Salem (), is a major city in
Salem district
Salem District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district is now divided into Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal as individual districts. Salem is the district headquarters and other major towns in the distri ...
, located on the banks of
Thirumanimutharu river
The Thirumanimutharu River originates form Manjavadi village in the Shevaroy Mountain Range and flows through the Salem and Namakkal districts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It rises in the Yercaud hills. Thirumanimutharu River joins the C ...
in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. Salem is the
sixth largest urban agglomeration and metropolitan city in the state by population next to
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
,
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
,
Tiruchirappalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
and
Tiruppur
Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal Ri ...
and the sixth largest city in Tamil Nadu by area covering .
History
Early period
During the third century BCE, there was period of
Bogar
Bogar, Bhogar, or Boganathar was a Tamil Shaivite Siddhar who lived sometime between 550 and 300 BC. He was a disciple of Kalangi Nathar. He was born in Vaigavur near Palani Hills. He received his education from his mother and his grand father d ...
– a notable Tamil
Siddhar
The Siddhar (Tamil: சித்தர் ''cittar'', from Sanskrit: ''siddha'') in Tamils, Tamil tradition is a perfected individual, who has attained spiritual powers called ''siddhi''.
Historically, Siddhar also refers to the people who we ...
and at that time
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
and
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
arrived. Around the beginning of the
common era
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
, the existence of a culturally and economically advanced society in Salem two thousand years ago is evident from the discovery of silver coins of the
Roman Emperor Tiberices Claudices Nero (37–68 CE) in Koneripatti of Salem in 1987. Later
Pandya dynasty started ruling the region around Salem. Later
Pallava dynasty
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...
rises in Salem. After that Mahendra Varma Pallava came to Salem and
Saivite
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
principles rise. After Mahednra Varma Pallava, Narasimha Varma Pallava came. Soon Pandya dynasty came to Salem. The Hoysala rule established in Salem and parts of few Salem remained under Pandya dynasty.
Medieval period
The city has been a part of Chola Dynasty. A mosque in the city is believed to be built by Tipu Sultan the ruler of Mysore Kingdom in the present day of Karnataka. The town and the surrounding hilly regions were part of the
Chola dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
and was part of the trade route with the
Roman empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
. It was later governed by
Poligars, who built temples and forts in and around the city. It was part of the
Vijayanagara empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...
before being captured by
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...
during the early 18th century, after the
Mysore-Madurai war. It was ceded to the British in 1768 and the area became part of the struggle between
Kongu Nadu
Kongu Nadu, also known by various names as Kongu Mandalam and Kongu belt, is a geographical region comprising present day parts of western Tamil Nadu, southeastern Karnataka and eastern Kerala. In the ancient Tamilakam, it was the seat of th ...
led by
Dheeran Chinnamalai
Dheeran Chinnamalai (17 April 1756 – 31 July 1805) was a Palayakkarar and Pattakarar who fought against the British East India Company.
Early life
Dheeran Chinnamalai was born on April 17, 1756 in present-day Kangeyam, to a noble family. Hi ...
and the British.
Modern period
Salem became part of
Salem district
Salem District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district is now divided into Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal as individual districts. Salem is the district headquarters and other major towns in the distri ...
since independence in 1947. Salem district was the first district to be formed in India on 4 April 1792 that spread over 7,530 sq km comprising the present-day
Namakkal
Namakkal () is a special grade municipality and the headquarters of Namakkal district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the first ISO 14001-2004 certified municipality in Asia for environmental management, specifically the provision a ...
,
Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri is a special grade town in the north western part of Tamil Nadu, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district which is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by splitti ...
,
Krishnagiri
Krishnagiri () is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, and it serves as the administrative headquarters of Krishnagiri District formed in 2004. It is located at the bottom of Krishnadevaraya Hills, and the town is fully surrounded by hill ...
. Alexander Reed was the collector of the Salem district from 1792 to 1799.
Until 2008, the city was part of the
Salem I and
Salem II assembly constituencies.
Geography and climate
![Mookeneri(Kannakurichi) Lake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Mookeneri%28Kannakurichi%29_Lake.jpg)
Salem is located at , at an average elevation of 278 m (912 ft.). The city is surrounded by hills: Nagaramalai on the north, Jarugumalai on the south,
Kanjamalai
Kanjamalai is a hill located 14 km west of Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India. The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is about 1643
Iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extra ...
on the west,
Godumalai on the east and the
Shevaroy Hills The Selvarayan hills, with the anglicised name Shevaroy Hills, are a towering mountain range (1620 m) near the city of Salem, in Tamil Nadu state, southern India. It is one of the major hill stations in Tamil Nadu and in the Eastern Ghats.
The loc ...
on the northeast. Kariyaperumal Hill is in southwestern Salem. The
Thirumanimutharu River
The Thirumanimutharu River originates form Manjavadi village in the Shevaroy Mountain Range and flows through the Salem and Namakkal districts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It rises in the Yercaud hills. Thirumanimutharu River joins the C ...
flows through the city, dividing it in two. The fort area is the oldest part of Salem.
Location
![Salem city from Hills](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Salem_city_from_Hills.jpg)
Salem lies in the foothills of
Shevaroy hills The Selvarayan hills, with the anglicised name Shevaroy Hills, are a towering mountain range (1620 m) near the city of Salem, in Tamil Nadu state, southern India. It is one of the major hill stations in Tamil Nadu and in the Eastern Ghats.
The loc ...
which houses the famous hill Station '
Yercaud
Yercaud is a Hill station in Salem District, in Tamil Nadu, India.
History
Stone-age implements have been found from the ancient shrine located near Shevaroy Hills (also known as Shevarayan Hills), which is about 5 km from the Yercaud ...
'. It is located about northwest of
Tiruchirappalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
, northeast of
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
, southeast of
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and about southwest of the state capital,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
Water bodies
Mettur Dam is the main water resource for
Salem District
Salem District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district is now divided into Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal as individual districts. Salem is the district headquarters and other major towns in the distri ...
.
Climate
Salem has a
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Aw''). January and February are generally pleasant; the hot summer begins in March, with the year's highest temperatures during April. Pre-monsoon thunderstorms occur during April and May. The Southwest monsoon season lasts from June to September. The
northeast monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...
occurs from October to December.
Administration and politics
Municipal corporation
![Cannon-3-salem corporation-salem-India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Cannon-3-salem_corporation-salem-India.jpg)
Salem is the headquarters of
Salem district
Salem District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district is now divided into Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal as individual districts. Salem is the district headquarters and other major towns in the distri ...
. The town was constituted as a municipality in 1867, and was upgraded to a special-grade municipality in 1979 and to a municipal corporation on 1 April 1994. The Salem municipal corporation has 72 wards, each with an elected councillor. The functions of the municipal corporation are divided into six departments: general administration and personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, city planning and information technology (IT). All six departments are governed by a municipal commissioner. Legislative power is vested in the 60-member council, headed by an elected chairperson and assisted by a deputy chairperson.
State Assembly
In 2008, the constituencies of Salem were redrawn as
Salem North,
Salem South
Salem South or 'Salem (South)' is a state assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu that was formed after the constituency delimitations of 2007. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 90. The previous constituencies - Salem ...
and
Salem West
Salem West or 'Salem (West)' is a state assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu that was formed after the constituency delimitations of 2007. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 88. The previous constituencies— Salem I ...
. The city elects the three members to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
once every five years. Present MLAs are
R. Rajendhran (Salem North) from
Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (; DMDK) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Vijayakant (Captai ...
,
Arul Ramadoss (Salem West) from
Paattali Makkal Katchi and
Balasubramanian
Balasubramaniam or Balasubramanian ( te, బాల సుబ్రహ్మణ్యం; ta, பாலசுப்ரமணியம்; kn, ಬಾಲಸುಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣ್ಯಂ; ml, ബാലസുബ്രഹ്മണ്യം) is a mal ...
(Salem South) from
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...
.
Parliament
The city is part of the
Salem Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
constituency. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is S. R. Parthiban from the DMK.
Law enforcement
Law and order is maintained by the Salem city subdivision of the
Tamil Nadu Police
Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India. , headed by a
Police commissioner. Special units include prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and a district-level special branch headed by a superintendent of police.
Salem district have
central prison
Central Prison is a prison operated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in Raleigh, North Carolina. The prison, west of Downtown Raleigh, is on of land and is bounded by a double wire fence with a razor ribbon on top. The Departm ...
at
Hastampatti . It's one of the oldest jail and can able to host 1431 in house prisoners.
Economy
![A photo of Salem Steel Plant entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/A_photo_of_Salem_Steel_Plant_entrance.JPG)
Salem is a major textile centre in Tamil Nadu, with more than 125 spinning mills, weaving units and garment units. Until the 1960s, it had fewer spinning mills. Private handloom weaving began to increase in the region after the 1960s and during the 1980s, the textile industry expanded with major spinning mills and dyeing units established supporting the industry.
The area also houses a number of
sago
Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is ...
factories for the production starch. In Salem district, of land are devoted to
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...
and 650 industrial units are engaged in tapioca processing. In 1981, the Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Co-operative Society (SAGOSERVE) was established to promote the sago industry and nearly 80 percent of the national demand for sago and starch is met by SAGOSERVE. In and around Salem cassava yields are 25–30 tons per hectare, one of the highest in the world; the national average is 19 tons per hectare, and the world average is 10 tons.
The Salem Steel Plant, a unit of the
Steel Authority of India
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is a central public sector undertaking based in New Delhi, India. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Steel, Government of India with an annual turnover of INR 1,03,480 Crore (US$13 billion) for fisc ...
, produces cold-rolled
stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
and a hot-rolled stainless-carbon steel alloy. The plant is being expanded and modernized, with plans for steel-melting and continuous-casting facilities. The Southern Iron and Steel Company (part of
JSW Steel
JSW Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel producer based in Mumbai and is a flagship company of the JSW Group. After the merger of ISPAT Steel and Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Limited, JSW Steel became India's second largest private secto ...
) have their first integrated steel plant in Salem for the production of
TMT corrosion-resistant bars and
alloy steel
Alloy steel is steel that is alloyed with a variety of elements in total amounts between 1.0% and 50% by weight to improve its mechanical properties. Alloy steels are broken down into two groups: low alloy steels and high alloy steels. The differe ...
s. The Salem region is rich in mineral ores, with some of the largest
magnesite
Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts.
Occurrence
Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic ro ...
and
bauxite
Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO(O ...
deposits in India. Public and private magnesite factories include Burn Standard and Company, Dalmia Magnesites and Tata Refractories.
Salem Mango belt contributes the economy in large scale by exporting mangoes to foreign countries and supplying mangoes all over India. The Leigh Bazaar is the region's largest market for agricultural products. The Tamil Nadu government and the
Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu
The Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited ''(ELCOT)'' ( ta, தமிழ்நாடு மின்னணுவியல் கழகம் (வரையறுக்கப்பட்டது)) is an Indian, public sector undertaking, e ...
are planning a IT park in the city. The Steel Authority of India is planning a steel
special economic zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
in its Salem plant, and an electrical and electronics
industrial estate
An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park, ...
is in the Suramangalam area of the city.
Salem is also famous for its silver jewelry. Shevapet, Sivathapuram and Panangadu are the areas where the Silver Products are made in cottage industries. Salem produces World Class Artistic Silver Anklets, Toe Rings, Neck Chains, Pendents and Silverware. Salem has the presence of Multi-National Corporations, including Capgemini, First American (India) Financial Corporation (FAI), Whirlpool Warehouse, Vee Technologies, and SourceHOV LLC. The Tamil Nadu government is trying to get
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence (military), defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manuf ...
on board to set up a manufacturing unit at Salem as the state has been chosen for establishing the center's ambitious defense corridor project with Salem being one of the nodes.
Demographics
![MultiSpeciality Hospital salem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/MultiSpeciality_Hospital_salem.jpg)
Salem had a population of 826,267 in the
2011 census. There were 987 females for every 1,000 males, significantly higher than the national average of 929. The main language spoken is Tamil. Kannada is spoken among Devayanga community.
A total of 79,067 were under age six: 40,570 males and 38,497 females. The city's literacy rate was 76.37 percent, higher than the national average of 72.99 percent.
Salem had 215,747 households and a total of 332,147 workers: 1,599 farmers, 3,040 agricultural laborers, 32,597 in household industries, 278,892 other workers, 16,019 part-time workers, 165 part-time farmers, 544 part-time agricultural workers, 1,937 part-time workers in household industries and 13,373 other part-time workers.
As per the religious census of 2011, Salem had 89.79%
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 7.48%
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, 2.36%
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, 0.11%
Jains
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
, 0.02%
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
, 0.01%
Buddhists
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, 0.2% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.
Religious landmarks
Salem has several
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temples. The Kottai Mariamman Temple, dedicated to the goddess
Mariamman
Mariamman, often abbreviated to Amman, is a Hindu goddess of rain, predominantly venerated in the rural areas of South India. Her festivals are held during the late summer/early autumn season of Ādi throughout Tamil Nadu and the Deccan region, ...
, has an annual five-day festival during the
Tamizh month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August). The temple's
gopuram
A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...
is made up of seven tiers. Sugavaneshwarar Temple is dedicated to
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, and according to mythology the sage Sugha Brahmarishi is worshiped there. Arunagirinadhar sang a song about
Muruga
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
in the temple, which was built during the 13th century by Mamannan Sundara Pandiyan. Kottai Perumal Temple, Skandhashram,
Jamia Masjid is Salem's oldest
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and lies on the southern bank of the Thirumanimutharu River in the heart of the city. It was reportedly built by the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...
ruler
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
, who is said to have prayed here. The ''Masjid Inam'' granted to the mosque in 1862 was confirmed by the British with a special resolution in 1880.
Christ Church is located on Fort Road and the church was consecrated in 1875.
The other popular churches in and around the city include the Lechler Memorial Church, which is the oldest church in Salem, was built in 1856 by a German missionary in Fort Salem.
Shopping and recreation
![Kurumambapatti Zoological park entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Kurumambapatti_Zoological_park_entrance.jpg)
Salem's traditional shopping areas are in the Town area, with major retailers in Bazaar Street, Car Street, First Agraharam and Chinna Kadai Street. Shevapet and the Fort area are noted for hardware and furniture, and Leigh Bazaar in Shevapet is the main wholesale market.
Reliance Shopping Mall, the city's largest shopping complex is situated near Five Roads. Other malls in the city are Nirmal Skywin mall and Kandaswarna Mega mall.
Kurumbapatti Zoological Park and Anna Park are government-run parks. Paravasa Ulagam and Dream Land are amusement parks in the city.
Mookaneri (Kannankurichi) within the city limits is a popular tourist place and bird watching destination.
Yercaud, a major hill station in Tamil Nadu is about from Salem City. The ghat road starts at the end of the Salem City limits. The ghat road is a picturesque spot and attracts a lot of early morning walkers and joggers.
Yercaud
Yercaud is a Hill station in Salem District, in Tamil Nadu, India.
History
Stone-age implements have been found from the ancient shrine located near Shevaroy Hills (also known as Shevarayan Hills), which is about 5 km from the Yercaud ...
is also a famous weekend getaway for the people of Salem and nearby districts and states.
Cuisine
Thattu vadai Set (or simply called as settu) is a savory snack and popular street food, which originated in Salem and is now available in other cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai. It is a very famous street snack available at almost every small stall set up on the streets of Salem. The sandwich consists of two crunchy
thattai discs with fillings such as crispy beetroot, carrot and other vegetables smeared with green and red chutneys. Norukkal Mix, another popular snack is smashed
murukku
Murukku (Malayalam – മുറുക്ക്, Tamil – முறுக்கு) is a savoury, crunchy snack originating from the Indian subcontinent. The name ''murukku'' derives from the Tamil word for "twisted", which refers to its shape. ...
mixed with chutney, groundnut, coconut, sliced tomatoes and Chillipowder (Molagapodi). Egg Settu, Murukku Settu and Maanga Settu are the different varieties of Thattu vadai Set .
Transport
Road
Salem has six
arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below freeways/motorways on the road hierarchy in terms of traffic flow and speed. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector ro ...
s: Omalur Road, Cherry Road, Saradha College Road, Junction Main Road, Trichy Road and Attur Road. Three
National Highways
National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in England. It al ...
originate from or pass through Salem:
NH 44
National Highway 44 (NH 44) is a major north–south National Highway in India and is the longest in the country.
It passes through the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, ...
(
Srinagar
Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
via
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
and
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
),
NH 544
National Highway 544, commonly referred to as NH 544, (''old number'' NH 47) is a National Highway in South India connecting Salem city in Tamil Nadu to the city of Kochi in Kerala. It is also called the Salem-Kochi Highway. The highway runs ...
(Salem –
Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
via
Erode
Erode () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the state, after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruppur and Salem. It is also the administrative headquarters of the E ...
and
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
and
Tiruppur
Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal Ri ...
)and
NH 79 (Salem –
Ulundurpet
Ulundurpettai or Ulundurpet (உளுந்தூர்பேட் / உளுந்தூர்பேட்டை) is a Municipality in Ulundurpet taluk of kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is at the intersection of NH 68 an ...
).
Salem is the headquarters of the Salem division of
TNSTC. The city has two major bus stations: the MGR Integrated Bus Terminus in Meyyanoor and the
Town Bus Station (Old Bus Stand) in the town area. Intercity and interstate routes and private buses originate at the
Central Bus Stand (New Bus Stand), and local buses originate at the Old Bus Stand. The Anna Flyover is the oldest in the city, and the Trumpet Interchange was built in the realignment of NH 544 to ease traffic towards
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
. A new double-decker flyover runs within main city centres like New bus stand, 5 roads, saratha college road, 4 roads to ease congestion on these roads. It is the longest double-decker flyover in Tamil Nadu covering a length of 7.87 km.
The Town Bus terminus is being upgraded into a double decker bus terminus, the first of this kind in the state under the smart City scheme
. The terminal building of the New Bus terminus is also reconstructed under the smart City scheme.
A new
bus port has also been proposed for the city at Jagirammapalayam near IT park with an area of about 61 acres. This includes a bypass road to connect the
Ayothiapattinam area of the city with the bus port.
Other bus stands include the
Omalur
Omalur is a panchayat town and headquarters of Omalur taluk in the Salem District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the National Highway 7 between 11° 73333" latitude and 78° 06667" longitude. It has a population of about 13, ...
bus station and
Attayampatti bus station in the outskirts of the city.
Rail
Salem Junction
Salem Junction railway station (station code: SA) is an A1 category ISO 14001 certified junction railway station situated in the city of Salem in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Salem Railway Junction has been rated as the cleanest station am ...
is an A-1 category ISO-14001 certified railway junction located in Suramangalam area, west of the city. In 2005, the
Railway Board
The Ministry of Railways is a ministry in the Government of India, responsible for the country's rail transport. The ministry operates the statutory body Indian Railways, an organisation that operates as a monopoly in rail transport and is h ...
approved the creation of a
Salem railway division
Salem division is one of the six divisions of Southern Railway zone. Its headquarters is at Salem, Tamil Nadu.
History
Salem Railway Division is the newest division of the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. It was carved out of the ...
from
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
and
Tiruchirapalli divisions. It is the fourth-largest of the six
Southern Railway zone divisions. Salem Railway Junction has been rated as the cleanest station among the divisional headquarters railway stations and also the ninth cleanest railway station in the entire country, according to a survey report published in June 2017. Other major railway stations catering to the city include
Salem Town
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
, Salem Market,
Omalur Junction,
Karuppur railway station and
Ayothiapattinam railway station.
Air
Salem Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
''SXV'',
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
''VOSM'') is located on the Salem-Bengaluru Highway (NH44) in Kaamalapuram about from the city.
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India, or AAI, is a public sector enterprise under the ownership of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. It is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing civil aviation infrastruct ...
(AAI) opened the airport in 1993 for commercial operations.
Kingfisher Airlines
Kingfisher Airlines Limited was an airline group based in India. It was established in 2003 and started its commercial operations in 2005. Through its parent company United Breweries Group, it had a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red. ...
flew from
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
but ended its service in October 2011 due to low occupancy.
Trujet
TruJet was an Indian regional airline based at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The airline commenced operations in July 2015 and ceased all operations in February 2022.
History
Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited was incorpo ...
started services to Chennai in March 2018 as a part of the Udaan scheme by
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
as well as
Air Odisha
Air Odisha was[ch-aviation.com – Air Odisha](_blank)
retrieved 14 April 2019 ...
gives connectivity to
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and
Pondicherry
Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
from June 2018. The nearest major airports are
Tiruchirappalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
(152 km) and
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
(148 km).
Sports
Gandhi Stadium
Gandhi Stadium or Burlton Park or BS Bedi Stadium is located in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab and is used for cricket matches. As of 19 August 2017 it has hosted 1 Test and 3 ODIs. The stadium should not be confused with the 10,000-capacity Gand ...
, built originally for cricket, also hosts athletic meets, football, Volleyball and basketball. Salem District Cricket Association (SDCA) has 47 teams in league cricket. The city has 2 international standard turf grounds. The Green Valley Sports club Cricket ground is on the outskirts of Salem city. The state
chief minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), also known as E.P.S., is an Indian politician and the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He served as the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021. He has been th ...
inaugurated the
Salem Cricket Foundation Stadium with international standards on 10 February 2020 in the presence of former cricketer Rahul Dravid and former International Cricket Council, ICC and Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI president N. Srinivasan built at a cost of in Karivepilapatti near Vazhapadi. This newly inaugurated ground is the home ground for Salem Spartans, a Tamil Nadu Premier League, TNPL team and also the second home ground for the Indian Premier League team of Chennai Super Kings.
T. Natarajan, who hails from Salem, made his international debut for the India cricket team in December 2020 He plays in the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad and is nicknamed as "Yorker King" for his accurate Yorkers at death overs in T20 games. In the 2020 IPL season, delivered a whopping 96 yorkers in 16 IPL matches this year. He played a major role for India to win the Dettol T20 Series 2020 in Australia.
Mariyappan Thangavelu from Salem is an Indian Paralympic high jumper. He represented India in the 2016 Summer Paralympic games held in Rio de Janeiro in the men's high jump T-42 category, winning the gold medal in the finals.
City-based teams
Education
![Periyar university, Salem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Periyar_university%2C_Salem.jpg)
Salem has several educational institutions with Arts and Science colleges affiliated to Periyar University founded in 1997.
*The Government College of Engineering was founded in 1966.
*The Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College was established in 1986.
*The Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), Salem was established in 1960 by Ministry of Textiles.
*The Government Law College was opened in August 2019.
*Sona College of Technology founded 1997
*Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Engineering College founded 1987
*Thiagarajar Polytechnic College founded 1958
Sister cities
Salem has one sister city:
* Salem, Oregon, USA
As of 2014, there was talk of reviving the now-stagnant Sister City project launched in 1964 with Salem in Oregon, USA.
Notable people
Politics
*
Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), also known as E.P.S., is an Indian politician and the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He served as the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021. He has been th ...
, Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (Feb 2017 to May 2021).
* Veerapandy S. Arumugam, served as the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration and the Minister for Agriculture.
* P. Dhanapal, Ex- Speaker (politics), Speaker for the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
.
* Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, served as the Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs in the P. V. Narasimha Rao government from July 1991 to December 1993 and as the Union Minister for Power in the Vajpayee Government from 1998 to 2000.
* K. Rajaram, served as the Speaker (politics), Speaker of the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
from 1980 to 1985.
* T. V. Rajeswar, Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (1983-1985), Sikkim (1985-1989), West Bengal (1989-1990), Uttar Pradesh (2004-2009).
* Vazhappady K. Ramamurthy, served as minister of state for Labour with independent charge in the Congress government led by P. V. Narasimha Rao for a brief period in 1991.
* T. M. Selvaganapathy, Minister of Local Administration in J.Jayalalitha Government between 1991 and 1996.
* P. Subbarayan, was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government.
Media
* P. Varadarajulu Naidu, the founder of The Indian Express.
Sports
* Thangarasu Natarajan, an Indian cricketer.
* M. R. Srinivasaprasad, cricketer, represented Young India in Zimbabwe (1983/84).
* Mariyappan Thangavelu, an Indian Paralympic high jumper, India's first Paralympian gold medalist since 2004.
* P. V. Nandhidhaa, Indian Chess player, India's 17th Woman Grandmaster.
Refer List of Indian chess players.
Arts, entertainment and television
* Sasi (director), Sasi, film director
* S. D. Sundharam, Indian Tamils, Tamil playwright, dialogue writer and lyricist.
* Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, Tamils, Tamil film director
* Arthur A. Wilson, cinematographer
* Taj Noor, music director
* Satish, actor
Mathematics, science and technology
* A. R. Rao, Indian mathematician.
* Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkataraman, an Indian people, Indian botanist, agronomist and plant geneticist.
Salem Day
The Salem city was formed on 1 November 1866. Salem City Municipal Council celebrated its Centenary in 1966. Fittingly the Municipality was upgraded into a special grade Municipality on 1 April 1979. The Centurion Municipality was declared as the Salem City Municipal Corporation The date of formation of Salem city is recognised as Salem day and it is celebrated by the people all over the city. Salem city celebrates its birthday every year on the first of November.
See also
* Salem metropolitan area (India), Salem metropolitan area
* Economy of Salem, Tamil Nadu
References
External links
*
NIC website for Salem, Tamil Nadu*
{{Authority control
Salem, Tamil Nadu,
Cities and towns in Salem district
Smart cities in India