Thirumullavaram Beach – Scenic Beach
There is a scenic beach in a place called Thirumullavaram in the Kollam district of Kerala. This beachfront place is located about 6 kilometres from the Kollam city. This beautiful place is known for calm and golden sand beach. This beach is said to be safe for swimming and other seafront activities. Due to the popularity of the beach, the reputed channel Discovery did the survey of this place. After the study, the channel has declared this as one of the 10 beautiful beaches in the world.
History of Thirumullavaram Beach
The place got its name from the name Thirumallanmar. In the ancient times, the bodyguards of the Sri Marthanda Varma Maharajah were given this name. Due to the political climate existing at that time, the erstwhile King of Travancore state had to keep his personal guards to ward off the threat coming from Ettu Veetil Pillamar and people linked to these regional satraps. The history says that the Travancore King used to spend his leisure time in this place in accompaniment of these bodyguards. People during those times used to call these people as Thirumallanmar. There is a small mansion that housed the Maharajahs of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore whenever they visited this place.Etymology
According to the Ramayana epic, the mullapoo that was seen on the hair lock of Seetha Devi fell at this place when she was forcefully abducted by the Demon King Ravana to Sri Lanka using his pushpaka vimanam. This is another reason for this place to get the name it has at present got. This flower was used as a signal by the Lord Sri Rama for his journey to Sri Lanka to get back his better half. 2004 Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean region witnessed the generation of a devastating tsunami. Till then, there was no idea about the occurrence of this phenomenon. This was caused due to the sudden eruption of an underwater volcano near Sumatra region of Indonesia. Its occurrence had brought significant changes in shallow and intertidal regions of Indian coasts, especially those of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu. Beach's Tryst with Tsunami
During this underwater phenomenon, people of this region watched with the awe the sudden retreat of water from the shores. Some even walked towards the sea. The sea came back to reclaim the place it vacated with towering waves. The forces exerted by these waves had devastated the coastal region. The wall of the temple pond near the sea was slightly damaged this tsunami. Luckily, the region did not lose any life to the sea during this phenomenon. One photographer filming tsunami narrowly escaped the onslaught of the waves. Since then, the authorities have constructed the sea wall to ease the effect of waves on the shore. This has stopped the soil erosion to a large extent.Attractions near Thirumullavaram Beach
Being a tourist destination, it has got a number of places of importance from a tourist's perspective. This place also has got the religious connotation. Hence, during certain days of the year, the place is filled with devotees visiting a temple nearby. This place is about 6 kilometres away from Kollam city centre and 2 kilometres away from Thangasseri Light House and Harbour. In this article, we would be looking at some of the attractions that make it an important place in the Kerala tourist itinerary.Conclusion
Thirumullavaram is a nice village hamlet bordering the Arabian Sea. It is a shallow water beach in the state. Due to this reason, people can venture into the sea without getting caught in the waves and underwater currents. Hence, this beautiful beach is safe for swimming, scuba diving and other waterfront activities. There is a Mahav Vishnu temple near the coast. Behind the temple, there is a small pond. It is just few metres away from the beach. Yet, the water in this well is fresh and potable. This temple is believed to have been made by sage Parasurama who was responsible for reclaiming Kerala land from the sea. The beach and its surroundings also celebrate the 10-day Thiruvonam Maholsavom during the annual Onam festival in the month of August or September. Many devotees throng this beach during the no moon day in the month of July every year to pay tribute to the departed ancestors. The region also had a dreadful date with the phenomenon of tsunami in 2004. Luckily, no one lost his life to the sea on the fateful night of December 26, 2004.