Varkala
Varkala , one of the most wonderful sea side tourist destination in kerala, is located 45 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram Internatinal Airport. The Papanasam Beach at Varkala is well known for its white, silvery stretch of sand, mineral springs and rocky cliffs. Varkala is also an important Hindu pilgrimage centre , Sivagiri. The great social reformer of kerala , Sree Narayana Guru finally rested at Sivagiri hills located at Varkala Town.The Papanasham beach at Varkala is quiet and clean unlike the Kovalam international beach where one can relax completely in all means..... The beach at Varkala developed into its full fledge to catch the attention of peace loving tourists recently. A romantic sandy beach, red cliffs and all season mineral springs adds natural beauty to the beach. 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.
Papanasam is a perfect place to watch the sunset or relax gazing at the horizon.
The area is covered with coconut palms and small restaurants that mushroom
during the season. The 500-metre stretch is right below a cliff.
Papanasom is important for Hindus in another way too. It is in the Papanasom
Sea that many Hindus come to drain the mortal remains of their dead relatives.
Consigning the mortal remains of the dead relatives in the waters of a pilgrim
centre is considered a sacred act by the Hindus.
All said and done, Varkala is a place that is not to be missed, whatever price
you have to pay. The vermillion-covered sky during sunset, the temples, the
cliffs, the hotsprings with gushing mineral water and more over, the calmness
of the area make Varkala a wonderful experience
Kathakali performance can be watched in the surroundings of the old Devaswom building beside at the tank at Temple junction. Dressing up starts at 5pm. Performance begins at 6.45 pm and may go on till 8.15 pm. The cost is Rs 75 and is on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday during December and January. The beach is 2 km from the beach; journey by autorickshaw will cost around Rs 25. If you are coming from Ernakulam or Kollam, you can take a bus from any of the KSRTC bus stands or board a train headed for Thiruvananthapuram. It would take 1 hour from Kollam and 4 hours rom Kochi by road or train.
Auto rickshaws are plenty in Varkala. You can depend upon them for moving
around the place. One can catch autos to move around for a maximum of Rs 25to
30. A taxi to the beach would cost about Rs 60. One can also rent a motorbike
or a cycle on a daily basis from two wheeler agencies on the beach road. The
charge is Rs 300 for a bike and Rs 40 for a bicycle per day.
The Janardhana Temple is said to be 2000 years old and has a Vishnu shrine.
It is said that the original temple was engulfed and destroyed by tidal waves.
Years later, a Pandyan king came to the site to do penance to Brahma for a
sin he committed. The Lord pardoned the king and in return, asked the king
to build another temple at the same site. The story goes that in a dream he
was informed of the location of the original idol that was lying deep in the
sea. With help of fishermen, the king reclaimed the idol and reinstalled it
in the temple.
The legend also says that brahma appeared and completed the rituals. Non-Hindus
are not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple, but are allowed
to walk around the sanctum and stroll around the huge banyan tree. The festivals
of the temple are colorful with noisy parades. Another Hindu ritual to be
watched is the 'vavu bali' performed on the beach on the new moon day of the
month of Karkkidakam’ (Malayalam Era).
There are numerous centres for yoga and massage. Most of these places are seasonal and the quality varies. You should be careful in picking the right place. If possible, find out the background of the instructors. One-week to one-month programs are available. You can also attend meditation classes taken by the swamis of the Sivagiri Mutt. There is also a nature cure centre near the beach.
