Destinations

VARKALA BEACH

Location: 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city in Thiruvananthapuram district and 37 km south of Kollam, South Kerala. Varkala is a quiet hamlet on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. Some of the attractions include the beautiful beach, the 2000 year old Vishnu Temple and the Sivagiri Mutt Ashramam just off the beach. Papanasam Beach (also known as Varkala Beach) is located 10 kilometers away from Varkala and is known for its natural hot springs. It is said to have medicinal and healing properties. Bathing in the holy waters of this beach is believed to remove impurities from the body and cleanse the soul of all sins. Hence the name “Papanatham Beach”. The 2000-year-old Janardhanaswamy Temple is perched on a cliff overlooking the beach not far away. Also nearby is his Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great reformer and philosopher Sree Narayana Guru (1856-1928). The guru’s samadhi (final resting place) here attracts thousands of devotees on the day of Shivagiri pilgrimage from December 30th to his January 1st every year. Sree Narayana Guru spread the ideology of ‘one caste, one religion, one god’ in a society torn apart by caste taboos. Varkala offers excellent accommodation for tourists and is becoming a popular spa town with many Ayurvedic massage centers. Attractions: beaches, mineral water springs, Shivagiri Mutt, 2000 year old Vishnu Temple.