The Coimbatore District Museum, which was relocated to Semmozhi Poonga earlier this year, has sought additional space from the Coimbatore Corporation to display more pieces from its collection, museum officials said.

The museum was shifted from the Nehru Stadium commercial complex to a hall measuring about 4,000 sq. ft. in the ticketing complex of Semmozhi Poonga in March. While the museum is open to visitors, some display-related works remain incomplete as the contractor entrusted with the interior works is yet to finish the installation of certain display infrastructure.

Established in 1990, the district museum is the only multi-disciplinary museum in Coimbatore, with collections spanning geology, botany, history and art. The relocation to Semmozhi Poonga is aimed at improving visibility and increasing visitor footfall.

According to museum officials, the museum houses around 1,500 objects, including hero stones, stone inscriptions, burial urns and other objects recovered from various parts of Coimbatore district. Around 900 were displayed at its previous premises at the Nehru Stadium commercial complex, and the space allotted at Semmozhi Poonga was initially considered sufficient to accommodate them. However, after the relocation and installation of exhibits, the museum found that additional area would be required to display around 80 more artefacts that were ready for exhibition.

The Department of Museums has therefore requested the Coimbatore Corporation to allot additional space either in front of or adjacent to the museum building.

Corporation officials said the proposal seeking additional space for the museum was under review. A decision would be taken after examining the request and the availability of space within the Semmozhi Poonga campus, they added.