecordsnews.com/2008/05/first-ever-snake-boat-made-of-steel.html The First Ever Snake Boat Made of Steel is to Enter the Guinness Book of World Records
• http://bignews.big927fm.com/big_news_detail.asp?nid=36166&catid=3&selcity=22 Aries Chundan(snakeboat) sets Guinness record
• http://www.newspostonline.com/national/Kerala%27%20longest%20snake%20boat%20enters%20Guinness%20book%20of%20world%20records-200810088203

Kerala's longest snake boat enters Guinness book of world records (Aries Punnamada Urukku Chundan )

• http://www.zonkerala.com/gallery/general/snake-boats/aries-chundan-5980.html Aries Punnamada Urukku Chundan- photographs
• http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=10647 Steel snake boat enters Guinness book (Aries Punnamada Urukku Chundan )
• http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20080927/1064261.html Aries Chundan sets Guinness record for carrying maximum crew
• http://www.simplymalayalees.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=551 World Record, 'Aries Chundan' Steel Snake Boat
• http://marinebiztv.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/ Aries Steel Snake Boat finds place in the Guinness Book of World Records
• http://video.aol.in/video-detail/aries-chundan-vallam/2563868053/?icid=VIDURVMUS08 A musical album on Aries Punnamada Urukku Chundan
• http://marinebiztv.blogspot.com/2008/09/aries-steel-snake-boat-finds-place-in.html Aries Steel Snake Boat finds place in the Guinness Book of World Records
• http://romins.in/2007/12/punnamada-chundan_28.html Aries Punnamada Chundan, an initiative of the Aries Group of Companies (longest Snake Boat)
• http://video.aol.in/video-detail/aries-chundan/3556455128 News on Aries Punnamada Chundan (longest Snake Boat)
• http://www.artkerala.com/node/5466 Steel Snake boat (Chundan Vallam) from Kerala enters Guinness book of world records
• http://videosfromindia.smashits.com/view/4348/snake-boat-of-kerela-enters-guinness-book A video on Aries Punnamada Chundan (longest Snake Boat)entering Guinness Book of world records.