Salem () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Thirumanimutharu River and surrounded by the Eastern Ghats. It is the fifth largest city in the state as per the 2011 census. It is the administrative capital of Salem District and is administered by the Salem Municipal Corporation which was established in 1994.
The history of the region dates back to the Sangam period (1st–4th centuries CE), when it was part of the Cheras. It was engaged in trade with the Roman Empire, evidenced by Roman coins, dating back to the era, found in archeological excavations in the region. The region was ruled by various successive dynasties including the Pandyas, Pallavas, Cholas, and Hoysalas. In the 14th century, it became part of the Vijayanagara Empire, and later ruled by the Madurai Nayaks. During the period, the governance was under the control of local chieftains known as Poligars.
By the late 18th century, it came under the Kingdom of Mysore after conflicts with the Madurai Nayaks. Following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the region was annexed by the British East India Company and integrated into the Madras Presidency. Salem district was formally established in 1792. The region played a role in early resistance against the British, and was the base of Dheeran Chinnamalai during the Second Polygar War. After Indian independence, Salem became part of the Madras Province, which later became Tamil Nadu.
In modern times, Salem has developed into a major industrial and economic hub, known for textiles, steel production, and agro-based industries like sago extraction and mango cultivation. It is home to the Salem Steel Plant and several industrial corridors and special economic zones. The city has a well developed transport network including rail, highways, and an airport, and is home to several educational institutions.
History
The region was part of the
Chera dynasty during
Sangam period between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE.
The city might have had trade connections with the
Roman Empire in the 1st century CE, evident from the Roman coins bearing the seal of Emperor
Tiberius (37–68 CE) found in the region. In the 2nd century CE, the region came under the rule of the
Pandyas. In the 4th century CE, the
Pallavas rose to power in the region, and it was the center of conflict between the Pallavas and the Pandyas over thee 8th and 9th centuries CE. In the 10th century, the region was captured by the
Cholas. After the decline of the Chola Empire in the 12th century CE, the region was under the rule of the
Hoysalas and the Later Pandyas in the 12th–13th centuries CE.
The region came under the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century CE. It was later governed by Poligars, military chieftains under the Vijayanagara and the later Nayak rule.
Geography and climate
Salem is located in
Kongu Nadu, between the
Kalrayan Hills and Pachaimalai Hills of the
Eastern Ghats.
The Thirumanimutharu River flows through the city.
The river originates in the
Shevaroy Hills, and joins the
Kaveri later.
The terrain is rocky and undulating with isolated hillocks.
Red soil is predominant though
Chernozem is found in isolated pockets.
Climate
Salem has a
tropical climate with a high
humidity. The summer extends from March to May, with maximum temperatures in April. The temperature starts to drop in mid June, with the onset of the
monsoon.
The region receives almost equal rainfall from both southwest and northeast monsoon.
November to February are the cooler months, with the temperature dropping to an average minimum of in December.
Demographics
The city covers an area of .
As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of 829,267 inhabitants. There were 987 females for every 1,000 males. Of these, 79,067 were under the age of six: 40,570 males and 38,497 females. The city's literacy rate was 76.37 percent.
Salem had 215,747 households and 332,147 were employed. This included 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.
was the most spoken language with 73.8% of the population citing it as their native language. Other significant languages included
Telugu language (10.8%),
Kannada (5.83%), and
Urdu (5%).
Administration and politics
Salem is the headquarters of Salem district. 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.
Prior to 2008, the city was part of the Salem I and Salem II assembly constituencies.
Law and order is maintained by the Salem city subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police, 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.
Economy
, Salem had a
GDP of billion.
The town is a major textile centre, with more than 75,000
handlooms and spinning mills in the region.
The region is popular for its silk textiles.
Salem Fabric and
Salem silk are recognised as Geographical indications in India.
cultivation in prominent in the region,
and there are more than 650 industrial units which are engaged in the extraction of
sago from the cassava plants. In 1981, the Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Co-operative Society was established to promote the industry and nearly 80 percent of the national demand for sago and starch is met by the region.
Salem is popular for its
, with several cultivars grown in the region.
The city is a major centre of steel industry. The Salem Steel Plant, a unit of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), was established in 1981, and produces stainless steel and stainless-carbon steel . The plant was expanded and modernized in the late 2000s, with steel-melting and continuous-casting facilities.
Transport
Air
Salem Airport is located at Kamalapuram, about from the city. It was built at a cost of , and opened in April 1993. The airport had seen intermittent operations since its opening to the mid 2010s.
In 2018, the airport was one of the destinations identified under the Government of India's
UDAN regional connectivity scheme. In March 2018, the Ministry of Civil Aviation changed the status of the airport to "unserved" to enable the introduction of flights under the scheme.
After the airport remained closed for commercial operations again since 2022,
Alliance Air and
IndiGo launched flights from the airport in October 2023.
Rail
Salem Junction is a major railhead in the region, and is the main station serving the city.
In 2006, the Salem railway division was created by the Southern Railway zone of the
Indian Railways.
The station was rated as the cleanest station among the divisional headquarters railway stations according to a report published in June 2017.
Salem Town is the other railway station in the city.
Road
The National Highway 44, the longest highway in the country, passes through the city. It forms part of the north-south corridor connecting
Srinagar with
Kanyakumari. Three other highways branch out from the NH 44, NH 544 towards
Kochi, NH 79 towards
Ulundurpet, and 179A towards
Jolarpettai.
Salem is the headquarters of the Salem division of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, which operates intra and inter city bus services. It was established in 1973, and operates five depots in the city.
Culture
Religion
As per the religious census,
Hinduism was the dominant religion with 89.79% adherents, with
Islam (7.48%) and
Christianity (2.36%) being the major minority religions.
There are several
in the city. The Kottai Mariamman Temple (
ta), dedicated to the goddess
Mariamman, has an annual five-day festival during the Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August).
The Sukhavaneswarar Temple (
ta) is dedicated to
Shiva, which was named after sage Sukha, and is mentioned in the hymns of
Arunagirinathar.
The Alagirinathar Temple is dedicated to
Vishnu.
Jamia Masjid is the oldest
mosque in the city and lies on the southern bank of the Thirumanimutharu River. It was reportedly built in the late 19th century.
The Christ Church is located on Fort Road and was consecrated in 1875.
Lechler Memorial Church, the oldest church in the city, was built in 1856 by a German missionary in Fort Salem.
Cuisine
Thattu vadai set (or simply called as settu) is a savory snack and popular street food, which originated in Salem.
These are sold in several roadside stalls set up on the streets of Salem. It is a sandwich of two crunchy thattai discs with vegetable fillings smeared with various
. There are several varieties of the same, depending on the ingredients used such as
, raw
mango, or
murukku.
Norukkal Mix is another popular snack, made up of smashed murukku, mixed with chutney, cut vegetables, and
chilli powder.
Education
Schools consist of government run, government aided, and private schools.
Salem has several institutions of higher education.
-
Thiagarajar Polytechnic College was founded 1958.
-
Indian Institute of Handloom Technology was established by the Ministry of Textiles in 1960.
-
Government College of Engineering was established in 1966.
-
Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College was established in 1986.
-
Government Law College opened in August 2019.
There are two universities in the city. The Vinayaka Mission established its first college in 1987, and was later declared as deemed to be university.
Sports and recreation
There are several shopping malls and bazaars in the city.
The Kurumbapatti Zoological Park and Anna Park are government-run parks.
There are a few
amusement parks in the city.
The
Mookaneri Lake is a popular tourist place and bird watching destination.
, a major hill station, is about from Salem.
Mahatma Gandhi Stadium is a multi-purpose sports venue in the city.
International relations
Salem has had a
sister city relationship with Salem, Oregon in the United States. The agreement was signed in 1964.
Notable people
-
Taj Noor — music director
-
A. R. Rao — mathematician
-
M. R. Srinivasaprasad — cricketer and coporate executive
-
Arthanareesa Varma (1874–1964) — poet and independence activist
-
Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkataraman — botanist
See also
-
Largest Indian Cities by GDP
External links
