Coimbatore or Kovai is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore District. Popularly known as Manchester of southern India, Coimbatore is also an integral part of the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu. This lovely city is situated on the banks of the Noyyal River, Coimbatore is known for its textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities, educational institutions, pleasant weather, hospitality and for its Kongu Tamil.

Coimbatore probably got its name from a king called Kovan who ruled the area and hence was called Kovanpudur. Later the name was anglicized as Coimbatore. In modern times the name is sometimes abbreviated as CBE based on the Indian Railways` station code. It is also believed that the City is named after the main deity of the town "Koniamman" - "Koniamman pudur" turned into Coimbatore.

During the early period Coimbatore was ruled by the Karur Sangam era Chera. Later, the region was invaded by the Kongu Rattas and was the heartland of the Ganga kingdoms. A second Chola empire arose in the mid-9th century, and gained the territory encompassing Coimbatore. They established a planned layout, with the Koniamman temple in the center. Tribals ruled this area during this period, Kosars tribe being the prominent one among them. They had their headquarters at Kosampathur, which probably later became the present Coimbatore. Later, British annexed the Coimbatore region into the Madras Presidency. When Hyder Ali acquired Coimbatore, the population of this city was around 3000. In 1804 Coimbatore was established as a capital for the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1848. Sir Robert Stanes, a British entrepreneur and philanthropist, became the first Chairman of the Coimbatore City Council who founded the Stanes School in 1862, a major higher secondary school that has stood until the present day as a jewel of the city.

Coimbatore is surrounded by mountains on the west, with reserve forests and the (Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve) on the northern side. Because of its close proximity to the Western Ghats, Coimbatore is rich in fauna. The city boasts nine lakes (wetlands), which are the major life-supporting component with high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. Apart from the species common to the plains, wild elephants, wild boars leopards, tigers, bison, various species of deer, Nilgiri Tahr, sloth bear and black-headed Oriole are also seen amidst the rich sandalwood trees and bamboo. These trees vary from rich tropical evergreen forests of Punachi range to jungles of shrubs in southern ranges.

Coimbatore has a pleasant, salubrious climate. The rainfall of Coimbatore is not enough to sustain the needs of the city throughout the year, small rivers like the Siruvani and Atthikadavu fulfill the city`s water requirements. The Siruvani water is the second sweetest water in the world. This is because of large numbers of Amla trees present in the mountains where the Siruvani River originates. The city`s population is predominantly Hindu, along with sizeable Muslim and Christian populations. Sikhs and Jains are also present in smaller numbers. Tamil is the most widely spoken language of Coimbatore. The dialect of the Tamil language spoken here is referred to as "Kongu Tamil", often addressing younger person and strangers with respect, irrespective of class. Malayalam is also spoken in some areas of Coimbatore. The people of Coimbatore are largely conservative and traditional, retaining their roots in their native villages. The city features a multi-cultural society, mostly of cosmopolitan nature.

There are numerous temples in Coimbatore, including the Perur Temple, the Konniamman temple and the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple. The Mariamman festivals, at the city`s numerous Amman temples, are popular events in summer. A replica temple of Tirupathi is located in Valparai and another near Mettupalayam. A famous ISKCON temple also stands 9 km from the city. Thousands round the year visit this famous temple dedicated for Lord Krishna. The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the period of Hyder Ali. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain Temples are also present in Coimbatore.

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. The flavours are usually fairly mild, with variations to suit the local palette. The dishes still retain their rural flavour; the restaurants serve food over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Mysorepa is a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee and is loved by the residents. Idly, dosa, Halwa, vada-sambar and biryani are popular dishes of Coimbatore. The city has its own airport Coimbatore Airport at Peelamedu (11 km from the city) and an air-force base at Sulur (15 km). The Coimbatore airport caters to domestic flights to all the major Indian cities and international flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Sharjah and Colombo. Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore Junction to all parts of India and Tamilnadu, with a meter gauge line connecting the city to Dindigul. The city has six major arterial roads and three National Highways. Several bus stands like Gandhipuram Bus Stand, Town Bus Stand, Thiruvalluvar Bus Stand, Singanallur Bus Stand and others cater to the internal transport of the city.

Coimbatore`s primary industries are engineering and textiles. India`s largest amount of hosiery and poultry industries are also present here. Entrepreneurs run most of the industries, often indigenous with family based or community financing. The city`s industrial growth started in 1920`s and accelerated after independence, without any government help or the entry of external industrial houses. When the British occupied Coimbatore, the territory connected the Malabar ports with the rest of India (apart from Konkan coast). In 1888, Sir Robert Stanes founded the Coimbatore Spinning and Weaving Mills (also known as Stanes Mills) in the northern edge of the town after starting a coffee curing factory in Trichy road thus kick starting the industrial journey of Coimbatore. Presently, many successful industries like Dhandayuthapani Foundry, Mopeds India Ltd, LMW and Pricol, TATA Motors, Maruti, Textool and many others execute their business in Coimbatore.

Educational institutions played a major role in Coimbatore`s development. The city today has more than a dozen engineering colleges, two medical colleges, an air-force administrative college, a forest college, more than 75 arts and science colleges and 3 universities, churning out about 35,000 graduates every year. Some of the heritage educational institutions include CSI Higher Secondary School (1831), St. Michaels School (1860), St. Francis Anglo Indian Girls High School (1880), Stanes High School (1862), Sarvajana High School (1910) in Peelamedu, Suburban Higher Secondary School (1917), Devanga Higher Secondary School (1948) and others. The first college was the Government Arts College (1875-76). Coimbatore Medical College (1966) started functioning on land granted by some industrial families.

Coimbatore circulates two major English dailies, The Hindu and The New Indian Express. Tamil language dailies circulated in the city include Dina Malar, Dina Thanthi, Dina Mani and Dinakaran with two other dailies Tamil Murasu and Malar published in the evening. Malayala Manoram and Mathrubhumi are the two malayalam newspapers which have significant circulation in Coimbatore. All India Radio airs programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi

Coimbatore is a place for tourists` delight. Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary or Indira Gandhi National Park of Coimbatore, is one of the most scenic national parks in Southern India. Marudamalai Temple, dedicated to Lord Subramanya, is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage destinations in Tamil Nadu. The famous festivals of this temple are Thai Possam and Thirukarthigai Festival. Siruvani Waterfalls have become a famous picnic spot among locales and tourists. Black Thunder Amusement Park is considered among the best amusement parks the region. Perur Patteeswaraswamy Temple boasts Dravidian architecture and has been a place of worship for millions of pilgrims since the 17th century when it was constructed by king Karikala Cholan.

Coimbatore has numerous hospitals. Apart from the Government hospital, several multi-facility hospitals are built in the city. The polio eradication programme is heavily assisted by the city`s Rotary Clubs. The first healthcare centre started in 1909, later became the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) during 1960s. Coimbatore is a vital city in South India and important for its versatile features, be it health and medicine, media, entertainment, education, tourism and so on.

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