Valiathura
| Valiathura Raithura or Rajathura |
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| — town — | |
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| Coordinates | 8°27′47″N 76°55′27″E / 8.46306°N 76.92417°ECoordinates: 8°27′47″N 76°55′27″E / 8.46306°N 76.92417°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| District(s) | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Nearest city | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Parliamentary constituency | Thiruvananthapuram West |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Valiathura is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. This was once the only port along the South Kerala coast. When Kochi became the prominent port in Kerala, Valiyathura lost its significance as a major port. Now Valiathura is considered as a fishing port.
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[edit] Geography
It is located at 8°27′47″N 76°55′27″E / 8.46306°N 76.92417°E. It is near Shankhumugham.[1] It is a typical coastal region. The vegetation consist of mainly coconut trees. The land is at a higher altitude compared to the sea level. So calamities due to the Monsoon tides are less compared to the other nearby coastal regions.
[edit] History
It was a port of the erstwhile Travancore. Remanents of the 703-foot-long (214 m) pier can still be seen. Presently, the pier is used by fishermen for launching their custom made boats called Kattamaram. The old names of valiathura are Raithura or Rajathura.
[edit] Valiathura Pier
Valiathura is famous for its pier. The 51-year-old, 703-foot (214 m) pier and the godowns behind it are a far cry from the past, when up to 50 cargo ships used to call here at a time. Opened in 1956 by the advisor to the Rajapramukh Dr. P.S. Rau, it was the only port along the South Kerala coast.
Supported by 127 concrete piles, the pier had four 3-tonne cranes and one 10-tonner to unload cargo from the ships. Since the pier was located in shallow waters, heavy ships had to anchor in the deep sea and transport their ware in smaller boats. With the development of the Kochi port with facilities for berthing of huge cargo ships, Valiathura lost its significance. It was declared a ‘dead port’ in the early eighties.
All five cranes were dismantled and sold as scrap as disuse and constant exposure to salty winds eroded their structure. The four godowns were rented out to industrial units on the Veli belt. The rails used by trolleys to transport cargo to the godowns have rusted away.
The pier which consumed 571 tonnes of cement and 250 tonnes of steel, cost about Rs.10 lakhs to build. Till today, the fishermen along the coast use the weakened structure to launch their catamarans during the rough monsoon months, when the rough sea makes the beaches inaccessible. They then jump into the sea and swim to the catamarans.
Waves here, very rarely fall below 1 m, and often exceed 4 m during the monsoon period of May to October.
There are many anglers, who occupy strategic points on the pier, holding on to their line, patiently waiting to hook a fish. Avoiding sophisticated angling gear, these people use their hands to hold the line instead of the angling rod. The anglers here are mostly labourers and daily-wage workers.
The hooks range from 18 to 24 on a single line. There are also hooks that do not need any bait on them. But these should be regularly pulled and loosened in the water in order to attract prey. As the water current is towards the shore, the anglers need something to take the line down to the waters. For this, they use iron weights attached to the line, which provides the thrust while the line is thrown into the sea.
`Malavu', a fish that visits the coastline occasionally from inland waters, is another temptation for the anglers. `Para', `Kanava' and `Kozhiyala' are among the other visitors that swim into the trap.
A few years ago, one of the weakened piles on the right head of the 51-year-old pier developed a crack leading to the collapse of a platform measuring about 20 square feet (1.9 m2). And on July 8, a portion of the sidewall gave in to the powerful waves lashing the structure and plunged into the sea.
Currently visitors are prohibited to enter Valiathura pier. In 2007, the Harbour Engineering Department announced a project for its reconstruction.
[edit] St. Antony’s Forane Church
St. Antony’s Forane Church Valiathura was established in 1530 by the Franciscan Missionaries. Valiathura the Port city of the ancient Travancore has more than 7 centuries of Christian heritage. In 13th century Pope innocent IVth had sent few Franciscan and Dominican Missionaries to Kollam,Mampally and Valiathura to proclaim the gospel.
The geographical boundary of Valiathura Parish till the beginning of 20th century extended from Shangumugham to Beemapally in the south. Later, Parish was bifurcated for administrative convenience. Consequently Parishes of St.Ann’s Church Valiathope; Assumtion Church Cheriyathura; St. Xaviers Church Valiathura and finally Fatima Matha Church Kochuthope came into existence.
[edit] Location
Valiathura is 5 km from the city centre. Privately owned and KSRTC buses ply from East Fort. Autorickshaws can also be hired.
A bypass of National Highway 47 passes 1 km to the east of Valiathura. Nearest railway station is Thiruvananthapuram Central, around 8 km away.
Shangumugham Beach and Beemapally mosque are tourist attractions nearby.
[edit] Economy
Fishing is the main livelihood. A part of the catch goes to the processing industry. People also earn money by raising cattle like cows and goats. The economy is also supported by the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, which is just 2 km away.
[edit] Educational Institutions
Educational institutions in Valiathura are St. Antony's Higher Secondary School, St. Antony's Lower Primary School, Government Regional Fisheries High School, Government UP School and Government LP School.
[edit] People and culture
People of Valiathura are mainly Latin Catholics. Hindus and Muslims are minorities.
