‘Muziris Paddle’ witnesses participation of 100 paddlers from India and abroad

The second edition of the Muziris Paddle, a two-day kayaking, stand-up paddling (SUP) and sailing event, witnessed participation from over 100 paddlers from India and abroad, including 15 women and 12 children. The event, concluded on January 6, was organised by Jellyfish Watersports, in association with the Muziris Heritage Project (Kerala Tourism).

Photo Courtesy: Sushil Das

The event was aimed to revive the legacy of the ancient Muziris and promote the usage of our waterways for eco-tourism and increase awareness on the adverse effects of urban pollution in water bodies. Shilpika Gautam, world record holder of paddling the entire Ganga River and International paddler Jim Bush from Perth have participated in this year’s event.

Five-year-old Nigel Poovanchery, a native of Kottakkal in Malappuram, was the youngest paddler whereas sixty-five-year-old Abdul Rasheed, a native of Kozhikode, was the oldest paddler.

The event started at Kottapuram boat jetty in Kodungallur on January 5 morning and concluded on January 6 evening at Ocean Blue International Marina at Bolgatty Island. As part of the event, the kayakers covered a distance of 40 km through rivers, backwaters and important Muziris destinations en route. The kayakers also collected floating waste from the water bodies during the journey.