One of the most important cities of Tamilnadu, Coimbatore is called the 'Manchester of South India' and is the third largest
city in the state. The headquarters of the Nilgiri region, its exposure to the Palghat Gap of the Western Ghats Coimbatore
a Salubrious climate. A highly industrialised city, it is the centre of textile manufacturing in the state - there are over
a hundred mills in and around Coimbatore. Primarily a business centre, it is known for the manufacturing of motor pump sets
and various engineering and electronic goods.
Coimbatore is superbly interwoven with the domestic network of air,
rail and road.
» Air link : Peelamedu Airport is 10 km from the City.
» Rail link : Coimbatore
is connected by rail to Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi and other cities.
» Road link : It is also connected
to all the important cities and places of interest by road.
Sightseeing
» 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 if you are accompanied by 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.
» Agriculture UniversityThe Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is one of the interesting places to visit in Coimbatore.
Five kilometers away from the railway station, the university is one of the best institutions of its kind in South Asia. The
university also houses a botanical garden which is the main source of attraction here. It is located towards the west of the
city centre and is spread over an area of 300 hectares. The garden has a good collection of different species of flowering
plants and trees.
» 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 TempleLocated 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.
»
Chinnathadagam15 kms from the heart of Coimbatore, Chinnathadagam lies at the foot of Anaikatty range of hills. The
myriad faces of the hills due to the seasonal changes are a feast for the eye and soul. Now the sun shines brightly, now the
clouds start gathering, a cool breeze tersely announces impending rain, and behold, in a few minutes the drizzle starts and
develops into sharp showers and some-times torrential rains hiding the hills from the eyes.
» Velliangiri HillsVelliangiri is flanked by hills such as Tirumalgiri, Ayyanmalai and the Dharmalingesa hill.
The five faces of Lord Shiva- Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshwara and Sadasiva are seen as Panchagiri and as Panchalingas pertaining
to the panchabhutas, in Velliangiri. The hill ranges have abundant natural resources, which include rare herbs. Lord Panchalingesa
and his Consort Manonmani Amman alias Parvathi, bestow their grace on the devotees who throng here annually between February
and May to offer prayers at the Siva temple perched on the hills.
