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About Salem |
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Salem is a major industrialized city of Tamilnadu and famous nationwide for its steel plants and mango. The earlier history of Salem is not very clear, and the inscriptions found at some parts of the district provide the only source to form some idea about its past history. The inscriptions contain words like Sela or Shalya or Sayilam referring to the area around the hills. It is a popular belief that the present name of the city is derived from these words. There is a folklore that suggests the land to be the revered birthplace of the Tamil poetess Avvaiyar.
Before coming under the control of Hyder Ali in the eighteenth century, Salem was ruled by the Madurai Nayaks, who also held their dominion over Coimbatore, another prominent city of Tamilnadu. Hyder Ali took control of Salem only after a long battle known as the Mysore-Madurai war in history. He had to lose it in the hands of Colonel Wood in 1768, but regained his hold over the territory in 1772.
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The rising military strength of the British overpowered the might of Hyder Ali and Salem was again a part of the colonial rule before the end of the eighteenth century in 1799. It served as a military station for the British army till 1861. There are places in Salem, which provide a glimpse of that era. Magnum Chowltry is one among them.
In independent India, the pace of the industrial development of the city was given a boost, and Salem saw the emergence of industries, like Salem Steel Plant (SAIL), MALCO, SISCO (Jindal Steel Works), Tata Refractories, Dalmia Magnesite, Chemplast Sanmar, Burn Standard & Co and many more. Mango is the most important export item along with other commodities like textile products, yarns, readymade garments, stainless steel, granite and coir products.
Salem is a major industrial base of Tamilnadu, and hence one of the chief contributors of the state economy. The infrastructural set up is of international standard with a good network of roads and nationwide connectivity through land and air. The airport here is currently being used for charter flights only. The Trichy International Airport and Coimbatore Airport are the other airports situated close to the city. There are several good institutions including a university known as Salem university. As a religious destination and an important tourist and commercial centers of the state, the city receives a good number of national and international visitors every year, which has resulted the coming up of several world-class hotels here.
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