Shankumugham Beach

Shankumugham Beach is a beach in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, south India. The beach is on the western side of Thiruvananthapuram and is very close to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

Shankhumugham Beach
Beach
Shankumugham beach, Thiruvananthapuram
Shankhumugham Beach
Coordinates: 8.48112950°N 76.91237030°E / 8.48112950; 76.91237030
Location	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Patrolled by	Kerala Police; Beach Lifeguards

Sagarakanyaka at Shankumughom beach at Thiruvananthapuram

Shanghumugham beach is considered as the ‘Arattukadavu’ of Sri Ananthapadmanabhan - the presiding deity of the city. ^[1] Thousands of Hindus perform ‘Bali Tharpanam’ during special occasions.^[2] Shankhumugham is the prime location for Ganesh Nimarjan at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi.^[3][4]

On the Arattu day at Thiruvananthapuram, idols of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, Lord Narasimha, and Lord Krishna are taken in procession to the Laccadive Sea at Shanghumugham beach.^[5] 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.^[6]

The sculpture of Sagarakanyaka, a mermaid, by Kanayi Kunhiraman is an added attraction.^[7] This giant statue is more than 35 metres long. The 'Jawaharlal Nehru Park of Traffic signs for children' is situated here,^[8] 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 and part of the main airport are situated near Shankumugham Beach.^[9]

Coastal erosion and effect on beach

Coastal erosion along the Thiruvananthapuram 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.^[10] The Shankumugham-Airport road along the beach was closed due to excessive erosion.^[11]

Remains of the Shankumugham airport road after sea erosion

See also

Thiruvananthapuram Tourist spots

How to reach

• Nearest city - Thiruvananthapuram - 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

• 
  Aaratu Mandapam
• 
  Sagarakanyaka or Jalakanyaka
• 
  High tide warning at the beach during one of the monsoon days
• 
  Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park
• 
  A sculpture at the beach

References

1. "Arattu Mandapam, Shanghumugham". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
2. "Thousands offer Bali Tharpanam on Karkidaka Vavu". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
3. "Ganeshotsavam procession tomorrow". Times of India. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
4. "Ganesh Visarjan 2021". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
5. "Alpashi and Painkuni Arattu festival of Sree Padamanabhaswamy Temple | Festivals of Kerala". www.keralaculture.org. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
6. "Alpashi festival comes to a close". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
7. "Backwaters - Kerala, Kerala Travel, Real Estate, Kerala Matrimonial". www.kerala.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
8. "Thiruvananthapuram: Traffic park to get a lease of life". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
9. "On cloud nine: Differently-abled students visit Air Force Station". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
10. "Thiruvananthapuram's famed beaches could vanish in just five years". Manorama online. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
11. "Passengers walk to Trivandrum airport lugging baggage, thanks to bad roads". The News Minute. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

External links

• A short YouTube Video narrating things to be visited At Shankumugham beach