 Coimbatore has very beautiful surrounding places. For example, Marudhamalai situated about 12 kms away from Coimbatore is a hill top temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya. This temple can be reached by a flight of steps or by buses through a motorable road. It is said that the Lord Dhandayuthapani of this temple has performed several miracles to the devotees. Here, the 'Thai Poosam' (January-February) and 'Thirukarthigai' (November-December) festivals are very famous. These are celebrated with pomp and gaiety here.
Some other interesting places around Coimbatore include: Vaideki Waterfalls This waterfall is situated 30 kms from Coimbatore via Narsipuram village. It is a beautiful picnic spot and a heaven for trekkers. A perpetual waterfall here is the main attraction of this place. Sengupathi Waterfalls These waterfalls are situated 35 kms from Coimbatore on the Coimbatore-Siruvani main road. It is a wonderful picnic spot and people come in large number to bathe in the falls. The Siruvani Waterfalls and Dam The Siruvani dam and waterfalls are situated at a distance of 3 7 kms from Coimbatore on the western side. The water of Siruvani River is said to have unique taste and mineral properties. The visitors can enjoy the panoramic view from the dam and the falls. 
Parambifculam-Aliyar Dam
This dam is constructed for multi-purpose project. This dam consists of a series of dams interconnected with the tunnels and canals for connecting waters of Parambikulam, Aliyar, Nirar, Sholaiar, Thunnakadavu, Thekkadi and Palar rivers, lying at various elevations, for irrigation and power generation. It represents an outstanding instance of engineering skill and inter-state relationship. This damn is situated in the Anaimalai range at the foot of the entrance to Valparai. It is situated about 64 kms from Coimbatore. A park is also available here and boating can also be enjoyed. Monkey Falls This falls is situated on the Pollachi-Valparai High Road just on entering the ghat section after passing the Aliyar-Parambikulam multi-purpose project. One can enter here paying Rs.2 as entrance fee. This waterfall is perfect even for children to bathe. Valparai It is situated about 102 kms from Coimbatore in the Western ghats of the Anaimalai range. One can enjoy the fantastic ride in ghat road that passes through the Indra Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. This place is rich of different flora and is said to be a paradise for botanists. There are several tea plantations all along the road. One can visit the Kadambarai power project on the way after taking permission. A Balaji temple built by the Birlas can be seen on the top. It is a beautiful and neatly kept temple with an enchanting idol. It is a nice place and a developing hill station. The scenery and the foggy sky with irregular drizzle are quite enjoyable here. Mazani Amman Temple This temple is situated near the highway to Anaimalai Topslip from Pollachi. It rests on the banks of river Amaravathi. The important characteristic of this renowned local temple is the grinding of red chillies by devotees. As per the popular belief, the deity here is the Goddess of revenge. Hence, the deity here punishes strictly the enemies of her devotees if they grind the chilly on a stone grinder kept here for that purpose. So, the devotees visiting here chant the name of the deity and pray for the ruin of their enemy while grinding the chillies. The chilies are available in the temple. Topslip 
This is a small picturesque hill station situated in the Anaimalai Hills. It is about 37kms from Pollachi. With a waterfall on the top, Topslip is a perfect place for picnic. One can avail the facility of going around the sanctuary on elephant's back or in a van.
Thirumoorthy Temple & Waterfalls This temple is situated about 96 kms from Coimbatore and 20kms from Udumalaipet. It is located at the foot of the Thirumoorthy hills. Ammanalingeswarar is the presiding deity here. Here, the main deity is seen nude (Ammanam) without any clothes on. This old temple has beautiful setting and some rare sculptures can be seen in the spacious front hall. Several inscriptions can also be seen here. A perpetual stream flows by the side of the temple. There is a beautiful waterfall on the hill, which is only a km away from the temple. One can enjoy a bath under this by walking to the watefalls holding the iron chain. There is another vigorous and refreshing waterfall on the above. The visitors can enjoy trekking also here The Thirumoorthy dam is situated at the foot of the hills with boating facilities. A swimming pool and a well-decorated garden are also found there. Buses are available from Udumalaipet to here. There is rail link to Udumalaipet from Coimbatore on the metre gauge line. 
Amaravathi Dam
This is a vertical dam across the river Amaravathi. It is only 25 kms from Thirumoorthy Dam. The visitors can go there by taking buses from Udumalaipet. Here, one can see a nicely embellished park. The picturesque view of the area can be seen from this dam. There is a crocodile farm nearby hence large number of crocodiles of all sizes can be seen basking in the sun. The Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary It is situated at an altitude of 1400 metres in the western Ghats near Pollachi. It is about 90 kms from Coimbatore. This sanctuary covers an area of 958 sq. kms. This place has very unique and rare varieties of flora and fauna, which are fast disappearing. The fauna consists of elephant, gaur, tiger, panther, sloth-bear, deer, wild boar, wild dog, porcupine, flying squirrel, jackal, pangolin, civet cat, snakes and birds like rocket-tailed drango, red-whiskered bulbul, black-headed oriole, tree pie, spotted dove and green pigeon. The Amaravathi reservoir in Anaimalai contains a large number of crocodiles. Here, one can see the places of scenic beauty like Karainshola, Anaikunthishola, grass hills, waterfalls, groves, teak forests, estates, dams and reservoirs. The tourists can visit the sanctuary at any time of the year. But the best time to go there is the very early morning or late evening. The forest department arranges the transport. 
Black Thunder
This theme park is situated at 8 kms from Mettupalayam. It is situated about 35 kms from Coimbatore. It is an excellent amusement park and said to be Asia's number one theme park. This is visited by numerous tourists daily. One can enter there with an entrance fee of Rs.150. Tiruppur It is situated 50 kms from Coimbatore. This place is connected with the famous freedom fighter Kumar called 'Kodi Katha Kumaran'. He was the person, who saved the honour of the flag. A statue of this great leader can be seen here. It is also an important textile centre and famous all over the world for hosiery products. (Last Updated on : 24-04-2014) |
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