Coimbatore India Travel Guide
Coimbatore is an important city of the
state of Tamil Nadu, which lies in the foot of
Nilgiri hills, in the silhouette of the
Western Ghats. The city is famous for its rapid industrialization. It is the third largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu, and is rapidly growing into a major textile hub of the nation. The metropolis has also become a major player in the automobile industry in southern India. Though being highly industrialized, the city is known for its clean atmosphere.
Coimbatore History
Coimbatore's history can be dated to the 2nd century, when it was ruled by Tamil Velir Chiefs. The Velir Chiefs were always in conflict with the
Cholas, the
Cheras, and the
Pandyas. The area around Coimbatore was known as Kongu Nadu, and a major part of Kong Nadu was captured by the Cheras, after much bloodshed. Later the city along with Kong Nadu was annexed to the glorious
Empire of Vijaynagar. Then it was the
Mughals to that took over the land and finally the British.
Coimbatore Things to Do and Attractions
Perur Temple is one of the older temples of southern India. It houses a
Shivaling that is much older than the temple and it is one the famed seven Kongu Sivalayams. Another temple worth a mention is the Marudhamalai Temple. This holy edifice is situated on a hill top and is famous for its miracles. It is believed that a genuine wish is always granted here. You can also take a look at the Agricultural University, it is one of the top agricultural colleges in southern Asia. The city is normally flooded with textile traders from all over the world, as the city manufactures the best textiles in southern India.
Coimbatore Excursions
Thirty kilometers from the city is the famous Vaideki Water Falls, which is a popular Coimbatore thing to do. Visitors are spell bound by the beauty of the waterfall. The area around the fall is also a good trekking area. About ninety kilometers from the city is the Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. It is spread over an area of almost nine-hundred-and-sixty square kilometers, and is home to some of the finest species of mammals, including all the big cats. Bhavani is a major pilgrim site that is located one-hundred-twenty kilometers from the city. All the Crocodile Dundees can travel twenty from Amarvati dam, to a crocodile farm, where you can feed a croc. This temple has visitors all round the year. You can also visit
Black Thunder, which is frequently called the best amusement park in Asia. This water theme park is very thrilling indeed. Coimbatore is a gateway to many fascinating cities in the south, like
Kodaikanal or Ooty.
Coimbatore Shopping
Being a metropolis, there are many good malls in the city, which sell all the international brands. Raja street and Sukravar Pettai are the places where you will get good textile apparels. The city has also markets housing automobile parts that are among the cheapest in southern India. You will get the best kind of khadi, which is Indian hand-woven cloth, in Khadicrafts.
Coimbatore Restaurants
Again being a highly developed city, Coimbatore has many
multi-cuisine restaurants. It has all the the international food brands, as well as dishes made on road, so food is not a problem in this part of the world. The local cuisine is however the typical Madrasi food as it is known, with
dosas,
medhu vadas and many more.
Coimbatore Nightlife
The city has a couple of pubs and a whole lot of bars. Booze is served at pretty nominal rates according to the status of the place.
Coimbatore Getting There and Around
Coimbatore is very well connected by to all major cities of India. It has a domestic airport along with good rail and road connections.
