“More than a sport”: A Critical Reading of Boat Races in Kerala as Popular Culture

Abstract

This paper primarily questions the general perception of boat race, the magnificent cultural tradition of Kerala, as a symbol of solidarity and brotherhood. It addresses the question— what it is that makes boat race a popular cultural text? Accordingly, the paper reads the boat race in the light of Bourdieu’s class cultural framework. It examines this age old cultural tradition in two angles, as both a participatory and a spectator sport. The main aim of this study is to shatter the common tendency to perceive the boat race as both a cultural and regional identity. For this it will mainly look at the class composition of the oarsmen, followed by the mythical and literary affiliations of the boat race.