Coimbatore is an important industrial town and the third largest city of Tamil Nadu. It is better known as 'Manchester of South India' among the western tourists. It is near to the Palghat gap of Western Ghats and thus enjoys a hale and hearty climate. Thus, in a lighter vein, it is also called as 'poor man's Ooty'. Being an industrial city, it is the hub of textile manufacturing. It is also known for the manufacture of motor pump sets and varied engineering goods, handloom products and a number of technical institutions.
Area: 7469 sq km
Population: 4271856 (approx.) (2001 census)
Places to see:
- VOC Park and Zoo (Amusement Park): Named after the famous freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram, the VOC Park is an interesting place to visit in Coimbatore, especially for kids. For the young ones, the main attractions within the park include the aquarium, which has a good collection of different species of fish, a mini zoo, and a toy train for joyrides.
- Perur Temple: Perur is a small town situated about 6 km from Coimbatore. Its main claim to fame is the holy Perur Temple, one of the seven Kongu Sivalayams. The outer buildings of the temple were built by rulers of Madurai in the 17th century but the inner shrine is much older. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. One of the remarkable features here is the figure of a sepoy (Indian soldier) loading a musket carved on the base of the pillar near the entrance, wearing identical dress to that of the Aurangzeb's soldiers.
- Marudhamalai Temple: Located on a hillock about 12 km from Coimbatore Railway Station, the temple of Marudhamalai, dedicated to Lord Subramanya, is one of the most visited temples in the region. One of the reasons of the large number of devotees flocking the temple is that the residing deity Dandayuthapani is believed to have performed several miracles here. Thai Poosam and Tirukarthigai festivals are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety at this temple.
There are many attention-grabbing places in the city. Temples, like the Vinayaga Temple, Thayumanaswamy Temple, Thirumoorthy Temple, Elakurichi church, Siruvani waterfalls, Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, and a historical monument Narthamalai are a few to name. To be precise, Coimbatore, the entrepreneur's dreamland, is a city where blending of traditional and modern is the secret of its success.
How to reach:
- By Air: Coimbatore Airport is 12 km from the city and is well connected with Mumbai, Chennai and Kozhikode (Calicut).
- By Rail: There are two railway stations in Coimbatore city; Coimbatore Junction and the Coimbatore North Railway Station. The Coimbatore Junction is the main railway station. A number of important trains pass through the city.
- By Road: Bangalore, Chennai, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pondicherry, Rameshwaram and Thiruvananthapuram are well linked with Coimbatore through road.
|