Mundakkal Beach (Malayalam : മുണ്ടയ്ക്കല് ബീച്ച്), is a beach in the city of
Kollam
Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
. The beach is situated at
Mundakkal, a neighbourhood that is a local cashew processing hub. On 21 June 2016 the dredger ship ''Hansitha'' washed up on the shore. Scrapping of the dredger ship started on 18 October 2017. The beach is also known as 'Mundakkal Papanasham Beach'. Devotees believe that a dip in the waters of Mundakkal Papanasham Beach will wash off all the sins in one's life.
Location
Mundakkal Beach is situated on the side of
Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road. The beach is about 4 km away from
Chinnakada and 11.2 km away from
Paravur.
Importance
The beach is now one of the prime tourism spots in
Kollam
Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...
city due to the arrival of the dredger ship, 'Hansitha', to the shore. The ship was lying anchored 3 nautical miles off the Kollam coast since November 2013. Due to heavy waves, the unoccupied ship washed ashore on the Mundakkal beach in June 2016.
The beach is also an important location for annual ‘balitharpanam’ ritual. As per
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
beliefs, the ritual performed on the new moon day in the Malayalam month of Karkidakom will appease the spirits of their forefathers and bring good fortune in the year ahead. Thousands of devotees, including women and children, offer ‘bali' on the banks of
Thirumullavaram Beach and Mundakkal Beach that day every year, along with the other famous beaches and river banks in Kerala.
Gallery
File:Dredger Hansitha at Kollam coast, Aug 2014.jpg, Dredgre 'Hansitha' before reaching the shores during August 2014
File:Mundakkal Coast, Oct 2016.jpg, A distant view of the beach
File:Dredger "Hansitha" at Kollam(Quilon) coast, Jul 2016.jpg, Dredger "Hansitha" during Jul 2016.jpg
File:Dredger 'Hansitha' at Mundakkal Coast in Kollam city, July 2016.jpg, Side view of 'Hansitha'
File:Hansitha at Mundakkal Coast in Kollam, July 2016.jpg, Children playing near 'Hansitha' at Mundakkal coast
References
External links
{{Tourism in Kerala
Beaches of Kerala
Tourist attractions in Kollam
Beaches of Kollam