Published on : 23 Sep 2025, 10:44 am Summary

Varkala Cliff in Kerala added to UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list

Rare Mio-Pliocene sandstone and laterite formations reveal millions of years of earth’s history

Sacred landscape with ancient Janardana Swamy temple and Sree Narayana Guru’s Sivagiri Mutt

Tourism boom brings jobs and income but also waste, erosion and unregulated building

Fisherfolk fear displacement as climate change and poor governance intensify threats

On a late monsoon morning, the sandstone cliffs of Varkala glisten under subdued light, their rust-red faces streaked with centuries of salt spray and rain. Below, the Arabian Sea churns restlessly, hurling waves at the cliff’s base before retreating. Above, coconut palms bend in the breeze, pilgrims descend bar

See Full Page