day of the installation of the deity at the Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple. When Jawaharlal Nehru visited Kerala in 1952, four traditional Chandan valloms went to receive him. A snake boat race was organized for him. He was so impressed that when he went back to Delhi, he sent back a gleaming silver trophy for a boat race. Even today, the 1.5 km Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most prestigious. The Thazhathangadi boat race held every year on the Meenachil river, at Thazhathangadi, Kottayam is one of the oldest and most popular boat races in the state. Other renowned boat races are: Indira Gandhi Boat Race, Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali, Payippad Jalotsavam, kallada Boat Race and Kumarakom Boat Race. Backwater regions Kuttanad Important in the ancient history of South India, Kuttanadu is a region spanning the Alappuzha and Kottayam districts; it is well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region is the lowest lying of any in India and is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried around 1.2 to 3.0 metres (4 to 10 ft) below sea level. Four of Kerala's major rivers—the Pamba, Meenachil, Achankovil, and Manimala—flow into the region, and it is well known for its boat races. Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in Kerala is at the heart of Backwater tourism, with hundreds of kettuvallams plying it and with numerous resorts on its banks. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake. The major occupation in Kuttanadu is farming, with rice the most important agricultural product; it is the major rice producer in the state. This activity gives the area its moniker of "The Rice Bowl of Kerala". Large farming areas near Vembanad Lake were reclaimed from the lake. In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations formally declared the below-sea-level farming system in Kuttanad as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Kollam Kollam (earlier known as Quilon) was one of the leading trade centres of the ancient world, eulogised by travellers such as Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo. It is also the starting point of the backwater waterways. The Ashtamudi Kayal, known as the gateway to the backwaters, covers about 30 per cent of Kollam. Sasthamcotta Kayal, the large freshwater lake is 28.5 km from Kollam city. Islands of Kollam Islands are the