A boat race in Minicoy turned out to be more than an adrenaline rush
A boat race in Minicoy turned out to be more than an adrenaline rush
It was a usual afternoon in the Minicoy Islands -- hot and humid. After lunch at Hassan Valubi's house, we returned to Haneefbhai's cottage, located at the southern tip of the island. Strangely then, Hassan excused himself for an hour -- surprising because throughout our stay, he had never left us alone until the time we retired to bed. But then again, I didn't think something was cooking, and I didn't know either that Haneefa and Pookoya also knew about the plan. 
Rocking the boat: A race in full steam u00a0pics/Akhilesh Jha
Hassan got back after an hour. The four of us hopped on to two bikes, and rode towards the lagoon near the jetty. It was then that I saw hundreds of people gathered near the shore. People in shorts and white T-shirts were taking beautiful boats out into the sea.
It didn't take long to realise that they had organised a boat race for me. "We do it for our very special guests Akhilesh ufffd.You won't find such races anywhere in this world," said Hassan Valubi and then introduced me to M. H. Yusuf Unimaoge, the Moopen (village chief) of Bada village.
Tale of Jahadhonis
All of us got into a motorboat which was to take us to the edge of the reef towards the sea -- the starting point of the race. I have always been fascinated by the azure waters of the sea which turnu00a0 green and grey as you cross the reef. From there we could see all the boats which were reaching the starting point.
These boats -- called Jahadhoni -- are especially designed for races and made from wood available locally, like coconut, wild teak and funa (a local variety). The oars are made of coconut wood. Each boat has a different colour to represent their village. Minicoy has 10 villages, all of whom have a 'village colour' and a logo. The logos of the villages logos are imprinted on the oars.
As the boats reached the starting point, villagers started cheering wildly for their teams. I was cautioned as the sea was rough. Haneefbhai took charge of the video camera while and I took position with my regular one.
Chhota Hassan took position behind me, to save me from falling off the boat.
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What a shot
As Hassan Valubi blew the whistle, the boats shot out like bullets. Our motorboat had to rely on both theu00a0 engines to catch up with the race boats. The blades of their oars cut the waves in smooth slices. The synchronised oars moved like bows on violins. We were cheering for 'Victor of Bada', which took the lead within seconds and ultimately went on to win the race.
Hassan insisted on steering the winning boat for a short-distance race. I took command -- with young oarsmen cheering for me -- and didn't disappoint. The 'Victor of Bada' remained the victor. It was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. I was all wet, had gulped salty water but even then, it was like a huge treat.
Au00a0refreshing end
We were wet and tired, yet not entirely spent. The sun was about to set. We lied down on the soft sandy beach and it didn't take long for the winds to refresh us. The Jahadhonis were back to the huts ufffdwe too rode the bikes to Hassan's house ufffdour host for the evening tea.
Boats and more
This boat race in the lagoon is different from other such races which take place in rivers or backwaters. In Minicoy, the waters are turbulent, with high waves and strong winds. Also, the lagoon is pretty deep. Though everyone wants to win, this isn't a competitive race like the boat races of Kerala or the annual Oxford Cambridge race. A majority of the males in Minicoy are hardcore sailors and these races are held for fun. Races are organised every year on Independence Day and on Republic Day.
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