Tharatta is a growing residential locality and residential ward (Ward No. 12) situated within the Chemmaruthy Grama Panchayat in the Varkala Taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Located roughly 7 km east of Varkala town centre, it serves as an integral residential settlement connected by local roads linking towards neighboring areas like Vadasserikonam, Thokkadu, and Panayara.
Major local landmarks include
traditional family temples, local community spaces, and neighborhood
institutions characteristic of rural-urban fringe settlements in Varkala.
Geographically, it sits about 2 km from the core civic pockets of Chemmaruthy
and approximately 40 km north of the state capital hub of Thampanoor
(Thiruvananthapuram Central). The nearest major transport hubs are the Varkala
Sivagiri Railway Station and the Trivandrum International Airport, located
roughly 8 km to 40 km away respectively.
History
Historically, Tharatta and the wider
Chemmaruthy region were part of the former Kingdom of Travancore. Under the
royal regime, these territories primarily functioned as agrarian tracts and
traditional farming zones surrounded by native vegetation and wetlands. Over
the course of the twentieth century, the region underwent land-use transitions
with the expansion of small-scale cash crops, coconut groves, and mixed
residential plots. Following increased migration and demographic shifts, it
developed into a well-established residential ward under the local
self-government framework.
