Tamil Nadu CM Vijay inaugurates ₹301.71-crore Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday (October 16, 2026) inaugurated Periyar Arivulagam, a library and science centre built at a cost of ₹301.71 crore at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore city. He also unveiled a statue of Thanthai Periyar at the facility.

Mr. Vijay travelled in a van from Coimbatore International Airport to Periyar Arivulagam, waving to the crowds that had thronged the route to catch a glimpse of the Chief Minister.

The eight-storey building, including the ground floor, has a built-up area of 1.98 lakh sq. ft. and stands on 6.98 acres of land belonging to the Coimbatore Central Prison. The foundation stone was laid and construction began on November 6, 2024, during the previous DMK regime.

Facilities at Periyar Arivulagam

The facility houses a collection of 80 lakh books. It includes an auditorium, a planetarium, science centres, libraries for children and persons with disabilities, and facilities for students preparing for competitive examinations.

During the inauguration, Mr. Vijay toured the facility and interacted with government schoolchildren, who explained the science installations and concepts showcased at the centre. He became its first person to sign the visitors’ book. He wrote, “Know More Fear Less.”

The ground floor houses a 356-seat auditorium, a library for persons with disabilities, and a 90-seat planetarium and space-travel lift. The first floor has a reception area and a science centre. The second floor houses a children’s library and a reading section for visitors who bring their own books. The third floor has a library for competitive examination aspirants and the administrative office.

The fourth floor has sections for Tamil books and periodicals, while the fifth and sixth floors house the English books section and an entrepreneurship centre. The seventh floor has a science centre, an open courtyard, and a digital library. An astronomy viewing centre with a seating capacity of 100 has also been established on the top floor.

CM inaugurates projects

Later, Mr. Vijay inaugurated 89 completed projects worth ₹408.25 crore and laid the foundation stones for 144 new projects estimated to cost ₹32.32 crore. He also handed over welfare assistance to a few beneficiaries as part of the distribution of benefits worth ₹34.72 crore to 9,343 beneficiaries.

Ministers N. Anand (Rural Development and Water Resources), K.A. Sengottaiyan (Revenue and Disaster Management), Rajmohan (School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity), V. Sampath Kumar (Backward Classes Welfare), and K. Vignesh (Prohibition and Excise) were among those present at the function.