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About Varkala
Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several places of tourist interests like a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam – Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.
The Papanasam beach (also called as Varkala beach), which is ten kilometers away from Varkala, is renowned for the natural spring. It is considered to have medicinal and curative properties. 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, a short distance away from the beach. 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 caste system.
Varkala offers excellent accommodation facilities for tourists and is fast becoming a popular health resort with many Ayurvedic massage centres.
Attractions: Beach, mineral water springs, the Sivagiri Mutt and a 2000-year- old Vishnu Temple.
Location: Lattitude: 8.740543, Longitude: 76.716785
Accomodation
During the yoga retreats, you will stay in a very comfortable twinbed room, private bathroom and balcony, kitchen facility surrounded by a beautiful garden with a large terrace. GANESHA PALACE HOTEL, ideal location and only 2 min. from the beach and Varkala cliff, restaurants and shops. Special requests like air conditioning can be accommodated on request for a small extra charge. Under Programs you will find more information about yoga classes, retreats in Varkala and yoga tours through Kerala.
