Janardanaswamy Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is about 57 km from Varkala town.

• By train

  Varkala Railway Station is about 2 km from the temple.

• By road

  The temple is on NH 66 near the sea, about 10.9 km west of Kallambalam.

Why devotees come here

Janardanaswamy Temple stands on a tableland by the sea in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. It is dedicated to Vishnu and is among the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams, a group of Vaishnavite shrines.

The temple is dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Janardanaswamy, which locals call Varkaleswara. It is among the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams, a group of Vaishnavite shrines considered among the foremost Vishnu temples. Legend says the devas built a Vishnu temple here and worshipped him as Janardana.

Varkala is considered the best place for pitrkarma, the rites for departed ancestors, which is why it is sometimes called Dakshina Kashi. Kerala Tourism lists the temple among the ancient temples that make Varkala a major pilgrim destination, alongside Sivagiri Mutt.

An inscription shows the temple was partly renovated during the reign of Umayamma Rani, who ruled from 1677 to 84 CE. The sanctum is circular and topped by a conical dome of copper sheets. The square mandapa has wooden carvings of the navagrahas on its ceiling and a copper-plated roof. The site is a raised plateau beside the sea, and visitors climb a long set of steps to reach it.

Festivals

• Meenam (March to April)Arattu festival

  A ten-day festival celebrated every year.

• Chingam (August to September)Ashtami Rohini

  Celebrates the birthday of Krishna as a festival here.

Tips for your visit

• Kappil, a backwater destination, is about 8 km from the temple.
• Sivagiri Mutt is another pilgrim site in Varkala, along with the town's ancient temples.

Questions people ask