Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. It is located on the banks of the
Noyyal River
The Noyyal River is a small river in Western Tamil Nadu, and a tributary of Kaveri River. It rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, very close to Kerala border, and flows through many villages and the cities of ...
and surrounded by the
Western Ghats. Coimbatore is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu after
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
in terms of population and the 16th largest
urban agglomeration in India as per the census 2011. It is administered by the
Coimbatore Municipal Corporation
The Coimbatore Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu only after the Greater Chennai Corporation with an area ...
and is the administrative capital of
Coimbatore District
Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...
. In 1981 Coimbatore formed as third municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Madurai.
Podanur Junction
Podanur Junction(station code: PTJ) is a railway station in Podanur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
History
It was the first railway station in the Coimbatore district, Kongu Region or Western Region, which opened in 1862 and third oldest ra ...
is the oldest Railway station in Coimbatore City. The city is one of the largest exporters of
Jewellery
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...
,
Wet grinder
A wet grinder can refer either to a tool for abrasive cutting of hard materials or to a food preparation appliance used especially in Indian cuisine for grinding food grains to produce a paste or batter. A wet grinder for abrasive cutting uses ...
s,
Poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, a ...
and
Auto Components; the "
Coimbatore Wet Grinder
Coimbatore Wet Grinder refers to wet grinders manufactured in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2005-06. , Coimbatore has more than 700 wet grinder manufacturers with a mo ...
" and the "
Kovai Cora Cotton
Kovai Cora cotton or Kovai Kora cotton is a type of saree made in the Coimbatore region in Tamil Nadu, India. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2014–15. The Devanga community are pioneers in weav ...
" are recognised as
Geographical Indications
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
. Being a hub of textile industry in South India, the city is sometimes referred to as the "Manchester of South India". It was ranked the 7th best city in India in the Ease of Living index 2020.
The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the
Cheras during Sangam period between the 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the
Palakkad Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and ...
, the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore was located along the ancient trade route that extended from
Muziris
Muziris ( grc, Μουζιρίς, Old Malayalam: ''Muciri'' or ''Muciripattanam'' possibly identical with the medieval ''Muyirikode'') was an ancient harbour and an urban centre on the Malabar Coast. Muziris found mention in the ''Periplus of ...
to
Arikamedu in South India. The
medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE and established one of the greatest empires of South India. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influen ...
conquered the
Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE. The region was ruled by
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...
in the 15th century followed by the
Nayaks who introduced the
Palayakkarar system under which Kongu Nadu region was divided into 24 ''Palayams''. In the later part of the 18th century, the Coimbatore region came under the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...
and following the
defeat of
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
in the
Anglo-Mysore Wars
The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of four wars fought during the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore#Under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, Sultanate of Mysore on the one hand, and the British East India Company (r ...
, the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
annexed Coimbatore to the
Madras Presidency in 1799. The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second
Poligar War
The Polygar Wars or Palaiyakkarar Wars were wars fought between the Polygars ('' Palaiyakkarars'') of the former Tirunelveli Kingdom in Tamil Nadu, India and the British East India Company forces between March 1799 to May 1802 or July 1805. T ...
(1801) when it was the area of operations of
Dheeran Chinnamalai
Dheeran Chinnamalai (17 April 1756 – 31 July 1805) was a Palayakkarar and Pattakarar who fought against the British East India Company.
Early life
Dheeran Chinnamalai was born on April 17, 1756 in present-day Kangeyam, to a noble family. Hi ...
.
In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed
Coimbatore district
Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...
and in 1866, it was accorded
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
status with
Robert Stanes
Sir Robert Stanes (13 May 1841 – 6 September 1936) was a British businessman and philanthropist in India who founded United Nilgiri Tea Estates (UNTE) in Coimbatore.
Stanes was born in Aldgate, London, the eighth of nine children of James ...
as its chairman. 24 November used to be Coimbatore Day, say those familiar with the history of Coimbatore. The city experienced a textile boom in the early 19th century due to the decline of the cotton industry in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Post - Independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation including the introduction of 3 malls in major locations. Coimbatore was ranked the best emerging city in India by
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
in the 2014 annual Indian city survey. The city was ranked fourth among Indian cities in investment climate by
Confederation of Indian Industry and 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Coimbatore has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city
A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return ...
under
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Narendra Modi's flagship
Smart Cities Mission
National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Devel ...
. Coimbatore regularly features among the top 10 best cities to live in India. Coimbatore was rated as one of the safest cities in India for women according to
National Crime Records Bureau
The National Crime Records Bureau, abbreviated to NCRB, is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB is headquartered in New ...
report in 2015.
Etymology
There are multiple theories regarding the origin of the name Coimbatore. According to one theory, "Coimbatore" is a derivation of ''Kovanpudhur'' (literally 'new town of Kovan'), after chieftain Kovan or Koyan, evolved into ''Koyampuththoor'' and later anglicised as ''Coimbatore''.
Koyamma, the goddess worshipped by Koyan evolved into Koniamma and later Kovaiamma. Another theory states that the name could have been derived from ''Kovaiamma''.
History
![SBI Coimbatore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/SBI_Coimbatore.jpg)
The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the
Cheras during
Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the
Palakkad Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and ...
, the principal trade route between the west coast and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
.
The
Kosar tribe mentioned in the 2nd century CE
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
epic ''
Silappathikaram
''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...
'' and other poems in
Sangam literature
The Sangam literature (Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam'';) historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ'') connotes ...
is associated with the Coimbatore region. The region was located along an
ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
trade route that extended from
Muziris
Muziris ( grc, Μουζιρίς, Old Malayalam: ''Muciri'' or ''Muciripattanam'' possibly identical with the medieval ''Muyirikode'') was an ancient harbour and an urban centre on the Malabar Coast. Muziris found mention in the ''Periplus of ...
to
Arikamedu.
The
medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE and established one of the greatest empires of South India. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influen ...
conquered the
Kongu Nadu in the 10th century. A Chola highway called ''Rajakesari Peruvazhi'' ran through the region.
Much of Tamil Nadu came under the rule of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...
by the 15th century. In the 1550s,
Madurai Nayaks, who were the military governors of the Vijaynagara Empire, took control of the region. After the Vijayanagara Empire fell in the 17th century, the Madurai Nayaks established their state as an independent kingdom. They introduced the
Palayakkarar system under which Kongu Nadu region was divided into 24 ''Palayams''(towns).
![Coimbatore Townhall Aerial-view 1930](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Coimbatore_Townhall_Aerial-view_1930.jpg)
In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...
, following a series of wars with the
Madurai Nayak dynasty. After the
defeat of
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
in the
Anglo-Mysore Wars
The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of four wars fought during the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore#Under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, Sultanate of Mysore on the one hand, and the British East India Company (r ...
, the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
annexed Coimbatore to the
Madras Presidency in 1799. The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second
Poligar War
The Polygar Wars or Palaiyakkarar Wars were wars fought between the Polygars ('' Palaiyakkarars'') of the former Tirunelveli Kingdom in Tamil Nadu, India and the British East India Company forces between March 1799 to May 1802 or July 1805. T ...
(1801), when it was the area of operations of
Dheeran Chinnamalai
Dheeran Chinnamalai (17 April 1756 – 31 July 1805) was a Palayakkarar and Pattakarar who fought against the British East India Company.
Early life
Dheeran Chinnamalai was born on April 17, 1756 in present-day Kangeyam, to a noble family. Hi ...
.
In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866 it was accorded
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
status.
Sir Robert Stanes became the first chairman of the
Coimbatore City Council
The Coimbatore Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu only after the Greater Chennai Corporation with an area ...
.
The region was hard hit during the
Great Famine of 1876–78
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
resulting in nearly 200,000 famine related fatalities. The first three decades of the 20th century saw nearly 20,000
plague-related deaths and acute water shortage.
The decline of the cotton industry in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
fuelled an economic boom in Coimbatore in the 1920s and 1930s.
The region played a significant role in the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
with
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
visiting the city three times. Coimbatore was the base of operations for such political figures as
S. P. Narasimhalu Naidu,
R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty KCIE (17 October 1892 – 5 May 1953) was an Indian lawyer, economist and politician who served as first Finance Minister of India from 1947 to 1948. He also served as President of India's Centr ...
, C.S. Rathinasabapathy and
C. Subramaniam
Chidambaram Subramaniam (commonly known as CS) (30 January 1910 – 7 November 2000), was an Indian politician and independence activist. He served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defence in the union cabinet. He later served as the Gov ...
during the independence movement. Post independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation and in 1981 it was constituted as a
municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...
.
On
14 February 1998, the radical
Islamist group
Al Ummah
Al Ummah is a terrorist organisation mainly based in Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was banned by the Government of Tamil Nadu for perpetrating the 1998 Coimbatore bombings.
History
Al Ummah was founded by Syed Ahmed Basha in Coimbatore, Tamil N ...
bombed 11 places across the city killing 58 people and injuring more than 200.
Geography
![The Majestic Western Ghats along the Palakkad - Coimbatore Hwy 47](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/The_Majestic_Western_Ghats_along_the_Palakkad_-_Coimbatore_Hwy_47.jpg)
Coimbatore lies at in
south India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
at 427 metres (1401 ft) above sea level on the banks of the
Noyyal River
The Noyyal River is a small river in Western Tamil Nadu, and a tributary of Kaveri River. It rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, very close to Kerala border, and flows through many villages and the cities of ...
, in northwestern Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of .
It is surrounded by the
Western Ghats mountain range to the west and the north, with
reserve forest
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
s of the
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri mountains of the Western Ghats in South India. It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It includes the protected ar ...
on the northern side.
The Noyyal River forms the southern boundary of the city, which has an extensive tank system fed by the river and rainwater.
The eight major tanks and
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
areas of Coimbatore are namely,
Singanallur
Singanallur is a major residential locality of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of Noyyal river, which runs to the southern boundary of the locality. It is situated in the eastern part of the city, and ...
,
Valankulam,
Ukkadam Periyakulam, Selvampathy, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Selvachinthamani, and Kumaraswami. Multiple streams drain the waste water from the city.
[
The city is divided into two distinctive geographic regions: the dry eastern side which includes majority of the urban area of the city and the western region which borders the ]Nilgiris
The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Southern Karnataka, and eastern Kerala in India. They are located at the trijunction of three states and connect the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. At le ...
, Anaimalai
Anaimalai is a taluk in Coimbatore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Agricultural day work is the main occupation. Paddy, banana, sugarcane and other crops are grown in the area. Anaimalai is a pilgrimage spot, due to the worship o ...
and Munnar
Munnar () is a town and hill station in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the "Kashmir of South Indi ...
ranges. Palghat Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north ...
, a mountain pass which connects the neighbouring state of Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
to Tamil Nadu, lies to the west of the city. Because of its location in the biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after which the co ...
of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, the city is rich in fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
and flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''.
E ...
. The Coimbatore urban wetlands harbours around 116 species of birds
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
, of which 66 are resident, 17 are migratory and 33 are local migrants. The spot-billed pelican
The spot-billed pelican (''Pelecanus philippensis'') or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially larg ...
, painted stork
The painted stork (''Mycteria leucocephala'') is a large wader in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctiv ...
, openbill stork
The openbill storks or openbills are two species of stork (family (biology), family ''Ciconiidae'') in the genus ''Anastomus''. They are large wading birds characterized by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This f ...
, ibis
The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...
, Indian spot-billed duck
The Indian spot-billed duck (''Anas poecilorhyncha'') is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is ...
, teal
alt=American teal duck (male), Green-winged teal (male)
Teal is a greenish-blue colour. Its name comes from that of a bird — the Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'') — which presents a similarly coloured stripe on its head. The word is oft ...
and black-winged stilt
The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family ( Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan sp ...
visit the Coimbatore wetlands on their migration. Apart from the species common to the plains, various threatened and endangered species such as Indian elephant
The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia.
Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild pop ...
s, wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
s, leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
s, Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna.
The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...
s, gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...
s, Nilgiri tahr
The Nilgiri tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius'') is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tami ...
, sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation. ...
and black-headed oriole
The black-headed oriole (''Oriolus larvatus'') is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is found in Africa and has a very striking appearance with a bright yellow body, contrasting black head and flesh-coloured beak.
Taxonomy and sys ...
are found in the region.
The northern part of the city has a rich tropical evergreen forest
An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zo ...
with commercially significant trees such as teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...
, sandalwood
Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for us ...
, rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues.
True rosewoods
All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...
and bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
. The soil is predominantly black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
, which is suitable for cotton cultivation, but some red loamy soil is also found. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standar ...
, Coimbatore falls under the Class III/IV Seismic Zone
In seismology, a seismic zone or seismic belt is an area of seismicity potentially sharing a common cause. It may also be a region on a map for which a common areal rate of seismicity is assumed for the purpose of calculating probabilistic ground ...
, having experienced an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
on 8 February 1900.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, the city has a hot semi-arid climate (''BSh''), with a wet season lasting from September to November due to the northeast monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...
. The mean maximum temperature ranges from to and the mean minimum temperature ranges from to . The highest temperature ever recorded is on 22 April 1976 while the lowest is on 12 January 1957.[
]
Due to the south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north ...
, elevated regions of the city receive rainfall in the months from June to August. After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November. The average annual rainfall is around with the northeast and the southwest monsoons contributing to 47% and 28% respectively to the total rainfall. This periodic rainfall does not satisfy the city's water requirements throughout the year and water supply schemes like Siruvani and Pilloor maintain its availability during low rainfall months.
Demographics
Coimbatore has a population of 1,601,438. As per the 2011 census based on pre-expansion city limits, Coimbatore had a population of 1,050,721 with a sex ratio of 997 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. It is the second largest city in the state after capital Chennai and the sixteenth largest urban agglomeration in India. A total of 102,069 were under the age of six, comprising 52,275 males and 49,794 females. The average literacy of the city was 82.43%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. There were a total of 425,115 workers, comprising 1,539 cultivators, 2,908 main agricultural labourer, 11,789 in house hold industries, 385,802 other workers, 23,077 marginal workers, 531 marginal cultivators, 500 marginal agricultural labourer, 1,169 marginal workers in household industries and 20,877 other marginal workers.
As per the 2001 census, Coimbatore had a population of 930,882 within the municipal corporation limits. The population of the urban agglomeration as per 2011 census is 2,136,916 with males constituting 50.08% of the population and females 49.92%. Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 89.23%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy is 93.17% and female literacy is 85.3% with 8.9% of the population under six years of age. The sex ratio was 964 females per 1000 males. In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 265.9 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. It ranked 21st among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes. In 2011, the population density in the city was 10,052 per km2 (26,035 per mi2).[This is the population of the city limits prior to 2011 expansion] Around 8% of the city's population lives in slums.["]
Administration and politics
Coimbatore is a municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...
administered by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation and is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore district. Coimbatore was established as the capital of Coimbatore district in 1804 and in 1866, it was accorded municipality status. In 1981, Coimbatore was elevated as a municipal corporation. The city is divided into five administrative zones – East, West, North, South and Central, each further subdivided into 20 wards. Each ward is represented by a councillor who is elected by direct election and the Mayor of Coimbatore
The Mayor of Coimbatore is the first citizen of the Indian city of Coimbatore. She/He is an elected politician who, along with 99 councillors of the Coimbatore Corporation is the chief administrator of the city.
The office of Mayor of Coimbat ...
is elected by Councillors. The executive wing of the corporation is headed by a Corporation Commissioner and maintains basic services like water supply, sewage and roads. The district itself is administered by the district collector
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
and the district court in Coimbatore is the highest court of appeal in the district. The Coimbatore City Police
The Coimbatore City Police (or CCP) is the law enforcement agency in the city of Coimbatore, India. The CCP works under the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu Police.
The CCP has three wings: traffic, law and order, and crime. Each of these wings c ...
is headed by a Commissioner of Police and there are 18 police stations in the city.
A large part of the Coimbatore urban agglomeration falls outside the Municipal corporation limits. These suburbs are governed by local bodies called Village Panchayats and Town Panchayats.
Besides the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, the Coimbatore urban agglomeration comprises the Town Panchayats of Vellalur
Vellalur Nadu (வெள்ளலூர் நாடு) is a Tamil cultural village located in Melur Taluk in Madurai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Vellalur is 8.3 km from Melur, the Taluk main town; 32.1 km from Madura ...
, Irugur
Irugur is a suburb of Coimbatore, Coimbatore city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the fastest developing suburbs in the Coimbatore Metropolitan Area. It is located to the north of Trichy Road, Coimbatore, Trichy Road which is a part of ...
, Pallapalayam, Kannampalayam, Veerapandi, Periyanaickenpalayam
Periyanaickenpalayam is a suburb of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is upcoming developing region . It is covered with many industries around it . It is well connected by road and rail transport. It is located along National Hi ...
, Narasimhanaickenpalayam
Narasimhanaickenpalayam is a part of Coimbatore city. It is about 14 km from Coimbatore city junction in the northern direction. Narasimhanaickenpalayam is on the stretch of National Highway NH 67 Extn (NH-181) Mettupalayam Road, one o ...
, Idikarai, Vedapatti
Vedapatti is a suburb of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the western suburb of Coimbatore, which was included with the Coimbatore Corporation limits in 2011.
Demographics
India census, Vedapatti had a population of 9545. Mal ...
, Perur
Perur is a major residential neighbourhood and cultural hub of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of Noyyal River, which divides the settlement into equal halves.
History
Perur had been a prominent tradin ...
, Madukkarai
Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala State and is located around 12 km from the Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27&nbs ...
, Ettimadai
Ettimadai is a suburb of Coimbatore in the state of Tamilnadu, India. Ettimadai is located between Palakkad and Coimbatore along the Salem - Kochi Highway (NH544) (old NH 47) close to Tamil Nadu - Kerala border. Ettimadai Town panjayat is one ...
, Thondamuthur
Thondamuthur is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It comes under the Coimbatore Corporation. Thondamuthur is located 15 km west from the District headquarters Coimbatore, there are three routes available to re ...
, Uliyampalayam, Thirumalayampalayam, Othakalmandapam
Othakkalmandapam ''(Otthakkālmaṇdapam)'' is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The suburb is known locally as O.K. Mandapam or O.K.M. It is located outside the city limits, which recently merged with the Corporati ...
, Alanthurai, Pooluvapatti
Pooluvapatti is a panchayat town in Coimbatore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a western suburb of Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan ...
, Thenkarai, Karumathampatti
Karumathampatti is a Municipality in the Coimbatore district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the prominent developing suburb in Coimbatore metropolitan area, about 25 km away from the city centre. It is situated in betwe ...
, Sarcarsamakulam, Mopperipalayam and Gudalur, census towns of Ashokapuram, Kurudampalayam, Malumichampatti, Selvapuram, Chettipalayam
Chettipalayam is a suburb of Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu, India. The place and its vicinity is also home to Kari Motor Speedway , the LOTUS (Light Of Truth Universal Shrine) and the Coimbatore Golf Club. It is located 17 km away from Coi ...
, Sulur
Sulur (Tamil language, Tamil:) is a town located in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a suburb of Coimbatore. It is the headquarters of Sulur taluk, Sulur Taluk of Coimbatore district. There are many market places and many b ...
, Chinniampalayam
Chinniampalayam is a part of Coimbatore city. It lies on the main arterial Avinashi road, the most important road in the city. Chinniampalayam is one of the fast-growing neighbourhoods of Coimbatore. The Coimbatore International Airport is loca ...
, Somayampalayam, Muthugoundan Pudur, Arasur, Kaniyur
Kaniyooru, also spelled Kaniyooru is a village in Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. It houses one of the Ashta Mathas established by Madhvacharya, the Dvaita philosopher. The village is located on Mangalore t ...
, Neelambur and municipalities of Kuniyamuthur
Kuniyamuthur is a part of South Coimbatore. It is about 6 km from Coimbatore City center in the South. Kuniyamuthur is sometimes spelled Kuniamuthur or Kunimattoor. It is one of the busiest markets in the city. It is located on Palakkad ...
, Kurichi
Kurichi is a neighborhood of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was upgraded to a municipality in 2004, it was recently merged with the Coimbatore Corporation. As of 2011, the town had a population of 123,770
Geography
Kuri ...
and Goundampalayam
Kavundampalayam (also spelled as Goundampalayam) is an area located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It is within the Coimbatore Corporation, about 6 km north of the city centre. Goundampalayam is along Mettupalayam road in Coimbatore, one of th ...
. These local bodies are in turn split into wards each electing a councillor through direct election. The head of the local body, known as the President, is elected by the councillors from among their number.
Coimbatore elects ten members to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
and one member to the Indian Parliament
The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the ...
. The six legislative assembly constituencies in the city are Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South, Kaundampalayam, Singanallur
Singanallur is a major residential locality of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of Noyyal river, which runs to the southern boundary of the locality. It is situated in the eastern part of the city, and ...
and Thondamuthur
Thondamuthur is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It comes under the Coimbatore Corporation. Thondamuthur is located 15 km west from the District headquarters Coimbatore, there are three routes available to re ...
and Kinathukadavu
Kinathukadavu (also spelt as Kinathukkadavu), meaning ''Pass of the Well'', is a town panchayat suburb of Coimbatore city and taluk in Coimbatore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is along the National Highway 209 and is from G ...
which form a part of the Coimbatore Parliamentary Constituency. Part of the urban agglomeration comes under the Nilgiris
The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Southern Karnataka, and eastern Kerala in India. They are located at the trijunction of three states and connect the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. At le ...
and Pollachi
Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for ja ...
constituencies. In the Indian general election held in 2019, CPI (M)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the nat ...
candidate P.R. Natarajan
P. Ramaswamy Natarajan (born 21 December 1950) is a member of the 17th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Coimbatore constituency of Tamil Nadu and is a member of the CPI(M). He is the parliamentary group leader of CPIM in Loksabha.
Person ...
defeated C. P. Radhakrishnan of the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
in the Lok Sabha constituency. In the last legislative assembly election held in 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, the AIADMK
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party with great influence in the Federated state, state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory) ...
led front won in all five assembly constituencies.
Economy
A major hub for manufacturing, education and healthcare in Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is among the fastest growing tier-II cities in India. It houses more than 25,000 small, medium and large industries with the primary industries being engineering and textiles. Coimbatore is called the "Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
of South India" due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields. TIDEL Park Coimbatore
TIDEL Park Coimbatore is an information technology (IT) park in Coimbatore, India. It was set up in 2006 to foster the growth of information technology in other districts of Tamil Nadu by TIDEL Park Ltd, a joint venture of Tamil Nadu Industria ...
in ELCOT SEZ was the first special economic zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
(SEZ) set up in 2006. In 2010, Coimbatore ranked 15th in the list of most competitive (by business environment) India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n cities. Coimbatore also has a trade fair ground, built in 1999 and is owned by CODISSIA.
Coimbatore region experienced a textile boom in the 1920s and 1930s. Though, Robert Stanes had established Coimbatore's first textile mills as early as the late 19th century, it was during this period that Coimbatore emerged as a prominent industrial centre. In 2009 Coimbatore was home to around 15% of the cotton spinning capacity in India. Coimbatore has trade associations such as CODISSIA, COINDIA and COJEWEL representing the industries in the city. Coimbatore houses a number of textile mills and is the base of textile research institutes like the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) and the South India Textile Research Institute (SITRA). Kovai Cora Cotton
Kovai Cora cotton or Kovai Kora cotton is a type of saree made in the Coimbatore region in Tamil Nadu, India. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2014–15. The Devanga community are pioneers in weav ...
saree is a recognised Geographical Indications in India, Geographical Indication.
Coimbatore is the second largest producer of software in the state, next to capital Chennai. TIDEL Park Coimbatore
TIDEL Park Coimbatore is an information technology (IT) park in Coimbatore, India. It was set up in 2006 to foster the growth of information technology in other districts of Tamil Nadu by TIDEL Park Ltd, a joint venture of Tamil Nadu Industria ...
and other Information technology parks in the city has aided in the growth of Information technology, IT and Business process outsourcing industries in the city. It is ranked at 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Software exports stood at for the financial year 2009–10 up 90% from the previous year. Coimbatore has a large and diversified manufacturing sector and a number of engineering colleges producing about 50,000 engineers annually. Due to huge demand from IT Companies for space at Coimbatore, TIDEL Park Coimbatore-Phase-II is planned to be built within ELCOT SEZ on an additional 9 acres of land with 5 Lakh sq.feet space at ₹ 250 crores. TICEL Bio-Park III, a Bio-Technology Park is being constructed in 10 acres of land at Somayampalayam, Coimbatore.
Coimbatore is a major centre for the manufacture of automotive components in India with car manufacturers Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors sourcing up to 30%, of their automotive components from the city. Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, G.D. Naidu developed India's first indigenous motor in 1937. India's first indigenously developed diesel engine for cars was manufactured in the city in 1972. The city is also a major centre for small auto component makers catering to the automobile industry, from personal to commercial and farm vehicles. The city contributes to about 75% of the 1 lakh total monthly output of wet grinders in India. The industry employs 70,000 people and had a yearly turnover of in 2015. The term "Coimbatore Wet Grinder
Coimbatore Wet Grinder refers to wet grinders manufactured in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2005-06. , Coimbatore has more than 700 wet grinder manufacturers with a mo ...
" has been given a Geographical indication.
Coimbatore is also referred to as "the Pump City" as it supplies nearly 50% of India's requirements of motors and pumps. Coimbatores largest pump manufacturer CRI pumps, contributes a lot towards the "pump city" status of coimbatore. The city is one of the largest exporters of jewellery renowned for diamond cutting, cast and machine made jewellery. There are about 3,000 jewellery manufacturers employing over 40,000 goldsmiths.
Coimbatore has a large number of poultry farms and is a major producer of chicken eggs. The city contributes to nearly 95% of processed chicken meat exports. Coimbatore has some of the country's oldest flour mills and these mills which cater to all the southern states, have a combined grinding capacity of more than 50,000 MT per month. The hospitality industry has seen a growth in the 21st century with new upscale hotels being set up. Coimbatore is the largest non-metro city for e-commerce in South India.
Culture
Coimbatore and its people have a reputation for entrepreneurship. Though it is generally considered a traditional city, Coimbatore is diverse and cosmopolitan. The World Classical Tamil Conference 2010 was held in Coimbatore. The heavy industrialisation of the city has also resulted in the growth of trade unions.
Language
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
is the official language and Kongu Tamil (also called ''Kangee'' or ''Kongalam''), a dialect, is predominantly spoken. Coimbatore also has a significant number of Telugu people, Telugus, Kannada, Malayalis, and North Indians, mainly Gujarati language, Gujaratis. As per the 2011 census, Tamil is the most spoken language with 710,326 speakers, followed by Telugu language, Telugu (173,136),
Kannada language, Kannada (102,000), Malayalam (76,485). Other languages spoken in the city include Urdu (15,484) and Hindi (13,608). During the 1970s the city witnessed a population explosion as a result of migration fuelled by increased economic growth and job opportunities.
Religion
The city's population is predominantly Hindu with minority Muslim and Christians, Christian population. Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists are also present in small numbers. According to the religious census of 2011, Coimbatore has 83.31% Hindus, 8.63% Muslims, 7.53% Christians, 0.28% Jains, 0.05% Sikhs, 0.02% Buddhists and 0.01% Others. 0.17% of the respondents did not state their religion.
The Mariamman festivals at the city's numerous Mariamman temples are major events in summer. Major Hindu temples in the city include the Perur Temple, Perur Patteeswarar Temple, Naga Sai Mandir, Koniamman Temple, Thandu Mariamman Temple, Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, Ranganathaswamy temple, Karamadai, Karamadai Ranganathaswamy Temple, Marudamalai, Marudamalai Murugan Temple, Loga Nayaga Shaniswara Temple, Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple, Masani Amman, Masani Amman Temple, Dhyanalinga Yoga Center and the 112-foot Adiyogi Shiva statue which is the world's tallest bust of Lord Shiva. The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the 18th century CE. Christian missions date back to the 17th century when permission was granted by the Nayak dynasty, Nayak rulers to set up churches in the region. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain temples are also present in Coimbatore.
Cuisine
Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. Most local restaurants still retain their rural flavor, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. Eating on a banana leaf is an old custom and imparts a unique flavor to the food and is considered healthy. Indian cuisine, North Indian, Chinese cuisine, Chinese and Continental breakfast, continental cuisines are also available. Idly, Dosa (food), dosa, paniyaram and appam are popular dishes.
Coimbatore has an active street food culture and various cuisine options for dining. ''Arisi paruppu sadam'' and ''sambar sadam'', made from a mixture of dal and rice, is a recipe that existed from the 4th century CE that is unique to the area. Ariseemparuppu or arisi paruppu satham (literally translated as Rice and dal) originated from Coimbatore and the people of the city celebrate January 8 as national Aruseemparuppu day, after given light by a popular influencer and food consultant. ''Kaalaan'' is a popular dish prepared by simmering deep-fried mushrooms (usually chopped) in a spicy broth until it reaches a porridge-like consistency; the dish is served sprinkled with chopped onions and coriander leaves. ''Chaats'' made from potatoes and a mix of other vegetables and spices are also popular.
Arts
Swamikannu Vincent, who had built the first cinema of south India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of ''Tent Cinema'' in which a tent was erected on an open land to screen the films. Central Studios was set up in 1935 while S. M. Sriramulu Naidu established Pakshiraja Studios in 1945. The city conducts its own music festival every year. Art, dance and music concerts are held annually during the months of September and December (Tamil calendar month – Margazhi). Coimbatore also houses a number of museums and art galleries like G. D. Naidu Industrial Exhibition, G.D. Naidu Museum & Industrial Exhibition, H A Gass Forest Museum, Government Museum, Kadhi Gandhi Gallery and Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery and Textile Museum.
Transport
Air
The city is served by the Coimbatore International Airport at Peelamedu from the city centre. The airport commenced operations in 1940 as a civil aerodrome with Indian Airlines operating Fokker F27, Douglas DC-3 and later Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft. The then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the Government of India, government's intention to upgrade the Coimbatore Airport to International status in a meeting with senior ministers on 6 June 2012 and it was granted the status of international airport by the Union Cabinet on 2 October 2012. The airport is operated by Airports Authority of India and caters to domestic flights to major Indian cities and international flights to Sharjah (emirate), Sharjah, Singapore and Sri Lanka. -15, the airport was the List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic, 15th largest airport in India in terms of total aircraft movement, 18th largest in terms of passengers handled and 13th largest in terms of cargo handled. It has a single runway, which is in length and is capable of handling large aircraft. Air Carnival, a private airline commenced its operations in 2016 with the Coimbatore International Airport as its hub. PlanetX Aerospace operates private helicopter rides from Coimbatore to popular tourist hotspots nearby including Munnar
Munnar () is a town and hill station in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the "Kashmir of South Indi ...
in Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and Kodagu district, Coorg in Karnataka.
Sulur Air Force Station, located at Kangayampalayam is an air base operated by the Indian Air Force and accommodates Antonov An-32 heavy air lifter aircraft, Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters and the HAL Dhruv helicopters of the Sarang display team, Sarang helicopter display team. The first squadron of ingeniously built HAL Tejas will be inducted at Sulur AFS and Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft were stationed at the base by 2016.
Rail
Train service in Coimbatore started in 1861, upon the construction of the Podanur – Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India. Coimbatore lies on the Coimbatore - Shoranur railway line, Coimbatore – Chennai broad gauge railway line and the city falls under the Salem railway division, Salem division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways. The major railway station is the Coimbatore Junction railway station, Coimbatore Junction which is the second-largest income generating station in the Southern Railway zone after Chennai Central and is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railways. Other major railway stations catering to the city include Coimbatore North Junction railway station, Coimbatore North Junction, Podanur Junction railway station, Podanur Junction and minor stations at Pilamedu railway station, Peelamedu, Singanallur railway station, Singanallur, Irugur Junction railway station, Irugur Junction, Periyanaickenpalayam railway station, Perianaikanpalayam, Madukkarai railway station, Madukkarai, Somanur railway station, Somanur and Sulur Road railway station, Sulur. The city is located near the railhead for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World heritage site and mountain railway which goes to the hill station of Ooty.
Metro rail
In 2017,The Tamil Nadu Government proposed a metro for the city of Coimbatore. The Systra group was involved to do the feasibility and finalize the routes in the proposed metro rail.The CMRL proposed five corridors in Coimbatore Metro.
*Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Kaniyur
*Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Bilichi
*Karanampettai to Thaneer Panthal
*Ganeshapuram to Karunya Nagar
*Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus
Road
There are six major arterial roads in the city: Avinashi Road, Coimbatore, Avinashi Road, Trichy Road, Coimbatore, Trichy Road, Sathy Road, Mettupalayam Road, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam Road, Palakkad Road, Coimbatore, Palakkad Road, Pollachi Road, Coimbatore, Pollachi Road and Thadagam Road. The Coimbatore bypass is a series of Bypass (road), bypasses connecting the various National Highway (India), National Highways and Highways of Tamil Nadu, State Highways passing through and originating from Coimbatore. The first section of the bypass, a stretch from Neelambur to Madukkarai on National Highway 544 (India), National Highway 544 opened for traffic in 2000. It was the first road privatisation project to be implemented on a build–operate–transfer model in South India. In 2008, the State Highways department came up with a proposal to create a Ring road to help de-congest the main arterial roads and the 12 km road would extend from Peelamedu to Mettupalayam road. In 2011, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu announced the construction of two new flyovers at Ukkadam and Athupalam to help de-congest the Palakkad Road. In 2012, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided in favour of an eastern road that connected Mettupalayam Road with Avinashi Road and the existing bypass. The city municipal corporation is undertaking the construction of six rail-over-bridges in the city. There are five National highways of India, National Highways passing through the city:
Apart from State and National Highways, the city corporation maintains a long road network.[
]
Bus
Town buses started operating in 1921 and serve most parts of the city, as well as other towns and villages in the district. The number of inter-city routes operated by Coimbatore division is 119 with a fleet of more than 500 buses. It also operates town buses on 257 intra-city routes. The intra-city buses operate from major bus stations in Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus, Singanallur Bus Terminus, Ukkadam Bus Terminus and Saibaba Colony Bus Terminus to other parts across the city. Inter-city and intra-city buses that connect Coimbatore operate from different bus stands:
The Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus planned at Vellalore is under construction. The proposed terminus will be built at a cost of 168 crores.
Coimbatore BRTS is a proposed bus rapid transit project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, JNNURM scheme of the Government of India. It is planned along a stretch connecting Avinashi road and Mettupalayam road. The city is also served by auto rickshaws and radio taxi services like Uber, Ola Cabs, RedTaxi, GoTaxi, Zoomcar, Avis Car Rental, Avis. Coimbatore has four List of RTO districts in India, Regional Transport Offices viz. TN 37 (South), TN 38 (North), TN 66 (Central), TN 99 (West).
Coimbatore to Chennai Bus route is very busy and there are buses plying at regular intervals. The distance between the two cities is approximately 500 kms.
Education
Coimbatore is a major educational hub. The earliest educational institutions established in the city date back to more than a century with Church of South India Boys Higher Secondary School, C.S.I. Boys High School (1831), St. Michael's Higher Secondary School (1860), Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School (1862) and St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls School (1898) being the oldest. In 1867, the first group of students appeared for the SSLC Examinations from Coimbatore.
The first college of Coimbatore, Government Arts College, Coimbatore, Government Arts College, was opened in 1875. The first engineering college in the city, the Arthur Hope College of Technology (now known as the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore), was started by G.D. Naidu in 1945 followed later by private engineering colleges PSG College of Technology, and Coimbatore Institute of Technology in the 1950s. The Air Force Administrative College, established in 1949, is the oldest training institute of the Indian Air Force. Coimbatore Medical College was opened in 1966 and also city has another Government run ESIC Medical College, Coimbatore. The Government Law College, Coimbatore, Government law college started functioning from 1978. The agricultural school established in 1868 was converted into a full-fledged agricultural university. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1971 and the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History was opened in 1990.
, the district is home to seven universities, 78 engineering colleges, 3 medical colleges, 2 dental colleges, 35 polytechnics and 150 arts and science colleges. The city houses three government run universities Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Bharathiar University, Anna University Coimbatore and four private universities. The city houses headquarters of renowned multi-campus, multi-disciplinary private deemed university, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The city houses Government research institutes including the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Sugarcane Breeding Research Institute, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies. In 2008, Government of India announced a plan to establish a world class university in the region.
Three types of schools operate in Coimbatore: government run schools, schools funded by the government but run by private trusts (aided schools) and schools funded completely by private trusts. Schools were following Tamil Nadu Anglo Indian School Board lik
Stanes
and St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls School, St Francis, Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education, Tamil Nadu State Board, Directorate of Matriculation Schools, Tamil Nadu, Matriculation, Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, ICSE / ISC syllabus. Samacheer Kalvi (Tamil: சமச்சீர் கல்வி) or Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education or Equitable education system was introduced by the Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education Act 2010 to integrate the various school educational systems within the state. Several schools in the city have moved on from Anglo Indian and Matriculation systems to CBSE and ICSE/ISC syllabus. The city falls under the purview of Coimbatore Education District. In 2013, 45,863 students appeared for SSLC examinations and the pass percentage was 94.12%.
Utility services
Media
Four major English newspapers ''The Hindu'', ''The Times of India'', ''Deccan Chronicle'' and ''The New Indian Express'' bring out editions from the city. ''Business Line'', a business newspaper also brings out a Coimbatore edition. Tamil newspapers which have Coimbatore editions include ''Dinamalar'', ''Dina Thanthi'', ''Dinamani'', ''Dinakaran'', ''Tamil Murasu'' and ''Maalai Malar'' (both evening newspapers). Two Malayalam newspapers – ''Malayala Manorama'' and ''Mathrubhumi'' also have considerable circulation in the city. Lotus News is headquartered in Coimbatore.
A Medium wave, Medium wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with programs in Tamil, English and Hindi. Five FM radio stations operate from Coimbatore – Rainbow FM, Suryan FM, Radio Mirchi, Radio City (Indian radio station), Radio City and Hello FM. All these private radio stations air exclusively Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
based programs, including film music. Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan and in 1986, after inception of the repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras commenced. In 2005, Doordarshan opened its studio in Coimbatore. Television services are accessible through Direct To Home, DTH or digital cable.
Telecommunication
Coimbatore has a well-connected communications infrastructure. Till the 1990s the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the only telecommunication service provider in the city. In the 1990s, private telecom companies too started offering their services. , BSNL, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Tata Communications, Tata Teleservices, Jio, Reliance Jio and Atria Convergence Technologies, ACT offer broadband service and fixed line services. Mobile TeleSystems, MTS offers mobile broadband services. Cellular telephony was first introduced in 1997 and mobile telephone services available. Coimbatore is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu circle of cellular service providers.
Healthcare
As of 2010, the size of the health care industry in Coimbatore is estimated at . There are around 750 hospitals in the city with an in-patient capacity of 5,000 beds. These hospitals include Single Speciality institutions like eye care clinics such as The Eye Foundation, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Aravind & Sankara Nethralya, kidney center, ortho center, etc. and also multi special hospitals. The first health care centre in the city was started in 1909. In 1969, it was upgraded to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and also city has government run ESI Hospital, which was renovated recently at Rs. 5.20 billion with 500 beds. A government run tertiary care hospital with 1020 beds and provides free health care. The city corporation maintains 16 dispensaries and two maternity homes.[ People from nearby districts and the state of Kerala visit Coimbatore for medical tourism due to the availability of hospitals and healthcare facilities.]
Sports and recreation
Coimbatore is often referred to as "India's Motorsports Hub" and the "Backyard of Indian Motorsports". S.Karivardhan designed and built entry - level race cars and the Kari Motor Speedway, a Formula 3 Category circuit, is named after him. Tyre manufacturer Madras Rubber Factory, MRF assembles Formula Ford cars in Coimbatore in association with former F3 Champion J. Anand and racing company Super Speeds designs Formula cars. Rallying is another major event with rallies conducted in closed roads around Coimbatore. Narain Karthikeyan, India's first Formula One driver hails from the city, and other motorsport drivers from Coimbatore include J. Anand and V. R. Naren Kumar.
Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore, Nehru Stadium, built originally for football, also hosts athletic meets. The stadium has been renovated with Korean grass for the field and a synthetic track around it for athletics. Apart from the stadium, other sporting venues include the Coimbatore Golf Club, Coimbatore Golf Course, an 18 - hole golf course and Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, which is more than 100 years old. Coimbatore Flying Club is located in the Coimbatore International Airport, Coimbatore Airport premises. The city hosts its own annual marathon called ''Coimbatore Marathon'' as an event to raise cancer awareness. Retired tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who became the first Indian woman in the modern era to feature and win a round at a main draw Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam in 1998 Australian Open – Women's Singles, 1998 Australian Open hails from Coimbatore. Coimbatore District Chess Association (CDCA), established in 1940, is the oldest chess association in the country.
City based teams
Recreation
There are several amusement parks around the city: Black Thunder (theme park), Black Thunder water theme park near Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Kovai Kondattam amusement park at Perur and Maharaja Theme Park at Neelambur.
Since the 1980s, the city has had a few small shopping complexes and major shopping malls include Prozone Mall (Coimbatore), Prozone Mall, Brookefields Mall and Fun Republic Mall (Coimbatore), Fun Republic Mall. The city also has a number of parks including the VOC park and zoo, VOC Park, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Park, Race Course Children's Park and Bharathi Park in Saibaba Colony. Coimbatore Zoo houses a number of animals and birds and is located near VOC Park. The grounds are used for conducting fairs and events including the annual Independence day and Republic day celebrations. Singanallur Lake is a popular tourist place and bird watcher destination. Popular cinemas include Big Cinemas, KG Cinemas, The Cinema by SPI Cinemas, Cinépolis, INOX Leisure Limited, INOX and Miraj Cinemas.
Environmental issues
Air pollution, lack of proper waste management infrastructure and degradation of water bodies are the major environmental issues in Coimbatore. There is a sewage collection and disposal, sewage treatment plant at Ukkadam with the capacity to process 70 million litres of sewage water per day. Garbage is collected by the corporation and sewage is pumped into the water tanks and the Noyyal River
The Noyyal River is a small river in Western Tamil Nadu, and a tributary of Kaveri River. It rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, very close to Kerala border, and flows through many villages and the cities of ...
through streams. This along with garbage dumping and encroachments has led to degradation of the water bodies and depletion in the groundwater table. The tanks are renovated by the city's environmental groups with their own fund-raising and the corporation. The corporation is responsible and involved in clearing encroachment of the tanks. Siruthuli, an environmental organisation founded by the city's industrial houses, undertakes de-silting of tanks and cleaning of the Noyyal river. Environment Conservation Group based out of the city is also involved in conservation of trees and wetlands, monitoring wildlife crime and conducting awareness sessions for students.
Notable people
* Kovai Gnani, Tamil writer
* Vishnu Jejjala (born 1975), Indian-American physicist
* Narain Karthikeyan (born 1977), formula racing driver
* K. G. Lakshminarayan (born 31 March 1953), former cricket umpire
* Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkataraman (born June 1884), botanist
* Sivakumar (born 1941), Indian visual artist and former actor
* D. Sreeram Kumar (born 1981), Indian Army officer
* Suriya ( born 1975), Indian actor, producer, television presenter
* Sathyaraj (born 1954), Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality
International relations
Coimbatore has Sister cities, sister city relationship with Toledo, Ohio, Toledo, Ohio. The relation has enabled exchange in the fields of arts and education between the cities. A Twin cities, twin city pact with the German city of Esslingen am Neckar, Esslingen was signed in July 2016 enabling the two cities to collaborate on areas of mutual interest, health, education, culture and social development.
Alliance Française de Madras, a Franco-Indian non-profit association promoting the growth of French language, French in India has a centre at PSG Institute of Management Coimbatore, PSG Institute of Management in Coimbatore.
See also
* Coimbatore metropolitan area
* Coimbatore district
Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...
* Siruvani River, Siruvani
* Adiyogi Shiva statue, ''Adiyogi'' Shiva statue
* Velliangiri Mountains
* Maruthamalai Marudhachalamurthy Temple
* Aliyar Reservoir
Notes
References
External links
*
Coimbatore Municipal Corporation Website
*
{{Authority control
Coimbatore,
Smart cities in India
Metropolitan cities in India
Cities and towns in Coimbatore district