A world-class Semmozhi Poonga with advanced facilities will be inaugurated by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin in Coimbatore at an outlay of Rs 208.50 crore.
Dravidian icon, DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi promised that a Semmozhi Poonga would be established in Coimbatore during the World Classical Tamil Conference that was held in the city between 23 June and 27 June 2010.
Notably, the conference witnessed a huge gathering of scholars, poets, and political leaders interested in the Tamil language, literature and people.
George Hart, a US Tamil scholar, presented a paper on Sangam literature and Indian epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan held a debate on scripts. Rononjoy Adhikari and Kavitha Gingal, then part of the Institute of Mathematical Science, who worked on a mathematical model to relate the Indus script with the Dravidian language, participated in the debate.
Finnish Indologist Dr Asko Parpola was presented the Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award for 2009 for his exemplary work on the 1,600-year-old Indus sign system and his theory that it represents the ancient Dravidian language.
Significantly, the conference's theme song "Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam", written by then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi himself, scored by music legend A R Rahman, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, echoes Tamil pride, even after 15 years of its release.
Delivering his father's promise, CM MK Stalin took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Semmozhi Poonga (Park) in December 2023.
With the construction activities reaching their final stage, the state government said the CM would inaugurate the park on November 25, and it would be open to the public.
CM Stalin is also scheduled to take part in the 'TN Rising Conclave' in Coimbatore, during which MoUs with multiple companies are expected to be signed.