About Varkala
Varkala
is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated
in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 50 kilometres (approx. 32
miles) north-west of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and 37 km south-west
of Kollam city. Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs
are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These tertiary sedimentary
formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat
Kerala coast, and is known among geologists as Varkala Formation and a
geological monument as declared by the Geological Survey of India. There
are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs.Varkala is
also famous for the 2,000-year old Janardana Swami Temple which is an
important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is often referred to as Dakshin
Kashi (Benares of the South). The temple is located close to the Papanasam
beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins, and
is also an important Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple has an ancient
bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel
which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.Another major
landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the social
reformer Sree Narayana Guru. The hill-top mausoleum of Sree Narayana Guru
is one of the most famous monuments in Kerala. The adjacent hills house
the East-West University of Brahmavidya and Sree Narayana Gurukulam.
