Townapedia
Salem Seelanaickenpati
Salem Seelanaickenpati · Arulmuru182002, Public domain
KOTTAI UPSTREET MASJID AHLE SUNNAT- WAL- JAMATH- (Hanafi), SALEM - panoramio (8)
KOTTAI UPSTREET MASJID AHLE SUNNAT- WAL- JAMATH- (Hanafi), SALEM - panoramio (8) · RAJUKHAN SR RAJESH, CC BY-SA 3.0
SRI ALAGIRINATHAR TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio (2)
SRI ALAGIRINATHAR TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio (2) · RAJUKHAN SR RAJESH, CC BY-SA 3.0
SRI ALAGIRINATHA SWAMY TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio
SRI ALAGIRINATHA SWAMY TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio · RAJUKHAN SR RAJESH, CC BY-SA 3.0
KOTTAI DOWN STREET AHLE SUNNAT WAL JAMATH (Hanafi), SALEM - panoramio (5)
KOTTAI DOWN STREET AHLE SUNNAT WAL JAMATH (Hanafi), SALEM - panoramio (5) · RAJUKHAN SR RAJESH, CC BY-SA 3.0
Salem Corporation Head office panoramic view
Salem Corporation Head office panoramic view · Salem City Municipal Corporation, Public domain

Salem, India

Salem is a city of 917,414 people in Tamil Nadu, India.

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Population917,414 GeoNames
RegionTamil Nadu
Elevation278 m 912 ft
Time zoneAsia/Kolkata
Land area102.0 km² 8,994 people per km²
Nearest airportSalem Airport (SXV) 17 km
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Why visit Salem

Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 26 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include ARRS MULTIPLEX, Government Museum, Salem and Kurumbapatti Zoological Park.

About Salem

Salem (pronounced [seːlam] ) 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.

From the Wikipedia article Salem, Tamil Nadu (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Travel tips from other travellers: Salem on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Photos of Salem

KOTTAI UPSTREET MASJID AHLE SUNNAT- WAL- JAMATH- (Hanafi), SALEM - panoramio
CC BY-SA 3.0
SRI ALAGIRINATHA SWAMY TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio (3)
CC BY-SA 3.0
SRI ALAGIRINATHAR TEMPLE ( KOTTAI PERUMAAL TEMPLE ), SALEM - panoramio (5)
CC BY-SA 3.0
Cannon-3-salem corporation-salem-India
CC BY-SA 4.0

Things to do11

KumaragiriCC BY-SA 3.0

Kumaragiri

Scenic view · 3.4 km

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ARRS MULTIPLEX

Cinema and theater · 2.8 km

2-94-95 Meyyanur Bypass Road, Salem

24/7

Open in Google Maps · 0427 404 0511

Gowri

Cinema and theater · 3.2 km

5 Roads, Salem

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Raja Sabari Theatre

Cinema and theater · 1.2 km

This is the commercial theatre

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Big cinemas

Cinema and theater · 0.9 km

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Divya

Cinema and theater · 3.8 km

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INOX Leisure

Cinema and theater · 3.5 km

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Jarugumalai

Scenic view · 7.8 km

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Krishnappa Old Theatre

Cinema and theater · 6.0 km

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Nagaramalai

Scenic view · 6.5 km

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Old Palace Theatre

Cinema and theater

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Museums and landmarks9

Government Museum, Salem

Museum · 2.9 km

Museum in India

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

My Office

Monument and historic site · 2.0 km

259 Suramangalam Road

Open in Google Maps · 04272352993

Ammapet Lake

Monument and historic site · 3.2 km

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Ashoka Sthubi

Monument and historic site

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AVR Roundabout

Monument and historic site · 3.9 km

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Exhibiton Ground

Museum · 2.3 km

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Military Road Roundabout

Monument and historic site · 3.8 km

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Millitry Tank

Monument and historic site

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ThiruvaGoundanur Roundabout

Monument and historic site · 3.7 km

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Parks, trails and playgrounds13

Kurumbapatti Zoological ParkCC BY-SA 4.0

Kurumbapatti Zoological Park

Park · 10.2 km

Zoo in Tamil Nadu, India

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Gandhi Stadium

Sports field and stadium · 0.8 km

Salem - Omalur Road, Salem

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Anna Park

Park · 0.9 km

Salem - Omalur Road, Salem

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Children Park

Park · 5.1 km

Veeranam Main Road, Allikuttai

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Bose Maidan

Sports field and stadium

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Green Garden

Park · 0.8 km

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Indoor Stadium

Playground · 0.7 km

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Play Ground

Playground · 0.8 km

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Ramakrishna Park

Park · 2.0 km

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SK Township Park

Park · 4.5 km

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SONA College and TPT play ground

Playground · 4.4 km

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Southern Railway place

Park · 2.4 km

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1 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes26

Adyar Ananda Bhavan

Restaurant · Regional · 2.0 km

Omalur Main Road, Salem

Open in Google Maps · +91 427 233 3399

Rayalseema Spice

Restaurant · 2.8 km

Mo-Su 12:00-16:30,18:00-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +91989 468 9043

AMMA unavagam KALARAMPATTI

Restaurant · Regional · 1.6 km

Mo-Su 07:00-20:00

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Hotel Nila Soru

Restaurant · 7.2 km

Mo-Su 13:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +9199656 86666

Selvi Mess

Restaurant · 3.3 km

Tasty Mutton Briyani available here.

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Sri Saravana Bhavan's Aasai Dosai

Restaurant · Indian · 3.9 km

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dfb

Cafe · Regional · 4.8 km

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Aavin Hi-Tech Parlour

Cafe · 7.9 km

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Bakery and Tea Stall

Cafe · 5.3 km

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Dubai Bakery

Bakery · 2.5 km

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Green Park

Restaurant · 3.0 km

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Hotel Sri Annapoorna's

Restaurant · 3.0 km

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14 more on the map.

History

The region was part of the Chera Empire 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 the 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.

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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. In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore, following a series of wars with the Madurai Nayak dynasty. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency. The Salem district was established in 4 April 1792 and consisted of the present-day districts of Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri. The region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801), when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. After Indian independence in 1947, it became part of the Madras Province, which later became Tamil Nadu.

From the History section of Salem, Tamil Nadu on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

More about Salem

Geography

Salem is located in Western Tamil Nadu, between the Kalrayan 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 black soil is found in isolated pockets.

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 19.2 °C (66.6 °F) in December.

Economy

As of 2020, Salem had a GDP of US$10.354 (equivalent to $12.88 in 2025) 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. Cassava 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 mangoes, with several cultivars grown in the region.

Arts and culture

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 Hindu temples 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.

Education

Schools consist of government run, government aided, and private schools.

Indian Institute of Handloom Technology was established by the Ministry of Textiles in 1960.

Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College was established in 1986.

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. The Periyar University was established in 1997.

From the Wikipedia article Salem, Tamil Nadu, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Notable people from Salem

Born in Salem, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.

Where to stay18

Churches and places of worship29

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Shopping14

Gas and EV charging29

Schools, colleges and libraries75

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Healthcare208

Map of Salem

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

Salem Airport (SXV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 km away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Towns near Salem

Erumāpālaiyam · pop. 10,220 3 km southeast Sedaikavundanūr · pop. 7,823 3 km southeast Kondalampatti · pop. 20,318 4 km southwest Kannānkurichchi · pop. 19,765 5 km northeast Dāsināyakkanpatti · pop. 5,857 5 km south Yercaud · pop. 11,582 15 km northeast

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