Varkala 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kurakkanni is the north western area of Varkala Town in Varkala Municipality of Trivandrum district in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the fastest growing commercial-residential area of Varkala town situated 3.6 km (2.2 mi) from the town centre, 25 km (16 mi) south of Kollam City, 43 km (27 mi) north of Trivandrum City along Trivandrum - Varkala - Kollam coastal highway road. Varkala Helipad, Govt Guest House, Varkala Palace, Varkala Aquarium, Varkala Hatchery and the National Centre for Performing Arts are located in Kurakkanni.

Cherunniyoor is a village in Varkala Taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala, India.It is situated 3.4km south of Varkala Town center and also one of 5 panchayats that shares border with Varkala municipality. Palachira and Vadaserikonam junctions in cheruniyoor panchayat is two of the fastest urbanizing suburbs of Varkala.

Vettoor is a panchayat in Varkala Taluk of Trivandrum district in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated 2.8km southwest of Varkala City and 38km northwest of capital city Trivandrum.

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.