The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race commemorates Raja, and his journey by boat. Raja wanted to obtain an idol of Krishna for his new temple. He went to a village of Christians and was surprised by their devotion to help him. From then on Raja declared that there be a boat race festival, or so the legend goes. Here is a video showing the boat race. If you look closely, there are two boats, with men on both boats rowing furiously!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdFcSN8DUOQ

This is not your usual festival in that the sacred idol is not kept in a temple, but rather in the house thought to have belonged to the family who welcomed Raja. If you enter into the house, the idol Krishna is kept among symbols of Christianity, like the mother Mary and baby Jesus. A lamp burns all day long, because the area is thought to be a sacred place for the Krishna idol. The priests from the Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple leave the temple and stay at the house of the idol to watch over the lamp.