Champakulam, Kavalam, Karichal, jawahar Thayangari, Kallooparamban, Pulinkunnu, Nadubhagam, Cheruthana, Kandangari and Paippad are the chief competitors for the trophies. Large and spectacular chundans glide towards the finishing line like meteors in the sky with water splashing violently on both sides like streaks of lighting. An unforgettable and truly special scene. The fund of energy, spirit of competition and unerring co-ordination makes this sport one of the most dynamic. KERALA is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty four rivers-41 west-flowing and innumerable tributaries and branches, but these rivers are comparatively small and being entirely monsoon fed, practically turn into rivulets in summer, especially in the upper areas.

The backwaters form a specially attractive and economically valuable feature of kerala. They include lakes and ocean inlets,which stretch irregularly along the coast. The biggest backwater is the Vemband Lake, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin port. The other important backwaters are Veli, Kadinamkulam, Anjengo Edava. Madayara, Paravoor, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, kodungallur and Chetuva. The deltas of the rivers interlink the backwaters and provide excellent water transportation in the low lands of Kerala. A navigable canal stretches from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala,to Tirur in the far North.

It's an intricate network of innumerable lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Over 900 km of the labyrinthine water world is navigable.

The largest backwater stretch in Kerala is the Vembanad Lake which flows through three districts and opens out into the sea at the Cochin port. The Ashtamudi Lake ( literally, having eight arms) , which covers a major portion of kollam district in the south , is the second largest and is considered the gateway to the backwaters.