Varkala

Varkala

It is situated 51 km north of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the district of Thiruvananthapuram and 37 km south of Kollam, south of Kerala. On the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district lies Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet. It has many tourist attractions, including a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple, and a short distance from the beach, the Ashramam – Sivagiri Mutt of Sri Narayana Guru

The Papanasam Beach

A natural spring is renowned (also called Varkala Beach), which is ten kilometers from Varkala. It is known to have curative and medicinal powers. It is assumed that a swim in the holy waters at this beach purges the body of impurities and the soul from all sins, hence the term ‘Papanasam Beach.’

On the cliffs overlooking the beach, a short distance away, stands a two-thousand-year-old shrine, the Janardhanaswamy Temple. The Sivagiri Mutt, established by Sree Narayana Guru (1856 – 1928), the great social reformer and philosopher, is also nearby. During the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days – 30 December to 1 January – the Samadhi (final resting place) of the Guru here draws thousands of devotees every year. “one caste, one religion, and God” one caste, one religion, one God.

Varkala provides outstanding tourist lodging facilities and is rapidly becoming a renowned health resort with several Ayurvedic massage centers

Major Attractions of Varkala

  • Papanasham

  • Mineral water springs

  • The Sivagiri Mutt 

  •  2000-year- old Vishnu Temple. (Janardhana Swamy Temple)

  • Sarkara Devi temple   

  • Thiruvambadi Sree Krishna Temple