Friday, February 18, 2011

Anjengo Fort in Varkala ,





Anjengo is really Anju Thengu,  meaning the five coconut trees, in Malayalam, is located near the sea coast at Varkala. Varkala is located at about 36 kilometers from the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. Anjengo fort is  a place of historical importance  with a beautiful natural setting .  Anjengo is an ideal  destination for the tourists who love walking and hiking.

According to the local history, anju thengu was the area given to the East India company on lease for trade purposes by the Queen of Attingal . The place seems to have had just 5 coconut trees in the area. In the year 1684 English established their first trade settlement in the Anju Thengu area which was later called as Anjengo Fort.  Eevn now you can find the remnants of the old English fort  which had been targetted many times by the other foreign powers namely Dutch and the Portuguese. They used to fight among eachother to get a firm footing in the state .

At present the Anjengo fort is under the protection of the National Heritage monuments. There is also a cemetry inside the fort  which would have the mortal remains of the occupants of the fort . The oldest of the burial sites dates back to 1704.  This has become a popular destination with the tourists  and the beach is an ideal place to be in.
There is a backwater stretch at Anjengo where the swaying coconut trees criss cross the water channels making it a wonderful sight to behold. Anjengo is a calm and serene beach clean and ideal for the picnickers locals as well as tourists. You can also watch the fishermen of the village nearby going about their activities .

How to Reach Anjengo
The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram which is located at about 46 kilometers away.
The nearest Railway station is Kadakkavur which is about 2 kilometers from the Anjengo area but all the trains will not stop there. You will have to get down at varkala railway station and then take autos or cabs from thereto reach Anjengo.

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