Varkala
| Varkala വർക്കല |
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 India
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| State : | Kerala | ||
| District : | Thiruvananthapuram | ||
| Location : | 8 ° 44 ' N , 76 ° 43' E | ||
| Residents : | 40,048 (2011) | ||
| Website : | www.varkalamunicipality.in/ | ||
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Varkala ( Malayalam : വർക്കല Varkkala [ ˈʋarkːəla ]) is a city in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala . It is located on the Malabar Coast on the Arabian Sea 54 kilometers northwest of Thiruvananthapuram , the capital of Kerala, and 20 kilometers southeast of Kollam and belongs to the Thiruvananthapuram district . In 2011 Varkala had 40,000 inhabitants.
Varkala is an important Hindu pilgrimage site because of the 13th century Janardana Swami Temple, dedicated to God Vishnu . At the same time, thanks to its sandy beach below the steep cliffs, Varkala has become a popular destination for western vacationers after backpackers discovered it as an alternative to nearby Kovalam . Tourism in Varkala has not yet developed to the same extent as in the popular beach town of Kovalam, but it is steadily developing with the construction of new hotels.
