Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram

Varkala 50km from Thirvananthapuram is a seaside tourist place and also an important religious place for the Hindus.

According to a legend, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his Valkkalam (the bark of tree which the mythical sages used to wear) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala.

The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed for redemption came to be known as the Papanasham Beach ('Papanasham' means redemption from sins).

The Papanasam Beach at Varkala is a quiet, quiet beach known for its white, silvery stretch of sand, mineral springs and rocky cliffs. Varkala is also an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of Sree Narayana Guru, the great social reformer of Kerala, is near Varkala atop a hill named Sivagiri. High cliffs from mineral springs majestically rise is a scene typical of Varkala.

Sightseeing Highlights :

Varkala Beach is a haven for sun -bathing and swimming.

Papasnanam beach, which attracts the maximum visitors both for leisure as well as for religious reasons.

Vettekkada beach is another isolated and picturesque beach a short distance away near Kappil.

Anjengo Fort is a 17th century fort built by the Dutch for guarding the coastline their-important trading centre.

Varkala Tunnel is a popular tourist highlight. It was a 924 ft long tunnel built in 1867 by T. Mahadeva Rao the Dewan of Travancore, and took 14 years to complete.

Varkala Lighthouse is another tourist highlight in the vicinity.

Ponnumthuruth Island is a beautiful spot you can reach by cruise boat. A Shiva -Parvati temple also here.

Janardanaswami temple, is an important Vaishnavite shrine facing the temple is the Papasnanam beach where devotees take a bath in the belief that the sacred waters will wash away their sins. A large bell washed up from the wreck of a Dutch merchant vessel is kept on display at the temple.

Sivagiri Mutt is a famous ashram in Varkala, founded by the philosopher and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, whose tomb is also located on the hill -top.

Kaduvayil Thangal Dargah is another place of pilgrimage that houses the shrine of a famous local Muslim saint.

Varkala Info

Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 51 kilometres (approx. 32 miles) north-west of Thiruvananthapuram.
Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where one can find cliffs adjacent to the Arabian sea.[citation needed] These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature in the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and is known among geologists as Varkala Formation and a geological monument as declared by the Geological survey of India. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs.
A famous beach resort, Varkala is also famous for its 900 year old Janardana swami temple which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the south). The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins, and is also an important Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.
Another major landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. The hill-top mausoleum of Sree Narayana Guru is one of the most famous monuments in Kerala. The adjacent hills house the East-West University of Brahmavidya and Sree Narayana Gurukulam.
Another important feature of Varkala is the now dilapidated Varkala Tunnel, part of the TS Canal, which was an important waterway during pre-independence times.