Boat race on at the Puri Beach Festival. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 23: The 17th International Puri Beach Festival began with hundreds of visitors thronging the beach to witness the spectacle of boat racing event. Participants displayed their adventurous spirit at the unique race, conducted on Wednesday afternoon on the wavy tides of the Puri sea.

The regatta is based on the traditional country boat race that is seen among local fishermen or nolias of Puri and nearby regions. Forty boatmen took part in the race.

“The boat race has been a major highlight of the International Puri Beach Festival for the past three years. It is highly popular among viewers, especially tourists coming from foreign countries,” said Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra, president of the organising committee.

“We feature only local nolias in the race so that they get a platform to display their talents since they interact with the high tide sea waves everyday,” he added. Sitting in pairs, the boatmen headed towards the heart of the sea as the race started. With loud chants and excitement they rowed fast and hard to beat each other. The energy and enthusiasm of the participants was seen among the viewers too. “It was a thrilling experience to see the fishermen turn sportsmen. It was challenging and risky to go deep into the sea, but they are immensely talented and the race turned interesting for the same reason,” said Alick Baley, a French tourist.

The boatmen also enjoyed their day off at the sea. Participants who belong to the nolia community came from Puri, Astaranga and Konark.

“For us the sea is our home as well as field of work. But every year, the boat race gives us a chance to take pleasure in adventuring in the sea,” said Dinabandhu Rao, a group leader of the boatmen. “Not only is the experience full of fun for us, the cheer from the crowd and the encouragement lifts our spirits,” said Babula Prasad, another participant. The second phase of the race will be conducted from a different spot. The top three positions would be awarded cash prizes by Victoria Club and Puri Hotel Management, who have jointly organised the event.