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Varkala Beach

(10 minutes from Varkala) This serenely beautiful destination along India’s western coast is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. A dip in the Papanasam sea is considered holy. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made from 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 Papanasam Beach (Papanasam means redemption from sins). This calm and secluded beach is much-loved by tourists. A remarkable feature here is the long stretch of red laterite cliffs fringing the beach. The cliff-top is an ideal place to watch the spectacular sunset. A natural spring, said to have curative properties, originates from the cliff.