Varkala is a major coastal municipality and a northern suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala.

Varkala is the only region in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea.

[4][5] Varkala is also known for the 2,000-year-old Janardana Swami Temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is often referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the South).

[6] It is believed that a Pandyan King was instructed by Lord Brahma to build a temple at this very place to redeem him of his sins.

Thin seams of lignite in the shale of the Warkalli formation suggest good vegetation at the time of deposition of the clay sediments.

Urban civic administration is overseen by the Varkala municipality or municipal council, while the rural civic administration is under the charge of the 7 panchayats of Edava, Elakamon, Vettoor, Madavoor, Navaikulam, Pallickal, and Chemmaruthy in Varkala Taluk.

[10] The Varkala municipality has 33 wards[11] under it and also has 6 standing committees[12] that take care of basic amenities such as water, sewage, roads, taxes, and other such city or local government functions.

[15] Rail Varkala Railway Station, the second busiest and third highest revenue-generating station in Thiruvananthapuram district, is well connected by regular trains from and to major metropolitan cities in India like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata, Vishakapatnam, etc.

The bridge over the lake is a vantage point to view the backwater stretching white and grey to the distant blue horizon.

The historic significance tagged to Anjengo comes through foreign powers like the Portuguese, the Dutch, and finally the English East India Company.

In the year 1684, the English East India Company chose Anjengo to establish their first trade settlement in Kerala.

[citation needed] Janardana Swami Temple is a very important Vaishnavite shrine and attracts thousands of pilgrims.

Facing the temple is Papasnanam Beach, where devotees take a bath in the belief that the sacred waters will wash away their sins.

[citation needed] Sivagiri Mutt is a famous ashram in Varkala, founded by the philosopher and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.

The samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri pilgrimage, from December 30 to January 1.

The Sivagiri Mutt is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, an organization of his disciples and saints, established by the Guru to propagate his concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'.

Colourful processions, debates and seminars, public meetings, cultural shows, community feasts, group weddings, and rituals mark the celebrations.

[citation needed] Kaduvayil Juma mosque, situated on NH47, between Kallambalam and Attingal, is a Sunni pilgrimage centre which attracts local Muslims.