Rock-Cut Temple

Kovalam


Amid neatly tended, banyan-shaded grounds 500m north of Vizhinjam harbour, this small shrine is one of Kerala's most ancient rock-cut temples. A sculpture of Dakshinamurthy is flanked by unfinished reliefs of Shiva as Nataraja (with Parvati) and Tripurantaka (carrying a bow and arrow), all believed to date from the 8th century.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kovalam attractions

1. Vizhinjam

0.51 MILES

About 1km south of Kovalam's Lighthouse Beach, Vizhinjam village has a busy harbour from where fishing boats head out each day, along with one of Kerala's…

3. Vizhinjam Lighthouse

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Kovalam's most distinguishing feature is the working candy-striped lighthouse at the southern end of Lighthouse Beach. Climb the spiral staircase – or zip…

4. Lighthouse Beach

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A powdery stretch of gold-and-black sand, Kovalam's main beach is notable for the candy-striped lighthouse at its southern end.

5. Hawa Beach

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Popular with domestic day trippers, Hawa Beach is a busy sandy strand just north of Lighthouse Beach.

6. Samudra Beach

1.53 MILES

Around the headland north of Hawa Beach, Samudra's sandy blonde expanse is overlooked by a gold-and-green mosque and the five-star Leela resort.

7. Mosque

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Painted in gold, cream and lime green, this modern mosque sits on Samudra Beach.

8. Puthe Maliga Palace Museum

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Overlooking the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple tank, the opulent 18th-century palace of the Travancore maharajas is a classically Keralan world of…

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