Boat races
In the festive months of August and September, the rivers in and near Kottayam are turned into festival centres. The serene lakes comes alive during onam with a spectacular water regatta- the snake boat races. It is amazing to watch oars men, atleast a hundred in one boat, slice their way through the waters to the fast rhythm of their own full throated singing. In the Kumarakom boat race, about 50 types of boats viz; veppu, ody, churulan and few snake boats participate.