Valiathura''' was a major port of Thiruvananthapuram city the capital of Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest port in 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. Geography It is located near Shankhumugham. It is a typical coastal region. The vegetation consists mainly of coconut trees. The land is higher in Valiathura, so calamities due to the monsoon tides are less compared to the other nearby coastal regions. History Valiyathura was known as Raithura or Rajathura from the time of the Travancore kingdom, but its history goes beyond this; from the time of King Solomon Valiathura port was active and used to export spices and articles. Saint Antony's Cathedral has a history of more than 500 years and the New Year Day celebration started more than 120 years ago. At the battle between Marthanda Varma and Ettuveetil Pillai, one of the pillai and his soldiers were protected by the fisher people of Valiathura and some of those people married a few Valiathura girls and settled in Valiathura. Valiathura Pier Valiathura is famous for its pier. The 60-year-old, pier and the godowns (warehouses) 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 1980s. 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 1,000,000 rupees to build. Till today, the fishermen along