Shankumugham Beach is a beach in
Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram District () is the List of districts of Kerala, southernmost district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananth ...
of
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 ...
, south
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The beach is on the western side of
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
and is very close to
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
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
Ganesh Chaturthi.
On the Arattu day at
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
, idols of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, Lord Narasimha, and Lord Krishna are taken in procession to the
Laccadive Sea at Shanghumugham beach. His Highness the now-titular Maharaja of Travancore leads the procession with the royal sword in hand while escorted by members of the royal family, armed guards, temple authorities, mounted police, and officers. After the ceremonial bath at Shanghumugham, the idols are taken back in procession, thus marking the conclusion of the festival.
The sculpture of
Sagarakanyaka, a
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, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are ...
, by
Kanayi Kunhiraman 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) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
and part of the main airport are situated near Shankumugham Beach.
Coastal erosion and effect on beach
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of Wind wave, waves, Ocean current, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts ...
along the
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
coastline has caused significant reduction in the beach area. A study from 2022 found that the region including the Shankumugham beach observed an erosion of 4.73 meters per year. The Shankumugham-Airport road along the beach was closed due to excessive erosion.
See also
Thiruvananthapuram Tourist spots
How to reach
* Nearest city -
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
- 8 km
* Nearest railway station -
Thiruvananthapuram Central and
Kochuveli railway station
* Nearest airport -
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
* 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