Coimbatore

Tamilnadu > Coimbatore

Coimbatore Main Road View.

Welcome to Coimbatore. Also known as Kovai, Coimbatore is the second largest city of TamilNadu and one of the fastest growing cities in India. Situated at the foot hills of Nilgiris, it is known for its pleasant climate, peaceful atmosphere, cosmopolitan outlook and private enterprise. Cotton textiles, electric motors, pumps, automobile spares, iron steel and aluminium castings form major exports from Coimbatore.

The total land area of Coimbatore is 23.5 square kilometers. The population of this city is 1,446,034 during the year 2001. The altitude is 411 meters above mean sea level. The clothing here is tropical and the season to visit the city is all through the year. The people of various states line here and they speak Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and Marathi. The STD code for Coimbatore is 0422. This is one of the top most industrial cities of Tamilnadu. The city is situated on the banks of the River Noyyal. There are proper facilities of transportation through air (peelamedu airport), through bus and through rail (Coimbatore Junction and Podanur Junction).

Charming Coimbatore, also known as Korai had its first origins, the Irular tribes of Kovan who settled in Kongunadu during the early times. Then this place was conquered by the Cholas. There were other kings of various dynasties who ruled this part and finally the British reigns ruled this place and name it Coimbatore. Now there are over 5000 small, medium and large textile mills. The black soil, good rains and water resources had made this place a major agricultural centre. Cotton is grown is bulk and this made Coimbatore a textile city. Today Coimbatore is known to be the Manchester of South India. This is also the Textile capital of South India. The other major industries are machinery, automobile spares, motors, electronics, and steel and aluminum foundries.

Coimbatore Cuisine

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. However, the population of Coimbatore is multi-cultural due to the influx of migrant population from various regions of the country and this reflects in the food as well. The flavours are generally fairly mild, with variations to suit the local palette. Most locals still retain their rural flavour, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Mysorepa (a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee), idly, dosa, Halwa (a sweet made of different ingredients like milk, wheat, rice) and vada-sambar and biryani are popular among the locals. The recent influx of coffee shops and pizza shops has increased and serving as hangout locations for the youth.

Climate of Coimbatore

Coimbatore has a pleasant, salubrious climate, not reaching the high temperatures of other southern India cities. Situated in the Western part of the state of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is located at an elevation of about 398 meters. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and winter varies between 35°C to 18°C. In the months from July to February, highest temperature is 38 °C and lowest is 12 °C.

Culture of Coimbatore

The city has a multi-cultural society, mostly of cosmopolitan nature. Its inhabitants are largely conservative and traditional, retaining their roots in their native villages.

There are numerous temples in the city including the Perur Temple, the Konniamman temple and the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple. The Mariamman festivals, at the city's numerous Amman temples, are a major event in summer. A replica temple of Tirupathi is located in Valparai and another near Mettupalayam. A famous ISKCON temple is also located 9 km from the city. It is a famous temple dedicated for Lord Krishna. Marudamalai, a well known shrine to Murugan, is close to the city. Coimbatore has also been an abode for many siddhars or rishis, who were also experts in medicine, alchemy and astrology. The most prominent of them was Pambatti Siddhar who is said to have lived in Marudamalai. Many of his findings are recorded as poems.

How to reach Coimbatore

• Air: Coimbatore Airport is approximately 15 kilometers from the center of the city. Mode of transport from the airport to the city includes taxi and autos.
• Train: Coimbatore Junction is well connected by trains from all major cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Hyderabad, Kanyakumari, Jammu, Mumbai and New Delhi. Other nearby train stations include Podanur Junction and North Coimbatore.
• Road: Bus, Car Rental, by Call Taxi and other facilities are available in Coimbatore.