Western Tamil Nadu

Salem

Headquarters: Salem

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34,82,056

Population

Census 2011

5,237 km²

Area

72.86%

Literacy

Census 2011

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Overview

Salem is a large district in the Kongu (western) region of Tamil Nadu, set in a valley ringed by the Shevaroy (Yercaud), Nagaramalai, Jarugumalai and Kanjamalai hills. At the 2011 Census it had a population of about 3.48 million and an effective literacy rate of 72.86%, spread over roughly 5,237 sq km. Once the largest district in the state, it was progressively reduced when Dharmapuri (1965) and Namakkal (1997) were carved out of it. Salem city, the district headquarters, is an important commercial, steel and textile centre, and the district is popularly known both as the 'Steel City' and the 'Mango City'.

Economy

Salem is among Tamil Nadu's most diversified district economies. The Salem Steel Plant, a unit of SAIL commissioned in the 1970s, produces stainless steel with a cold-rolling capacity of about 66,600 tonnes and hot-rolling of around 3.64 lakh tonnes per year, and a private JSW (formerly Southern Iron & Steel) special-steel plant also operates here. Salem meets close to 80% of India's demand for sago, made from tapioca grown on tens of thousands of hectares, while Tamil Nadu Magnesite Ltd (TANMAG) mines the district's magnesite deposits. Textiles and handloom with tens of thousands of looms, poultry, silver-anklet making and extensive mango cultivation add further depth.

Steel (Salem Steel Plant)Textiles and handloomSago and tapioca processingMagnesite and miningPoultryAgriculture

Tourism

The Shevaroy hill station of Yercaud, at about 1,500 metres in the Eastern Ghats, is the district's star attraction, famed for its coffee and orange estates, boating lake, Lady's Seat viewpoint and annual summer festival. Mettur Dam, built across the Kaveri in 1934 and among the largest dams in the state, draws visitors to its reservoir and park. Other spots include Kiliyur Falls near Yercaud, the historic Sankagiri and Attur forts, and the Kurumbapatti zoological park.

Temples & heritage

Salem's principal temple is the Sri Sugavaneswarar (Siva) temple in the heart of the city, while the Kottai Mariamman temple within the old fort area is a major folk shrine drawing large festival crowds. Atop the Shevaroys, the ancient Servaroyan (Shevaroy) temple set inside a cave is revered by the hill communities, and the Kailasanathar temple at Tharamangalam is noted for its intricate stone sculpture.

Infrastructure

Salem is a major road and rail junction: Salem Junction is one of the busiest railway hubs in western Tamil Nadu, and the city sits at the crossing of national highways NH-44 (the north-south corridor) and NH-544 (Salem-Coimbatore-Kochi), with an expressway link to Chennai in progress. Salem Airport at Kamalapuram provides air connectivity, and Mettur Dam anchors the district's irrigation and hydro-power network.

Education & healthcare

Salem is an established education centre, home to Periyar University (a state university established in 1997) and the private Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation deemed university, along with well-known institutions such as the Government College of Engineering, Salem and Sona College of Technology. The district's effective literacy rate was 72.86% at the 2011 Census, supported by a large network of government and aided schools across the city and rural blocks.

Gallery

Yercaud Lake, the centrepiece of the Shevaroy hill station · 📷 Sri2161k, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mettur Dam across the Kaveri, one of the largest dams in Tamil Nadu · 📷 Sri2161k, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Valley view from Lady's Seat viewpoint, Yercaud · 📷 Tamal Das, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Videos

Yercaud Tourist Places - Best Places to Visit

Sources & references

Source: Census of India 2011 (via census2011.co.in); Data note