Varkala is a coastal and pilgrim
town located 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram.
The place is a natural paradise
for tourists.It is an attraction
for its unlimited potential and
infinite charm where tourists enjoy
a wide range of pursuits like boat
riding, sun bath and ayurveda.
Varkala is also an important religious
place for the Hindus.The Papanasam
Beach at Varkala is a quiet, secluded
beach known for its white, silvery
stretch of sand, mineral springs
and rocky cliffs. The final resting
place of Sree Narayana Guru, the
great social reformer of Kerala,
is near Varkala, atop a hill named
Sivagiri. High cliffs with mineral
springs rising majestically is a
scene typical of Varkala.
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
sage 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).
