Kurakkanni

Varkala (Malayalam: [ʋarkala]) is a major coastal municipality situated in Southern part of Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 43.5 kilometers (27.0 mi) north-west of Thiruvananthapuram and 27.4 kilometers (17.0 mi) south-west of Kollam.Varkala is the only region in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These Cenozoic sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and are known among geologists as Varkala Formation. The cliffs have been declared a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India for their protection, maintenance, promotion, and the enhancement of geotourism. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs. In 2015, the Ministry of Mines, the Government of India, and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared Varkala Cliffs a geo-heritage site.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). The temple is located close to Papanasam beach, which is an Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.Another major landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.

The Janardanaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Janardhanapuram in the municipality of Varkala city in Thiruvananthapuram district. It is also known as the Varkala Temple. The deity Vishnu is worshipped in the form of Janardanaswamy, and is also locally known as Varkaleswara (the lord of Varkala). It is a renowned temple of Kerala and is thousands of years old.

Government Model Higher Secondary School, Varkala (short names: GMHSS Varkala, GMHSSV) (HSE Code: 01028) is a Higher Secondary School in Varkala (Thiruvananthapuram district) of the Indian state of Kerala. It is operated by the Government of Kerala following the SCERT syllabus. The main campus beside Varkala Maithanam-Beach Road has classes 5 to 12, while a subsidiary compound, LPGS Varkala, offers classes 1 to 4. The current principal is Sri. Rajesh P M.

Varkala Sivagiri railway station, station code VAK, is a major railway station (NSG 4 Category) in Kerala serving the town of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram. It is the second-busiest railway station in the state capital district Trivandrum in terms of passenger movement and 14th busiest in Kerala State. Around 54 trains halts in this station which handled more than 17,730 passengers daily with 3 platforms. It is on Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram trunk line. Station is well connected to major metropolitan & tier 2 cities like Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Kochi, Delhi, Bangalore, Mangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Goa etc.

Edava is one of the four railway stations serving the Varkala urban agglomeration in district of Trivandrum, Kerala. It is situated in Edava panchayat of Varkala Taluk. Edava is the 14th most revenue-generating railway station in Trivandrum district. In the 2018–19 fiscal year, Edava generated ₹11lakh profit from 1.94 lakh passengers.

Varkala Taluk is a Taluk (tehsil) in Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the 3rd most densely populated taluk in the district comprising 10 villages and Varkala municipality. Spanning an area of about 171 km2,Varkala Taluk is home to over 9% of total population of Trivandrum district. Varkala is the taluk headquarters and the largest town of the taluk.

The Varkala Tunnel System, also known as the Varkala Canal or Varkala Thurapp in local dialect, is a system of tunnels situated in the municipality of Varkala of Trivandrum, Kerala, India. It is one of the region's most important historic sites and architectural marvels. This site was constructed by the Travancore Kingdom to establish a continuous inland waterway across Thiruvithamkoor as TS Canal, which was meant to serve as a trade route. The construction of the two long tunnels was started in 1867 and work on the first was finished in 1877, while the second was completed in 1880. With a length of 1,069.848 metres (0.664773 mi), the two tunnels played a vital role in transferring ferry goods and people from the capital city of Trivandrum to Kollam during the pre-independence era. The tunnel is located under the main cliff of the region and represents the architectural excellence of the workers and engineers of that era. Built under the supervision of T. Madhava Rao, the Dewan of the Travancore Kingdom, the tunnel also makes up the Varkala stretch of Thiruvananthapuram–Shoranur canal, which passes through the delicate structure.

Sivagiri is an area in Varkala Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. It is a pilgrimage centre of Varkala Town where the tomb, or samadhi, of Sree Narayana Guru is situated. It is a place where Guru built the Sarada Temple dedicated to Sarada Devi. The tomb is an attraction for thousands of devotees every year, especially during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days (Sivagiri Theerthadanam) from 30 December to 1 January. The Sivagiri Matha, built in 1904, is atop the Sivagiri hill in Varkala Town. This is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, an organisation of his disciples and saints, established by the Guru to propagate his concept of "One Caste, One Religion, One God". The Guru Deva Jayanti, the birthday of the Guru, and the samadhi day are celebrated in August and September respectively every year. Colourful processions, debates and seminars, public meetings, cultural shows, community feasts, group wedding and rituals mark the celebrations.

The Edava Palakkavu Bhagavathi temple (ഇടവാ പാലക്കാവ് ഭഗവതി ക്ഷേത്രം) is one of the ancient temples in south India. It is situated at Edava in Thiruvananthapuram District, India. The temple is situated 5.7km North of Varkala City.Bhadrakali Devi is the presiding deity of this temple.A festival is conducted during the month of "Kumbham". This is an occasion when the entire village, irrespective of religious differences, erupt in festive mood. The streets are made colourful on the festival days with colourful processions. Tender coconut fronds and plantain leaf-stalks are also used for street decoration.

Sree Narayana College (SN College) is an educational institution situated in Varkala, municipality of Trivandrum, in the state of Kerala, India. The college is located on a small hilltop with a campus encompassing hundreds of acres in Sreenivasapuram area of Varkala municipality. The college is affiliated with Kerala University.The alumni association ASNCOS (Association of Sree Narayana College Old Students) has chapters in different countries.

Edava is a panchayat in Varkala Taluk of Trivandrum district in the state of Kerala, India. Edava is located 5km north of Varkala, 21km south of port city Kollam and 44km north of capital city Trivandrum. Kappil beach is a famous surf location.Surfsupkerala life saving club operates here.

Palachira is a suburb of Varkala Town. It is situated 2.8km south of Varkala Town. The junction is situated in Cheruniyoor panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala.