Samikannu Vincent

Samikannu Vincent had a fleet of cars that included a Studebaker, a Ford, a Chevrolet and an Austin.

Coimbatore connection with cinema

Anyone remembers samikannu Vincent.

Ø  Samikannu Vincent ,a pioneer of motion picture industry in South India.

Ø  Samikannu Vincent born on 18^Th April 1883 in Kottaimedu ,cbe.

Ø  He was a South Indian Railways employee who earned just Rs.25 a month.

Ø  DU PONT –a Frenchman fell into ill and had to return to Europe, Vincent raised Rs.2250 with great difficulty to bought the touring cinema set from DU PONT.

Ø  Resigning from his job ,he set up business

Ø  In 1905 he start as a film exhibitor .

Ø  Those were the days of silent movies, A person with a microphone explained the sequences that unfolded on the screen and people sat on sand floors and watched in awe,chairs were put up only for important people

Ø  He opened the first theatre in Coimbatore name as Variety Hall  talkies in 1914.

Ø  He partnered with Central Studios and produced “Valli Thirumanam” , a roaring success and first money spinner of Tamil cinema.

Ø  He bought electricity to the city in 1922 and lighted up V.H Road.

Ø  He started 12 theatres in and around city .

Ø  V.H Talkies screened a number of Hindi movies Edison and carnatic screened Tamil movies .

Ø  He died in 22 april 1942 .

Ø  It is regretful that there is no fitting memorial  for him in coimbatore .undoubtedly samikannu vincents is founding father of cinema in South India.

Oppanakara Street

Coimbatore Oppanakara Street 

The road leading to the girls high school on raja street  was lined with carts waiting to take students back home. Every street would have a stone trench brimming with water for cattle to drink from. As they walked back after quenching their thirst ,people would hold out bundles of "agathi keerai" 

The Victoria Town Hall

The Victoria Town Hall, constructed in 1892 in honour of Queen Victoria .

In 1892, the construction of the hall is Rs.3000

The historical structure has walls made of stone and mortar, panelled shutters for windows, mangalore tiles for roofing

Venue for various public meeting and banquets in honour of celebrities visiting the city

Municipal council meetings were held in the hall till 1953.

And it re-construct in early 1990’s

COIMBATORE – THE NAME HOW IT COMES

Coimbatore – the name how it comes

ÒThe term Kongu means honey or nectar of flowers.

ÒOne theory for the city's name states that the name is a derivation of Koyanputhur chieftain Kovan who ruled region around the city. 

ÒKovanpudur or Koyanputhur evolved and became Koyambuthur Or Koyamuthur; it was anglicized as Coimbatore

ÒIt is also believed that the City is named after the presiding deity of the town “Koniamman” – “Koniamman pudur” turned into Coimbatore