Varkala beach Images

Varkala is a town in the Indian state of Kerala, about 40km north of Trivandrum and is home of the popular Papanasam Beach. Also, the Samadhi of Kerala's saint Sree Narayana Guru is situated in this town and hence has become a place of pilgrimage.

Varkala is the one of few places in Kerala where one can find cliffs adjacent to the Arabian sea. 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 3,500 year old Janardanaswamy 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.

How to reach Varkala

By car

* Varkala is linked by state and national highways to all the major cities in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

By plane

* The nearest International Airport is Trivandrum.

By bus

* State Transport Buses are available from Trivandrum.

By train

* Varkala is also connected by Rail Network. If coming from Trivandrum, the better option will be coming by Train. Almost all trains passing by stops at Varkala. From Varkala Railway Station, Taxis and Auto Rickshaws can be hired. Papanasam Beach is around 6km from Varkala Railway Station.( Rs 40/50 by Auto Rickshaw)

Season
The main season starts from Dec 1st- March 31st, with December & early January experiencing the biggest rush.