Tamil Sangam Literature Park inaugurated in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: A Tamil Sangam Literature Park, showcasing around 200 varieties of native trees, shrubs and creepers mentioned in Sangam literature, was inaugurated on Thursday at Nehru Nagar on Kalapatti Road in Coimbatore.The park was inaugurated by district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar, who appreciated the initiative for combining environmental conservation with the promotion of Tamil cultural heritage. He emphasized the need to develop green public spaces that also serve as centres for cultural learning. The project was developed at a cost of ₹56 lakh with financial support from a private company under its CSR initiative and implemented by Kovai Kulangal Padhukappu Amaippu. According to the coordinator of Kovai Kulangal Padhukappu Amaippu, R Manikandan, the park has been designed as a community space promoting environmental awareness and cultural education. It features a gazebo for gatherings, six-foot-wide natural stone walking tracks, park fencing, drip irrigation facilities and plantations of native species mentioned in ancient Tamil texts. The park also includes sculptures and display installations depicting scenes from Sangam literature, informational boards on Sangam poetry and native trees, and a children's play area. A sanitation complex will be constructed soon to improve visitor amenities. The park highlights plants associated with the five landscapes (Tinai) of Sangam literature — Kurinji (mountain), Mullai (forest), Marutham (agricultural plains), Neithal (coastal) and Palai (arid), offering visitors a living interpretation of classical Tamil ecological knowledge. Manikandan said the initiative aims to revive society's traditional respect for trees while creating a peaceful green space that helps reduce urban stress and reconnect people with nature and Tamil heritage.