The Varkala beach is located in Varkala, a calm and
quiet settlement, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram/ Trivandrum
district. Besides the beautiful beach, Varkala has several places of
tourist interests like a 2000-year-old Vishnu temple and an ashram-
'Sivagiri Mutt' a little distance from the beach. At the tranquil
Varkala beach is a quiet sea resort rich in mineral water springs. It is
believed that a dip in the waters at this beach purges the body of all
impurities and the soul of all sins. It is because of this belief this
beach is also known as 'Papanasam beach'.
The Janardhanaswamy Temple, a two thousand year old shrine, stands on
the cliffs overlooking the beach. The Sivagiri Mutt founded by the great
Hindu reformer and Philosopher Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) is also
located close by. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru at
Varkala attracts thousands of devotees every year. Varkala offers
excellent accommodation and other related facilities for the tourists.
It is rapidly growing as a popular health resort with many Ayurvedic
massage centers. The nearest railway station is Varkala, while the
nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram/ Trivandrum international airport,
nearly 57 km away.




