The River, the Boat, and My Camera

[{"selector":"#anim-898af41f-2330-4c0f-8972-528fabbf25fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-23ae07b5-0ec1-44c2-b836-bdb53ebde305","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(132.87037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c36a61ff-582d-48bc-bc99-aecbf3feac96","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d65f1382-118d-47ff-aef6-c8ee669ad33c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8de1b198-3a3c-4a70-a783-c33977998d16","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] I’m Daniel from the Netherlands, and the thunder of hundreds of oars striking Kerala’s backwaters in perfect rhythm left me breathless the moment I arrived.

Meeting the Men Behind the Legend

[{"selector":"#anim-09d0f04e-9023-45f4-941e-edf77c7893db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0f5eb69-1438-4e75-9e05-39a0199297ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(132.87037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f085964b-546b-4163-b4d3-98c03be7316a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1fa6433-99df-4436-a674-d00a82833cbd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-204bf859-a650-4f31-9675-0f2ea7738732","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] A boat-club elder invited me to watch training where over a hundred barefoot oarsmen—teenagers and veterans—prepared their mighty chundan vallam as one heartbeat.

The Chant That Moves the Water

[{"selector":"#anim-b177842e-48c5-4d69-bb99-445d485be5ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4c057e1e-ef42-4abb-9efc-e8d55d94acc1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(132.87037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-172d5b3d-656e-48cf-9473-b5495d0fb2a5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-59e21396-57fc-4819-9537-4b2225afb2a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac72f28e-4462-43b8-8fbc-92076e4de70c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The rowers erupted into the hypnotic vanchi paattu, a war-cry and prayer fused into one, syncing breath, muscle and the spirit of the entire boat.

Becoming Part of Their Rhythm

[{"selector":"#anim-22200750-b93b-4bec-bd98-30ad467f2522","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-42dccd7d-0104-4e98-a43a-ea4f5f813ae4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(132.87037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5882dbe6-fc66-46a1-a9b7-4d58d6da7a92","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20a48dbd-a256-4d79-a1a1-8f3c387074a0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9493170f-75cd-4174-8dc0-6673de2f4580","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] During a warm-up paddle, I struggled with a massive oar but the rowers cheered me on, showing me that the race is won not by individuals but by unity.

Redirect Slide

[{"selector":"#anim-148dd847-6a6a-4bcd-a7f7-6cf2e19c0f87","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8f8670e-e563-4125-ae51-2d760366952d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(132.87037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbcfc615-c8ea-4452-8ec8-471c1bcb9135","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40b32b9f-e579-4e8a-9f5c-1547b43799c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5108c2c0-9198-4f94-8f36-b418e4bc4273","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] To explore serene Kerala backwater stays, visit Akoya Beach Villa — tap to explore akoyabeachvilla.com .