Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin unveils ‘Semmozhi Poonga’ in Coimbatore city on November 25, 2025
| Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated Semmozhi Poonga in Coimbatore city on Tuesday (November 25, 2025), bringing to fruition a recreational space developed by the Coimbatore Corporation.
Spread across 45 acres on the Central Prison grounds in Gandhipuram, the botanical park has been developed at an estimated cost of ₹208.5 crore. The campus includes more than two kilometres of walkways, 23 themed gardens and a digital plant information system that allows visitors to scan QR codes for details on each plant species, aligning with the city’s focus on green tourism.
The park houses over 2,000 plant species including rare bonsai collections. Facilities include co-working spaces, an all-access gym, children’s play area, a terrarium, rainwater harvesting system and barrier-free infrastructure.
The proposal for establishing Semmozhi Poonga was first made during the World Tamil Literature Conference in 2010 by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Mr. Stalin later laid the foundation stone for the project in December 2023.
After unveiling the park’s identity plaque, the Chief Minister made a round of the campus, notably the installation portraying Kadai Ezhu Vallalgal (the seven celebrated patrons of the Sangam age). He interacted with industrialists and representatives of civic organisations at the 500-seat amphitheatre built inside the park.
At the event, Mr. Stalin also inaugurated a housing project for persons with disabilities at Orattukuppai in Chettipalayam panchayat and handed over the keys to the beneficiaries. The project, developed on 3.98 acres, consists of 86 houses supported through a ₹5.67 crore CSR contribution from G.D. Naidu Charities. Each house has a built-up area of 319 sq ft with a hall, kitchen, bathroom and toilet and includes accessibility features such as ramps, sliding doors and disabled-friendly toilets.
This marked Mr. Stalin’s 16th official visit to Coimbatore since assuming office as the Chief Minister in 2021.
Published – November 25, 2025 03:37 pm IST
