Varkala - Janardana Temple
Pilgrims come to Varkala to see the famous Janardan Swami Temple. The beach here is known as Papa Nashini (“Sin destroyer”) in the Malayalam language. Devotees at the Janardan temple carry the ashes of departed family members and place them in the sea at this place. Sri Janardan Temple This famous Vishnu temple is a few km from town, on the edge of a coconut forest near a low cliff overlooking the sea.
The temple is about 1km from the ocean. The four-armed Deity of Sri Janardan (Lord Vishnu) stands 1.2m (4 ft) high and wears the dress of a different Vishnu incarnation each day. After mangala-arati (5 am) the doors stay open while the Deity is bathed before the assembled devotees. This large temple is said to be over 2,000 years old. Varkala beach 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.The beach is a haven for sun-bathing and swimming. The evening views of the sunset are worth lingering over. There are several small restaurants and snack shops near and around Papasnanam beach, which attracts the maximum visitors both for leisure as well as for religious reasons.
Varkala is on the seashore about 54km northwest of Thiruvananthapuram and 20km south of Kollam (Quilon). Its beaches are nice and not as crowded as the beaches at Kovalam. Varkala is popular with travelers and backpackers. It has a private, but still fairly crowded small beach, so it is not ideal for someone looking for total seclusion. There is a mineral water spring on the beach. Most people who visit Varkala recommend it.
Varkala Beach, also known as Papanasam beach is a beach inVarkala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, along the Arabian Sea, part of the Indian Ocean. The word Papanasam means wash away sins. It is believed that a dip in the waters of Papanasam Beach washes away all the sins in one's life.