Coimbatore
Coimbatore, the third largest city in the State of Tamil Nadu, South India is situated in the district of Coimbatore. Known as ‘The Manchester of South India’ on account of the numerous textile mills, hosiery units etc, it is one of the most industrialized cities in Tamil Nadu. Nestling at the foothills of Nilgiris, Coimbatore enjoys a very pleasant climate through out the year. The rich black soil of the region has helped cotton, tea and coffee plantations to flourish. Coimbatore is also famous for the manufacture of varied engineering goods, and has earned the soubriquet ‘The Detroit of the south’ besides emerging as an IT hub. Coimbatore acts as a starting point for travel to well known hill resorts like Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagiri etc. Coimbatore, called ‘Kovai’ in Tamil is essentially a textile shopper’s paradise.
The V.O.C Park named after V.O. Chidambaram, the eminent freedom fighter is worth a visit as also the Agriculture University, considered to be one of the foremost institutions in South Asia, with a botanical garden laid out in 300 hectares. The Forest College Museum has an interesting collection of fossils and dead specimens of rare plants and animals. 7kms away from Coimbatore is the Perur Temple, built by Karika Cholan of the 2nd century A.D. This temple, also known as Mel-Chidambaram temple is dedicated to Lord Siva and is famous for the ‘Swayambu Lingam’ and the ‘Kanaka Sabha’ or the golden halls with its pillars decorated with sculptures of unsurpassing beauty. A short travel of 12 kms takes one to the Maruthamalai Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The Vaideki Waterfalls just 30 kms from Coimbatore offers facilities for trekking and is a popular picnic spot. The Siruvani Waterfalls and the Sengupathi Waterfalls attract many tourists. The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, 90 km away from Coimbatore, at an altitude of 1400mts in the Western Ghats is home to rare and unique varieties of flora and fauna. elephants, tigers, sloth bear, porcupine, flying squirrel, pangolin, snakes and birds like rocket-tailed drango, black-headed orioles and a large number of crocodiles are a few of the inhabitants of the sanctuary.
The V.O.C Park named after V.O. Chidambaram, the eminent freedom fighter is worth a visit as also the Agriculture University, considered to be one of the foremost institutions in South Asia, with a botanical garden laid out in 300 hectares. The Forest College Museum has an interesting collection of fossils and dead specimens of rare plants and animals. 7kms away from Coimbatore is the Perur Temple, built by Karika Cholan of the 2nd century A.D. This temple, also known as Mel-Chidambaram temple is dedicated to Lord Siva and is famous for the ‘Swayambu Lingam’ and the ‘Kanaka Sabha’ or the golden halls with its pillars decorated with sculptures of unsurpassing beauty. A short travel of 12 kms takes one to the Maruthamalai Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The Vaideki Waterfalls just 30 kms from Coimbatore offers facilities for trekking and is a popular picnic spot. The Siruvani Waterfalls and the Sengupathi Waterfalls attract many tourists. The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, 90 km away from Coimbatore, at an altitude of 1400mts in the Western Ghats is home to rare and unique varieties of flora and fauna. elephants, tigers, sloth bear, porcupine, flying squirrel, pangolin, snakes and birds like rocket-tailed drango, black-headed orioles and a large number of crocodiles are a few of the inhabitants of the sanctuary.
