Varkala is a very secluded beach situated at a distance of 51km from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. The beach lying on the south west coast of India, is also known as Papnasam beach and is an important Hindu center of pilgrimage. Hundreds of Hindu devotees perform 'Vavubali', a ritual performed for the ancestors soul to rest in peace, on the new moon day of the Malayalam month Karkidakam. There is a belief that a dip in the holy waters of this beach will purify your body and soul, washing out all your sins.