Papanasham Beach Varkala

Papanasham Beach:

Varkala Beach,one of the famous tourist destinations in Kerala,is situated on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. This white sandy beach,of about 1 km stretched along the western coastline of India in the Arabian Sea, is around 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city.Visitors can enjoy a relaxing beach holiday without the crowds and bustle of some of the busier beaches in Kerala.Varkala Beach has a number of tourist attractions nearby.The mineral springs near the Varkala Beach are considered to have medicinal and curative properties and many people visit here to drink and bathe in the water from the mineral springs.The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple is another major tourist attraction near the beach.

Getting There:

Nearest Bus Station:Varkala Bus Station
Nearest Railway Station:Varkala Railway Station
Nearest Airport:Trivandrum International Airport

Papanasam beach 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. This beach is bordered by high cliffs. Right below this cliff is the 500 -metre stretch beach.It is a quiet,clean and a secluded beach.The beach grew into prominence and caught the attention of tourists only recently.The long sandy beach,towering red laterite cliffs and soothing mineral springs have turned Varkala into a beautiful destination.

The Varkala Beach is otherwise known as the Papanasam Beach.It derives this name from the word 'Papanashini’ which means the destroyer of sins.It is believed that a dip in the holy waters of this beach purifies the body and the soul of all the sins.Thousands of pilgrims come to the Varakala Beach to pray and offer 'Vavu Bali', a ritual performed in honour of their ancestors and relatives and to help the departed souls rest in peace. Excellent accommodation facilities are available near the beach.

Papanasom is important for the Hindus.They 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 a sacred act by the Hindus,a way for redemption from sins.

Pictures From Papanasham Beach - Varkala

Papanasham(varkala) is one of the beautiful beach which lies in the western coast of India and is almost 48 Kilometres North of (Thiruvananthapuram)Trivandrum.,Kerala.It is one of the Keralas most quite and pictureque beaches with less chaos and crowd.The Papanasham (means - Destroyer of Sins) beach is regarded as holy and is crowded with pilgrims during new moon days. It is actually a long stretch dominated by red cliff and green coconut palm trees. A natural spring which is said to have curative proerties is said to originate from the cliff.The two km long cliff extends from the south, Papnasham beach, to the north to the Thiruvambady beach. Providing a stunning contrast is the blue hues of the water and sky. In brief, the scenic beauty of Varkala beach is almost mesmerizing.
You can get to Varkala by plane, through the neighboring Trivandrum Airport,by train, to Varkala RailwayStation, and by bus from Trivandrum.You can also take a ferry from Kochi or Alleppey (Alappuzha) to Quilon (Kollam),and from there take a taxi to Varkala. There are also buses from Quilon to Varkala.The local town of Varkala is located around the train station, 5 Km from the beaches.The tourist area is along the two cliffs, North and South, in between them is the main beach, Papanasham. The tourist season starts in December and lasts till the end of March.

Varkala - Thiruvananthapuram

Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, is near Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. High cliffs with mineral springs rise majestically from the coastline. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree) 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). The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature Cure Centre are the two main attractions here. A century old tunnel is another attraction.

Varkala

Location:
51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city and 37 km south of Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram district, South Kerala.
Attractions:
Beach, mineral water springs, the Sivagiri Mutt and a 2000 year old Vishnu temple. Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several places of tourist interest like a beautiful beach, a 2000 year old Vishnu temple and the ashramam 'Sivagiri Mutt' a little distance from the beach. At the serene Varkala beach is a quiet sea resort rich in mineral water springs. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins. Hence the name 'Papanasam beach' . A two thousand year old shrine the Janardhanaswamy Temple, stands on the cliffs overlooking the beach, a short distance away.

The Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great Hindu reformer and Philosopher, Sree Narayana Guru (1856 1928) is also close by. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days 30th December to 1st January. Sree Narayana Guru propagated the ideology: " one caste, one religion and one God ", in a society torn by the taboos of the caste system. Varkala offers excellent accommodation facilities for the tourist and is fast becoming a popular health resort with many Ayurvedic massage centres. Getting thereNearest railway station: Varkala.Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 57 km away.