About
Varkala
Varkala is a seaside tourist resort and
spa. A small town 55km north of Thiruvananthapuram, it is also an important
religious place for the Hindus. A long sandy beach, towering red laterite cliffs
and soothing mineral springs put Varkala in the not-to-miss category.
The Papanasam Beach at Varkala is
a quiet, secluded beach known for its white, silvery stretch of sand, mineral
springs and rocky cliffs. The raw and unused stretch of beach is a loner's
delight where one could swim, play cricket or volley ball and even manage
to practice yoga. If you are lucky, you also get sight of a naughty dolphin.
Varkala is also an important Hindu
centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of Sree Narayana Guru, the great
social reformer of Kerala, is near Varkala atop a hill named Sivagiri.
According to a myth, sage Narada
was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada
threw his valkkalam (the bark of tree which the mythical sages used to wear)
into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala.
The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly
created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed for redemption
came to be known as the Papanasham Beach ('Papanasham' means redemption from
sins).Today, many tourists prefer Varkala to Kovalam, the internationally
renowned beach.
Varkala is less crowded with less number
of shops, beach sellers and still lesser amount of commercialization.
