“The Cliff Of Varkala” and Papanasham Beach- India’s world-famous place and A Geoheritage Site

The cliff seen in the Varkala beach is a unique sedimentary geo-morphological structure on the flat Kerala coast. The surrounding areas have become India’s first national geopark under a Geological Survey of India (GSI) initiative to preserve geologically important sites in the country. Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in the Thiruvananthapuram district.

The Cenozoic sedimentary formations of the Varkala beach are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast and are known among geologists as Varkala Formation. Geoparks are places where rare geological landforms are preserved and low-impact recreational, scientific, and educational activities are pursued. Varkala is the only place on the west coast of India where sediments in the Mio-Pliocene Age have been founded.

Geology

The cliffs of Varkala expose lithological units formed about 15 to 20 million years ago. Here The Precambrian rocks are overlain by sedimentary rock belonging to the Warkalli Formation of the Mio-Pliocene age. The Warkalli formation, along with the Quilon formation, represents sediments exposed in the Kerala basin. The Quilon formation of the Miocene age is made up of limestone, and the Warkalli formation is made up of alternating beds of sand, clay, and shale exposed along the Varkala cliffs. Thin seams of lignite in the shale of the Warkalli formation suggest good vegetation at the time of deposition of the sediments.

Papanasham Beach

‘Papanasam’ beach is one of the important tourist spots in Varkala and has religious significance. It is believed that a dip in the waters here will wash away all the sins (papam) and hence the beach known as Papanasham beach. In the Hindu religion, it is a very auspicious place. The ashes collected from the cremation grounds are immersed at the sea here. They believe that the sins of the deceased will be washed away and the soul gets eternal salvation. Varkala is also known for the 2,000-year-old Janardana Swami Temple which is often referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the South). The temple is located close to Papanasam beach, which is an Ayurveda treatment center.

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Varkala has been recently developed and is a new place to hang out in India. The north of Varkala Beach is getting developed for touristic. There is a promenade built by the Department of Tourism, which allows a scenic 1.5-hour walk, passing Odayam and Edava until Kappil. The beaches around this area are excellent, tourist can mellow and relax, swim, sleep and chill out. The main season to visit Varkala is starting from December to March.