Preparations are underway for the highly anticipated 70th Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) set to take place on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on September 28. The annual regatta was initially scheduled for August 10 but was postponed due to the recent landslides in Wayanad. The new date was confirmed in a meeting of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS) held last week in Alappuzha.
Boat clubs that paused their training camps due to the postponement have resumed preparations, focusing on the upcoming races during the festive Onam season as well as the NTBR.
The NTBRS has also recommenced the construction of a temporary pavilion along with other essential arrangements. Despite the postponement announcement on August 1, which saw about 80% of the preparatory work completed, rescheduling has resulted in a rise in costs. The budget for the infrastructure committee has escalated from ₹50 lakh to ₹64 lakh.
Ticket Pricing Details
To mitigate the increased expenses, the NTBRS is relying on ticket sales and sponsorships. Ticket sales for the race have now resumed. Pricing for the luxury box (platinum corner, Nehru pavilion) is set at ₹10,000 per seat, while a family ticket (for four individuals in the platinum corner) is available for ₹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).
Online Ticket Booking
Tickets can be purchased at various government offices in Alappuzha and major offices across other districts, excluding Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, and Idukki; as well as through Kerala State Road Transport Corporation depots and District Tourism Promotion Council offices. Online ticket bookings are also available.
Patrons who secured their tickets online prior to August 10 can utilize the same tickets for the rescheduled event.
Officials have announced that the event will be organized with minimal fanfare. Prior to the postponement, a total of 74 boats, including 19 snakeboats, had signed up for this year’s competition across nine categories.
