The 7th edition of Chaliyar River Paddle will be held from November 12th to November 14th, 2021 with a message to go ‘plastic negative’. The three-day paddling event organized by Jellyfish Watersports in association with Kerala Tourism promotes an eco-friendly watersports experience that connects younger and grownups to our waters. The 68 km paddle will start from Nilambur, located on the foothills of Western ghats in Malappuram, and conclude at Beypore in Kozhikode district, where the river meets with the Arabian Sea.
The event naturally promotes our rivers, their beauty, authentic Malabar cuisine, and offers a unique opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. Local music bands will be joining hands to promote their talent and offers a relaxing evening to the paddlers. Food will be catered by the best local restaurants such as Calicut Paragon.
This year, given the situation, this event will be promoted as a phoenix event to boost tourism activities in Kerala. The event will offer an expedition, camping, and a source to the sea paddling experience, using Kayaks, SUP’s, Raft, and this year on 3rd day, the organizers are introducing sculling (rowers) and dinghy sailboats making it a wider range of non-motorized, human-powered watercraft used.
“Chaliyar River Paddle has been focused on saving our rivers from urban pollution and promote recreational kayaking for everyone. It is a plastic negative event, hence the paddlers will help clean the river while kayaking. We have partnered with a local NGO, who will provide the participants a collection bags and carry the waste to their recycling and waste management facility. They will also educate participants on proper segregation, responsible consumption, and waste management. It is all about getting the Kerala tourism sector to bounce back from the Covid pandemic along with spreading awareness about the environment and particularly the rampant plastic pollution in the river,” says Kaushiq Kodithodika, Founder, Jellyfish Water Sports.
