Varkala
A must see destination in God’s Own Country.
Varkala, known as The Pearl of the Arabian Sea, is a town that is part of Thiruvananthapuram District in the state of Kerala. It is the second largest coastal town in the district. Varkala distinguishes itself as the only place where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These Cenozoic sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise barren Kerala coast. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs, which has been declared as a geo-heritage site.
Varkala is also famed for the 2018-year-old Janardana Swami Temple which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is often referred to as the Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the South). The temple is located close to Papanasam (meaning the purgatory) beach, which is an Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple is adorned by an ancient bell salvaged from a shipwreck. It was donated to the temple by the Captain of the Dutch vessel which sank off the Varkala coast and fortunately amounting to zero casualty. The Sivagiri Mutt with the pall of Vedic spiritual cloud mushroomed over it, founded by Sree Narayana Guru the social reformer who spearheaded the Renaissance in Kerala , is yet another tourist attraction one must visit at Varkala .