Plan your trip · Varkala
What's on in Varkala
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Varkala — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Varkala right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Varkala
Varkala's calendar works around the monsoon — the big outdoor events sit either side of it, and the wettest weeks are the quietest ones for anything held in the open. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Across Kerala
Onam
🗓️ August–SeptemberTen days of flower carpets, feasting on a banana-leaf sadya, and snake-boat races on the backwaters.
Planning: The state effectively stops for it; book houseboats and trains well ahead.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Varkala's biggest events are religious. From 30 December to 1 January, the Sivagiri pilgrimage brings devotees dressed in yellow to Sree Narayana Guru's samadhi. In March or April, the Janardanaswamy Temple holds its ten-day Arattu festival, with processions of decorated elephants and nights of Kathakali. On Karkidaka Vavu, in July or August, thousands of families gather on Papanasam Beach at dawn to perform rites for their ancestors.
The cliff has its own season too. Christmas and New Year are the busiest nights of the year, and Onam, Kerala's harvest festival, brings flower carpets and sadya meals in August or September. Most dates follow the Malayalam calendar and change each year, so check them before you plan your trip.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Varkala
- Book your stay early for Christmas, New Year and the Sivagiri pilgrimage, as they overlap.
- Dress modestly for temple festivals and the pilgrimage.
- Do not photograph families performing rites on the beach during Karkidaka Vavu.
- Arrive early for the Arattu processions, as crowds build quickly.
- Expect road traffic and packed trains around Sivagiri at the end of December.
- Keep your belongings secure on the crowded cliff path on festival nights.
Questions
Varkala — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Varkala?
The main festivals are the Sivagiri pilgrimage (30 December to 1 January), the Arattu festival at the Janardanaswamy Temple (March or April), Karkidaka Vavu on Papanasam Beach (July or August) and Onam (August or September).
When is the Arattu festival in Varkala?
The Arattu festival at the Janardanaswamy Temple runs for ten days in the Malayalam month of Meenam, usually in March or April. It includes elephant processions and all-night Kathakali performances.
Is Varkala busy at New Year?
Yes. New Year's Eve on the cliff overlaps with the end of the Sivagiri pilgrimage, so the town, trains and hotels are very busy. Book well ahead.
Can tourists watch the Karkidaka Vavu rites?
Yes, respectfully and from a distance. The rites start at dawn on Papanasam Beach. Dress modestly, keep out of the way of families and do not take photos of people performing the rites.