Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated the ₹301 crore Periyar Arivulagam at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore on Friday, opening an eight-storey public facility designed to combine library services, science education, digital access and support for innovation.
The building has a built-up area of 1,98,000 sq ft and is equipped with modern technological amenities. Its facilities include the Periyar Library, a science centre, a planetarium, a STEM laboratory and digital-library services. The library houses more than 80,000 books, according to the report.
The facility also includes a dedicated reading floor for differently abled users and an incubation centre for micro, small and medium enterprises. These components make the project broader than a conventional library building, bringing together public learning, science engagement, accessible reading space and enterprise support within one urban institution.
The Periyar Library and Science Centre was described as one of the significant projects of the DMK period. Its foundation stone had been laid by former Chief Minister MK Stalin. The project had been scheduled for inauguration in February this year, but the opening was postponed because of construction delays.
Located in Gandhipuram, the facility adds a major public-use institution to one of Coimbatore’s established urban areas. Its reading spaces, digital services and science-related amenities are intended to serve residents who may use the building for learning, research, public access to information and educational activities. The dedicated floor for differently abled readers also makes accessibility part of the facility’s planned use rather than an incidental feature.
The inauguration was held alongside the launch of other government projects and welfare measures. The chief minister inaugurated 89 completed projects implemented at a total cost of ₹408.25 crore, laid the foundation stone for 144 new projects estimated at ₹32.32 crore and distributed welfare assistance worth ₹34.72 crore to 9,343 beneficiaries.
The opening follows a delay linked to construction, making the facility’s inauguration the latest milestone in a project that had already attracted attention as a major public building in Coimbatore. The report did not provide details of the facility’s operating schedule, staffing arrangements or annual visitor capacity.
