Overview
- The Periyar Arivulagam was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday, October 16, 2026, and the eight‑storey facility is now open to the public.
- The ₹301.7–₹302 crore complex on about seven acres houses a multi‑floor library, a 356‑seat auditorium, a 90‑seat planetarium, science centres, a digital and children’s library, facilities for persons with disabilities and study spaces for competitive‑exam aspirants.
- Vijay arrived by special flight and led an 11.4 km roadshow from Coimbatore International Airport to Gandhipuram that drew massive crowds, prompted heavy police deployment, road barricades and a drone‑flying ban along the route.
- At the same event the chief minister inaugurated 89 completed projects worth ₹408.25 crore, laid foundation stones for 144 new projects estimated at ₹32.32 crore and handed over welfare assistance totaling about ₹34.72 crore to 9,343 beneficiaries.
- The opening has revived a dispute over political ownership: the DMK notes the project was announced and its foundation stone laid on November 6, 2024, while TVK ministers stress that their government completed and put the facility to use, a contest with clear local political stakes in Coimbatore.