Annual snake boat race attracts huge crowds

Hundreds of tourists, including many foreigners, gathered at the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha town in Kerala to witness the famed annual boat race. Sixteen snake boats and around 40 small boats participated, including the all-women boats in the 58th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. The length of a snake boat varies from 120 to 140 feet and has about 120 oarsmen. The boat carries 100 to 150 people onboard. Locals came out in large numbers to rally support for their favourite teams, as the rowers rolled their exquisitely crafted snake boats into the backwaters. Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil was among the dignitaries present.