Shanghumugham Beach

A beach is much more than warm sea and soft sand. People come here to rest, to detach themselves for a while from all their troubles and to bask in the gentle sun. And just a few kilometres from the capital of the state of Kerala, in the south of India, there is such a place — Shanghumugham Beach, which the residents of Trivandrum have made their favourite. They consider that this narrow strip of coast is ideally suited for a quiet family holiday.

A place of rest and worship of the gods

Hindus like to gather on Shanghumugham Beach on weekends and holidays. There are amazing sunsets here, plenty of cafés with local cuisine nearby, a car park, an Ayurvedic medicine centre and a park with a children’s playground. Not far away motor races are held annually. The shore is not distinguished by any special infrastructure or cleanliness, although it is considered a sacred place of the city’s patron deity.

Not far from the shore rise magnificent temples of the city, the main of which is the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. This shrine is famous for the colossal statue of Vishnu, covered with gold and adorned with a multitude of precious stones.

Tourists rarely look in on Shanghumugham Beach. Here you can see the everyday life of Hindus up close, but it is important to treat the local people’s traditional manner of behaviour and communication with respect.

Photos of Shanghumugham Beach

A little about Indian etiquette

Hindus pay careful attention to the choice of clothing. People do not go shopping, to a restaurant and all the more so to a temple in beach outfits. The golden rule of Indian etiquette is not to draw undue attention to oneself: noisy company, loud music and provocative outfits will not find understanding among the conservative local inhabitants.

When walking outside Shanghumugham Beach it is better to avoid overly tight clothing, short skirts and shorts: modest clothing here is a mark of respect for local traditions.

In temples women are admitted only in a headdress or headscarf. Some shrines cannot be entered in footwear. If you do not want to lose an expensive pair, stock up on cheap sandals that no one will covet.

A favourable time for a trip

The air temperature on the coast of the Indian Ocean near the capital of Kerala rarely drops below +20 °C even at night. During the day the air usually warms up to +30…+33 °C, and at night it stays around +24…+26 °C; there is no exhausting heat above forty degrees here.

In summer the water warms to almost thirty degrees, and in winter it drops to an «impossibly cold» +27 °C. The ideal time to visit Shanghumugham Beach is from November to March: a trip to this part of India makes it possible to exchange our raw autumn and cold winter for pleasant summer warmth.

The main problem of the coast of Kerala is the monsoon season, a period of constant rains and tropical downpours. Storms, sometimes of almost hurricane force, come down on the shore. The most unfavourable month is June. Rains occur at other times too, but it is precisely in the middle of summer that strong storms and downpours cover the beach. In December and January, on the other hand, there is dry sunny weather, ideal for a beach holiday.

The beaches of Trivandrum often become part of a larger trip — a wellness tour to Kerala combines the sea and recovery.

Hotels located near Shanghumugham Beach