Image Credits: https://www.tripuntold.com/tamil-nadu/salem/mettur-dam/
Planning to visit Salem soon but don’t know what to see? Don’t worry we got you covered.
Things that come to our mind when the word ‘Salem’ is mentioned are Mangoes, Steel, Mettur Dam, Yercaud, Silk Sarees, Sago, Temples, Silver works, Cuisine, Educational Institutes and much more. Salem is the 5th largest urban area(population-wise) in the state. The word ‘Salem’ has been derived from the word ‘Sailam’. Sailam means an area surrounded by hills on all sides. The Shevaroy, Kalrayan, Kollimalai and Pachaimalai are some of the hills.
The growth of Salem has caught the attention of the government and seeing the potential of this city the central government has announced it as a ‘Smart City’. Lots of small and medium sized business have come up in the last few years making salem an important driver of Commerce and trade in the state.
So these are some of the reasons why the city is gaining prominence in India. In this blog, we will look at some iconic places.
Table of Contents:
- Mookaneri Lake
- Sankagiri Fort
- Thattu Vadai Shops
- Modern theatres
- Elampillai
1.Mookaneri Lake.
This is an important water body in the District, spread over 90 acres. The lake receives water from rainwater and it has plenty of trees. The lake is a source of water for people in the nearby areas. It helps in maintaining the groundwater level.
There are many man-made islands in the lake, this attracts a lot of birds and birdwatchers from all over the district. These islands were created by piling lakebed clay. There are more than 12,000 trees in these islands. Kingfishers and egrets are the most common birds. Migratory birds such as Common Sandpiper, Painted stork, Oriental Darter, Black-headed gull, brown-headed gull, streak-throated swallow, grey wagtail, Garganey, etc. are also sighted.
The lake has a mini auditorium, walker’s path, children”s play area. Few varieties of fish such as catla, rohu. Kuruvai are available. Fisherman catch and sell these fishes.
Image Credits: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/video/water/revival-story-how-mookaneri-lake-became-a-welcome-green-patch-for-salem-70635
Location: Kannankurichi.
Timings: All through the day.
2.Sankagiri Fort.
The Vijayanagar empire built the Sankagiri fort, which is on top of a hill called Sankagiri Mala with an altitude of 700 feet. Plus, it is covered by 12 stone walls. Because it is located on a steep terrain and has terrific security features, it is extremely difficult to capture the fort. The castle is home to many architectural ruins, like a granary, a palace and barracks. The underground tunnel system is one of the marvels of the fort, they were of tremendous use during times of war. There is a death well in the fort which adds mystery to the fort.
Tipu sultan and the Britishers used this fort as a military outpost. The fort is 38 kms from Salem and it is well connected to the city through regular buses.
Despite the historical significance of the place, there are very few visitors to the fort. Various organizations in the district have been asking the government to improve the amenities provided so that more people visit the site. If these demands are met it will boost the livelihood of the surrounding villages.
Image Credits: https://www.tripuntold.com/tamil-nadu/salem/sankagiri-fort/
Location: Sankagiri.
Timings: 8 A.M to 6 P.M.
3. Thattu Vadai Shops.
There is a Thattu Vadai shop in every street; that is how much the people of Salem love this simple snack. Most of these shops open in the evening when people are back from work and are craving for some tasty food before supper. Thattu Vadai Setu is a cheap and healthy snack when compared to other snacks available in the market. It is a simple dish made of vegetable salad, chutney and Thattu Vadai (gram flour crisps).
Balakrishnan, a local merchant, used to sell thattu vadais and he changed the recipe of the dish by adding vegetables and chutney. Following him, many in the neighbourhood made changes and came up with their own recipes. Thus began Salem’s love story with this lovely snack.
Image Credits: https://www.inuth.com/lifestyle/food/what-is-thattu-vadai-set-salems-go-to-snack/
Location: Available in all parts of Salem
Timings: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
4. Modern theatres.
Once, this movie studio produced hundreds of films in different languages like Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam. The movies ranged from mythology to mysteries to comedies.. Modern Theatres was the first studio in the whole of South India and the birthplace of many directors and artists like Karunanidhi, Kannadasan, etc. Many movies produced here became superhit movies. but all that remains today is just a stone arch in the foothills of Yercaud. Nowadays, the majority of Tamil movies are shot in Chennai.
Even though Modern theatres is no more it is lives on through the movies of the past. The films, now available only in archives, is testimony to the genius of T.R.Sundaram.
Image Credits: https://scroll.in/reel/694534/tamil-nadus-trailblazing-modern-theatres-studio-spun-romances-period-dramas-and-colour-films
Location: Chinnakollapatty.
Timings: All through the day.
5. Elampillai
This town in Salem is renowned for its textiles, like Silk Sarees, Cotton Sarees and Polyester Sarees. The reason for the popularity of Elampillai Saree is its durability of colours and the material used. The usage of Butta designs in the pallu and border is a specialty of Elampillai Saree. Elampillai is famous for both traditional and fancy sarees.
Elampillai’s economy is built on the textile industry. The surrounding villages are also into textiles and Elampillai acts as a center for textile trade. The quality of the sarees are so good that they are even sold in Kancheepuram and people buy them without knowing that these sarees are from Elampillai.
Image Credits: https://www.nishalika.com/product/aarni-salem-elampillai-soft-silk-saree/
Location: Elampillai
Timing: 9 A.M to 9 P.M
There are dozens of places to visit in Salem. Salem has lots of temples, historical landmarks, tourist places, institutions of higher learning. What I have mentioned here is not an exhaustive list and providing a list is not the intention of this blog. This blog was written with the intention of showing how many hidden treasures are present in a small city like Salem. So explore cities like Salem and you will be amazed at what you find.
If you are planning to visit Salem in the near future take a look at our Tour Packages to Salem.
To know more about Salem contact this page.