Preparations in full swing for Nehru Trophy boat race
The Hindu
Ticket sales for the race are set to begin. Registration of boats to go on till July 20
Preparations are in full swing for the 70th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) to be held on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on August 10.
Registration of boats for the NTBR began last week which will go on till July 20. The registration fee for snake boats is fixed at ₹1,500 and that for small boats is ₹750. Registration form is available at Alappuzha Revenue Divisional Office.
Last year as many as 72 boats, including 19 snakeboats, participated under nine categories in the NTBR. Besides the snakeboat race, competitions were held under churulan, iruttu kuthi ‘A’, iruttu kuthi ‘B’, iruttu kuthi ‘C’, veppu ‘A’, veppu ‘B’, thekkanodi thara and thekkanodi kettu categories.
Meanwhile, ticket sales for the race are set to begin. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS), the organiser of the event, has decided to introduce a luxury box seating arrangement with modern facilities for spectators this time. The ticket price for the luxury box has been fixed at ₹10,000 per seat. A family ticket (three persons) will cost ₹25,000.
Tickets for other categories are priced at ₹3,000 (tourist gold, Nehru pavilion), ₹2,500 (tourist silver, Nehru pavilion), ₹1,500 (rose corner), ₹500 (victory lane wooden gallery), ₹300 (all view wooden gallery), ₹200 (lake view gold wooden gallery) and ₹100 (lawn). The luxury box is expected to increase the revenue of the NTBRS.
Tickets will be made available through counters in different parts of the State; various government offices in Alappuzha and major offices in other districts except Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Idukki; Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) depots; District Tourism Promotion Council offices and so on.
A general body meeting of the NTBRS last month approved a budget of ₹2.45 crore for this year’s race.