History Varkala, Kerala India

The history of Varkala or the Benaras of South is very interesting. A popular Vaishanvaiteshrine is said to be 3500-years-old. There is a mythological story behind its origin. It is said, Narada -the saint according to Hindu Mythology was approached by a group of pilgrims to confess the sins they had committed.

Narada in order to help the pilgrims threw his Valkalam (cloth made out of the bark of a tree) . The Varkalam fell near the seashore and Narada gave instructions to his devotees to offer prayers. In due course of time, the place was called Papanasam' which means ' to get rid of sins'. Gradually, the mythological place came to be known as Varkala’.

During the colonial rule, the ancient place got a face-lift. The British built the famous 924-foot-long tunnel in the 19th century which took about 14 years to get completed. The main purpose of constructing the tunnel was to ferry people and goods from Kollam to Trivandrum during the colonial reign.

The history of remains incomplete without mentioning the role of Sree Narayana Guru, a multi-talented personality who scripted some important chapters in the evolution of the ancient city. Sree Narayan Guru was a social reformer, saint, philosopher and leader of Ezhava community famous for propagating the concept of 'one caste, one religion'. The Sivagiri Mutt set up in 1928 was his contribution.

Brief Summary of the history of Varkala:

• Derived its name from 'Valkalam' of Narada
• A famous Vaishanvaiteshrine with a history of 3500 yrs
• Establishment of Sivagiri Mutt in 1928 by Sree Narayana Guru
• Construction of 924-foot-long tunnel in the 19th century by the British
• Popularly known as Dakshin Kashi