Tamil Nadu CM Opens ₹301.71‑crore Periyar Knowledge Centre in Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated the ₹301.71‑crore Periyar Arivulagam library and science centre in Coimbatore on October 16, 2026. He also unveiled a statue of Thanthai Periyar at the centre.

Periyar Arivulagam

The eight‑storey building covers 1.98 lakh square feet on 6.98 acres of Coimbatore Central Prison land. Construction began after the foundation stone was laid on November 6, 2024. The centre holds about 80 lakh books and offers an auditorium, planetarium and multiple specialised libraries. The ground floor includes a 356‑seat auditorium, a 90‑seat planetarium and a library for persons with disabilities. Upper floors contain a children's library, a competitive‑exam section, Tamil and English book sections, an entrepreneurship centre, a digital library and a 100‑seat astronomy viewing area. During the ceremony the chief minister signed the visitors’ book with the phrase “Know More Fear Less.”

Other Projects

He later inaugurated 89 completed projects valued at ₹408.25 crore and laid foundation stones for 144 new projects estimated at ₹32.32 crore. Welfare assistance worth ₹34.72 crore was handed to 9,343 beneficiaries. Ministers N. Anand, K.A. Sengottaiyan, Rajmohan, V. Sampath Kumar and K. Vignesh attended.

Context

Such knowledge hubs are part of Tamil Nadu’s push to improve science literacy among students. Using land of the Coimbatore Central Prison allows the state to expand public facilities without new acquisitions.