The music of mridangams and cymbals (jalra) greeted people of Coimbatore to a nostalgic evening at the Vanakkam Kovai Expo in Suguna Kalyana Mandapam here.
It was an exhibition on the pride and history of Coimbatore, showcasing pictures of its various temples, museums, malls, tourist attractions, important landmarks and so on.
Hema Sundaramurthy, managing partner, Buoyant Media, says this is a unique opportunity for many young Coimbatoreans to know about the old Coimbatore. The expo was organised as part of a larger trade fair.
The trade fair had various stalls that sold consumer products.
The exhibition showcased pictures that captured the history of the city from the Maatuvandi Porattam in 1932 to the newest development in Coimbatore.
Senior citizens stood before the old photographs nodding away with a wistful smile, while parents enthusiastically narrated stories to their children of their childhood associated with the places shown in the photos.
The youth received this with a not-so-happy feeling as they saw the difference between the Coimbatore that was and the Coimbatore of today.
Shivakar M., a college student, who was amazed at seeing Race Course in the olden days, says “Coimbatore is transforming from a quaint old city to a cosmopolitan at a faster pace”.
The epigraphy exhibition that was put up by the students of P.S.G. College of Arts and Science was quite interesting and it displayed artefacts such as seals, bowls, weight stones, playing coins, and decorated vases that were several hundred years old.
C.R.Elangovan, the author of three history books on Coimbatore, had put up a stall on “Covaium Cinemavum” which showcased the history of cinema in Coimbatore. Coimbatore was the proud home of two studios, the Pakshiraja Studio and the Central Studio, which were two among the five major studios of South India.
