Shankumugham Beach is a beach in

Thiruvananthapuram district Thiruvananthapuram District (), is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's administrative centre. The present d ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, south

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The beach is on the western side of

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

(Trivandrum) and is very close to

Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...

. The vast stretch of white sand and the serene atmosphere, away from the crowd in the city, provide all the ingredients for relaxation and for spending an ideal evening. - The city of the Holy Anantha India, url=https://trivandrum.nic.in/tourist-place/sankhumugham-beach/, access-date=2020-09-07, language=en-US with eating kiosks and open-air theatre with car parking facilities. Good food can be enjoyed at the Old Coffee House, just across the beach, which is also a vantage point for enjoying the sunset. The beach is not well maintained, with garbage littering the entire area. Shanghumugham beach is considered as the ‘Arattukadavu’ of Sri Ananthapadmanabhan - The presiding deity of the city. Thousands of Hindus perform ‘Bali Tharpanam’ during special occasions. Shankhumugham is the prime location for Ganesh Nimarjan at the time of Vinayaka Chathurthi. On the Arattu day at

, images of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, Lord Narasimha, and Lord Krishna are taken in procession to the

Laccadive Sea The Laccadive Sea or Lakshadweep Sea is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of Tamil Nadu. This war ...

at Shanghumugham beach. His Highness the now-titular Maharaja of Travancore will lead the procession with the royal sword in hand, who will be escorted by members of the royal family, armed guards, temple authorities, mounted police, and officers. After the ceremonial bath at Shanghumugham, images are taken back in procession which marks the conclusion of the festival. The sculpture of

Sagarakanyaka Sagarakanyaka is a sculpture of a mermaid situated at the Shankumugham Beach, Kerala. Sculpted by Kanayi Kunhiraman, it is adjudged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest merperson sculpture in the world. It has a length of 87 ft an ...

Mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

Kanayi Kunhiraman Kanayi Kunhiraman ( ml, കാനായി കുഞ്ഞിരാമന്‍; born 25 July 1937) is an Indian sculptor, best known for his outsize sculptures such as ''Yakshi'' of Malampuzha Dam Gardens, '' Sagarakanyaka'' at Shankumugham Be ...

is an added attraction. This giant statue is more than 35 metres long. The 'Jawaharlal Nehru Park of Traffic signs for children' is situated here, which is helpful for the children to understand the traffic rules while playing in the park. The park also provides cycling facilities for small children. The military area of Southern Air Command of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

and part of the main airport are situated near Shankumugham Beach. Veli Tourist Village is near the beach. Boating facilities are offered at this picnic spot. Speed boats, restaurants and well-landscaped gardens are available.

How to reach

* Nearest city -

- 8 km * Nearest railway station -

Thiruvananthapuram Central Thiruvananthapuram Central, formerly Trivandrum Central (also known as Thampanoor railway station) (station code: TVC), is a major railway station which serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, In ...

and Kochuveli railway station * Nearest airport -

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...

* Nearest bus station - Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram

Picture gallery

File:Sh-beach1.jpg , Aaratu Mandapam File:Jalakanyaka at Shankumugham beach.JPG , Sagarakanyaka or Jalakanyaka File:High tide warning at Shankumugham beach.JPG, High tide warning at the beach during one of the monsoon days File:Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park, Thiruvananthapuram.JPG, Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park File:A sculpture at Shankumugham beach.JPG, A sculpture at the beach

References

External links

A short YouTube Video narrating things to be visited At Shankumugham beach
{{Tourism in Kerala Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram Beaches of Kerala