is part of Valiathura Forane. Pilgrim Centre Madre De Deus Church Vettukad, is the major pilgrim centre coming under Valiathura Forane. 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 66 passes 1 km to the east of Valiathura. The nearest railway station is Thiruvananthapuram Central, around 8 km away. Shangumugham Beach and Beemapally Mosque are tourist attractions nearby. Economy Fishing was the main livelihood for the people of the seashore. But most people work abroad in countries like Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Iran and other Middle East countries. Many hundreds of Valiathura youth have joined the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, ISRO, VSSC, Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. Indian Airport Authority, banks, schools and many Government and Private owned organizations. Many medical doctors, engineers, pilots, scientist, police officers, politicians and social workers are born and raised up in Valiathura. 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. There are also more than eight private educational institutes serving students. People and Culture The people of Valiathura are mainly Christians from various denominations like Latin Catholics, Roman Catholics, Syrian Catholics, CSI and a few number of Pentecostals, Hindus and Muslims are minorities. The People of Valiyathura trace back their history more than 500 years. Many Valiyathura people are from the background of Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and English, whomcan be identified with their surnames such as Pereira, Voiz, Culas, Fernandez, Silva, Neto, Lopez, Francis, etc Valiyathura was the most civilized Coastal Area from the time of Travancore Kingdom. References External links St. Antony’s Forane Church Video of the pier The Hindu A tourism blog Piers in India Suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram