Varkala is a coastal town situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located north-west of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and south-west of Kollam. Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea.
It is a very ideal tourist spot surrounded by the greenery, beautiful meadows, deep puzzling valleys and dales. The enchanting hill station dotted with tea gardens will soon be one of India’s foremost eco-tourism projects. Welcome to a land which would make you come back again and again. So that you could rejuvenate yourself and cherish memories of this enchantingly beautiful land.
Varkala is the second most important railhead in the district of Thiruvananthapuram, after the Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. Varkala is an important hub for neighbouring places like Attingal, Kadakkavur, Edava, Kallambalam , Kappil, Parippally and Kili. Varkala is a haven for sun-bathing and swimming. The evening views of the sunset are worth lingering over. There are several small restaurants and snack shops near and around Papasnanam beach, which attracts the maximum visitors both for leisure as well as for religious reasons.
Varkala is a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on 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.
It has several places of tourist interests like a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam – Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.
The History Of Varkala
It is believed that a group of devout pilgrims approached Narada, a saint of ancient times and confessed to having sinned.
Narada threw his valkalam (cloth made out of the bark of a tree) and it landed at a place near the seashore. This place was thus given the name ‘Varkala’.
Narada directed his devotees to offer prayers at the beach where the valkalam landed. This place then came to be known as ‘Papanasam’ meaning redemption from sins.
It is believed that a Pandyan King was instructed by Lord Brahma to build a temple at this very place to redeem him of his sins. But several other myths abound on the birth of Varkala. Another legend goes like this – when a group of pilgrims approached Saint Narada and told him that they had sinned, Narada threw his valkalam ( a loin cloth made from the bark of a tree) and it landed at this scenic village and hence, the place came to be known as Varkala. Narada told the pilgrims to pray for their redemption at Papanasam, which literally means redemption from sins.
