It is believed that a group of devout pilgrims approached Narada, a saint of ancient times and confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkalam (cloth made out of the bark of a tree) and it landed at a place near the seashore. Thisplace was thus given the name 'varkala'. Narada directed his devotees to offer prayers at the beach where the valkalam landed. This place then came to be known as 'Papanasam' meaning redemption from sins. A quiet seaside destination on the shores of the Arabian Sea, Varkala is, with each passing day, becoming a favorite destination of tourists from various parts of India and abroad.The beach offers a magnificent view of the sun rise and sun set that few destinations in kerala boast of. Situated in Trivandrum district and 40 kms from the capital city, Varkala is also an important Hindu pilgrimage center being the eternal resting place of the eminent social reformer Sri Narayana Guru.

        Varkala has remained a Hindu pilgrimage centre since the 12th century.The 2000 years old temple which has a Vishnu shrine is at a distance of 45 km from Thiruvananthapuram city and 37 km from Kollam. It is said that the original temple was engulfed and destroyed by tidal waves. Years later, a Pandyan king came to the site to do penance to Brahma for a sin he committed. The Lord pardoned the king and in return, asked the king to build another temple at the same site. The story goes that in a dream he was informed of the location of the original idol that was lying deep in the sea. With help of fishermen, the king reclaimed the idol and reinstalled it in the temple.

     Near to varkala is the site of the Dutch East India Company’s main garrison, Anjengo Fort. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the fort protected their powerful position in the state.