Varkala: If things go as planned, a huge aquarium will soon come up here in Varkala, offering a visual treat of colours. The four-storey spiral building is coming up in the compound of a shrimp hatchery in Odayam. Work is progressing in such a way that the facility can be opened during Onam.

It will give visitors to the coast of Varkala a visual treat of rare fish and other creatures, both local and foreign, which live in fresh water and the sea. A central pool, which will welcome visitors, will be the main attraction of the aquarium. It will be possible to touch big fish in this pool.

From there, visitors circling up the stairs will be able to see fish and other aquatic creatures in large glass containers. Another attraction will be a tall cylindrical aquarium. A 3D theatre is also being built to introduce the sea to children. The top floor will have a restaurant. The total cost of construction is 3.5 crore rupees, said hatchery manager E. Najeeb.

The aquarium, coming up under the aegis of the Agency for Development of Aquaculture, Kerala (ADAK), will initially have cone fish, butterfly, sergeant, flat, jelly, damsel, eel, etc.

People connected to the aquarium say it will have a bigger collection than the aquarium run by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Vizhinjam. It will have about 80 tanks that are 4-8 feet in size. The aquarium, which is coming up alongside the hatchery that started operations in 2006, is built by Costford.

The hatchery has earned profits for the fifth year in a row.Once the aquarium is ready, it will give a big boost to ADAK. A meeting, chaired by Varkala Kahar MLA, reviewed the progress of the project the other day.

Source: @ manoramaonline.com 

Kerala is the home of the 5,000-year-old healing system of Ayurveda. You can undergo panchakarma, a rigorous prescription of diet, massage and treatments, or simply relax with kizhi, a soothing therapeutic massage using herbal pouches dipped into hot, medicinal oil. Ayurvedic centres are a dime a dozen, but some are more reputable than others. Try the Doctor’s Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre in Odayam (0091 994 681 2278).

Shop till you drop at North Cliff:

Head to the North Cliff of Varkala to shop till you drop. A lot of people make own clothes from raw silk and you can order a kaftan or skirt amongst other outfits to be stitched. They will customise it for you and have it ready in minimum 24 hours, styled and tailored to your size and taste. You can also pick up trinkets, sarongs, mixed western music CDs, spices, tea masala, tea mixes and different types of coffee.

Vegetarian meal ( Sadhya ):



Sadhya is traditionally a vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf. People are seated cross-legged on the floor on a mat. All the dishes are served on the leaf and eaten with the hands without using any cutlery. The fingers are cupped to form a ladie. A Sadhya can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course.

Surf your heart out:

You can't visit Varkala and not try surfing. Being the surfing hub, you can spend your day at the beach surfing or just try it out for a couple of hours. Most surfing schools have a beginners course, where they will first teach you how to paddle.  Make sure you find a surf school with ISA Instructors and then get ready to surf your heart out. You can opt for a package or try it out for 1 or 2 days to see if you like it. While the instructors normally teach you from 6 30 am till about 10,  Experienced surfers surf full day. You can rent a board and other equipment from the surf school.

Try some Yoga and Ayurveda:

Varkala has more foreigners than Indians and all of them are excellent yoga teachers. So while you're there try out a few yoga sessions. You can waken your mind and body during the morning, sunrise sessions or unwind at the end of the day as the sun sets in the background, in this enchanting place, surrounded by beautiful meadows. And once you're done surfing, you can pamper yourself with a massage. Try an ayurvedic relaxing massage or a body cleansing programme.

#Sightseeing #Varkala #Kerala #Beach #Sadhya #Yoga #Tourism #Travel #Shop #Surf

Content source: Tourism

Varkala (Malayalam : വര്‍ക്കല) is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 50 kilometers (approx. 32 miles) north-west of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and 37 km south-west of Kollam city.

Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and is known among geologists as Varkala Formation and a geological monument as declared by the Geological Survey of India. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs.

Varkala is also famous 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 the Papanasham beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins, and is also an important 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 hill-top mausoleum of Sree Narayana Guru is one of the most famous monuments in Kerala. The adjacent hills house the East-West University of Brahmavidya and Sree Narayana Gurukulam.

Content source: VARKALA