Janardana Swami Temple stands in the municipality of Varkala city and is a 2000-year-old temple in Trivandrum. It is also famous as Varkala Temple. Janardana Swami is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is a well-known temple in Kerala about 25 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city and 2 km from Varkala Railway Station. It stands near the Arabian seashore. 

Since the Varkala Beach waters wash the surrounding medicinal plants, people believe the water has medicinal properties. And Janardana Swami Temple stands close to the beach. And therefore, it is an important Ayurveda treatment center. The temple features an ancient bell from a shipwreck. The captain of the Dutch vessel donated it, which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.

Festivals at Janardana Swami Temple

Every year, Janardana Swami Temple celebrates a ten-day Arattu festival in the month of Meenam (March–April) in Kerala's beach town of Varkala. Kodiyettam flag hoisting ceremony marks the festival's starting while a procession of five decorated elephants on the streets ends it. During the fourth and fifth day of the festival, celebrations include traditional music and Kathakali dance performances throughout the night. The holy bath, arattu of the Lord, takes place on Uthram day in the Arabian Sea on the back of the temple. 

Further, the temple also celebrates the days when Lord Vishnu's avatars appear, e.g., Narasimha Jayanthi, Rama Navami, Ashtami Rohini, Karkidaka vavu (Amavasya in the month of Karkidakam in July or August), and Vaikuntha Ekadashi. Thursdays, Ekadashi, and Thiruvonam star are also considered necessary since these days are dedicated to Lord Vishnu according to popular custom.