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Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore District. Known as Manchester of southern India, it is also a part of the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.
Situated on the banks of the Noyyal River, Coimbatore is known for its textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities, educational institutions, pleasant weather, hospitality and for its Kongu Tamil.
possible reason for the city's name could be that a king called Kovan ruled the area and hence the name Kovanputur (Kovan's city) and evolved and anglicized as Coimbatore.
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Encyclopedia
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore District. Known as Manchester of southern India, it is also a part of the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.
Situated on the banks of the Noyyal River, Coimbatore is known for its textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities, educational institutions, pleasant weather, hospitality and for its Kongu Tamil.
Etymology
One possible reason for the city's name could be that a king called Kovan ruled the area and hence the name Kovanputur (Kovan's city) and evolved and anglicized as Coimbatore. In modern times the name is sometimes abbreviated as CBE based on the Indian Railways' station code. It is also believed that the City is named after the presiding deity of the town "Koniamman" - "Koniamman pudur" turned into Coimbatore..
History
Information about the origins of Coimbatore is scarce. During the early period it was ruled by the Karur Sangam era Chera. Later, the region passed to the Kongu Rattas and was the heartland of the Ganga kingdoms. A second Chola empire arose in the mid-9th century, and gained the territory encompassing Coimbatore. They established a planned layout, with the Koniamman temple in the center. It is also found that in early days this area was ruled by tribals, Kosars tribe being the prominent one among them. They had their headquarters at Kosampathur, which probably later became the present Coimbatore.
From the Cholas, then to the of Karnataka in 1291. By the early 14th century, the region was ruled by the Muslim rulers of Madurai under the Delhi Sultanate. The Muslim rule in Madurai was ended in the late 14th century by the newly formed Vijayanagara Empire. The Vijayanagara reign brought new settlers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In the 1550s, the military governors (Nayaks) of the Vijaynagara Empire took control of Madurai, with Coimbatore belonging to their territory. After the downfall of Vijayanagara Empire, the Madurai Nayaks established their state as an independent kingdom, with other Vijayanagar offshoots forming new kingdoms in Vellore, Tanjore, Gingee, Chandragiri and Mysore. The Nayaks introduced the Palayakkarars, who were military governors of their respective regions. By the 1700s, frequent fighting between Madurai and Mysore forces in the Coimbatore region resulted in the region being ruled by Mysore. At this time Coimbatore was still a village of around 3000 people.
In the 1760s, the Mysore throne was usurped in a coup by General Hyder Ali. Ali was hostile to the British, who were gaining a foothold in the area with the help of Arcot Nawab. A series of wars between the British and the Mysore forces continued till Tipu Sultan's death in 1799, when the Mysore throne was handed over to the earlier Mysore rulers. At that time the British annexed the Coimbatore region into the Madras Presidency. When Hyder Ali acquired Coimbatore, the population was around 3000. The village dwindled to 1500 by Tipu's death.
Coimbatore played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War against the British in 1801, when the first attack was done against the British Columns stationed in Coimbatore by the Poligars of Salem, Coimbatore and Dindigul region along with some Malabar and Mysore rebels.
In 1804 Coimbatore was established as a capital for the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1848, it was accorded the municipality status. Sir Robert Stanes, a British entrepreneur and philanthropist, became the first Chairman of the Coimbatore City Council and also founded the Stanes School in 1862, a major higher secondary school that has stood until the present day as a jewel of the city.
In 1981 Coimbatore became a corporation with annexation of the Singanallur municipality.
Geography
Coimbatore is situated in the extreme west of Tamil Nadu, near the state of Kerala. It is surrounded by mountains on the west, with reserve forests and the (Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve) on the northern side. The eastern side of the district, including the city is predominantly dry. The entire western and northern part of the district borders the Western Ghats with the Nilgiri biosphere as well as the Anaimalai and Munnar ranges. A western pass to Kerala, popularly referred to as the Palghat Gap provides its boundary.
Because of its close proximity to the Western Ghats, the district is rich in fauna.
Coimbatore is situated on the banks of the Noyyal river. Many lakes and ponds were constructed near the river in ancient times. The city of Coimbatore has nine lakes (wetlands). In most of the urban ecosystems, these wetlands are the major life-supporting component with high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. The Coimbatore Urban wetlands harbours more than 125 species of resident and migratory birds, with August – October being the peak season. Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Ibis, Spot-billed Duck, Teal, Black Winged Stilt are some of the migratory birds that visit Coimbatore wetlands regularly. [43]
Apart from the species common to the plains, wild elephants, wild boars leopards, tigers, bison, various species of deer, Nilgiri Tahr, sloth bear and black-headed Oriole can also be found. The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary (88 km) in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 1,400 meters covers an area of 958 km². Among the region’s livestock animals are Kangeyam breed bulls (cross-bred by Mandradiar family in 17th century to suit the terrain). This breed, which helped the region gain a foothold in the dairy industry, are found only in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts. More than 20% of the district is classified as forest, lying in the west and north. The forests here are abundant in commercially significant trees such as teak, sandalwood, rosewood and bamboo. The Nilgiris slope of the Mettupalayam range is rich in sandalwood trees and bamboo. They vary from rich tropical evergreen forests of Punachi range to jungles of shrubs in southern ranges.
Apart from the high altitude regions of Western ghats, most of the forest area has come under Lantana invasion. The locals refer to it as Siriki chedi.
Climate
Coimbatore has a pleasant, salubrious climate, not reaching the high temperatures of other southern India cities. Situated in the Western part of the state of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is located at an elevation of about 398 meters. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and winter varies between 35°C to 18°C. In the months from July to February, highest temperature is 38 °C and lowest is 12 °C.
Due to the presence of the mountain pass, major parts of the district benefit from the south-west monsoon in the months from June to August. After a warm, humid September, the regular monsoon starts from October lasting till early November. These monsoons are brought about by the retreating North-eastern monsoon. The average annual rainfall is around 700 mm with the North East and the South West monsoons contributing to 47% and 28% respectively to the total rainfall. Although this rainfall is not enough to sustain the needs of the city for the entire year, small rivers like the Siruvani and Atthikadavu fulfil the city's water needs. The Siruvani water is second sweetest water in the world. This is because of large numbers of Amla trees present in the mountains where the Siruvani river originates.
Coimbatore is generally a dry district, apart from the Noyyal River basin and occasional over-flowing streams from the Western Ghats, which terminate in the city's large tanks. The soil is predominantly black, which is suitable for cotton cultivation, but it also has some red loamy soil. Coimbatore falls under the Class III/IV Seismic Zone, having experienced a 6.0 Richter scale earthquake in 1900. The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is located at Anaikatty in Coimbatore district.
Demographics
As of the 2001 census, Coimbatore had a population of 930,882 in Municipal Corporation limits . More recent estimates peg the population of Coimbatore at some 15 lakhs (1.5 million) people. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 81% and female literacy is 74% with 11% of the population under 6 years of age.
The city's population is predominantly Hindu, along with sizeable Muslim and Christian populations. Sikhs and Jains are also present in smaller numbers.The Kongu Vellalar community living here is the majority and the city has a large number of Telugu Kamma Naidus (own major industrial houses, hospitals and institutions) and few Telugu Chettiars who settled during Vijayanagar Empire, Malayalees / Keralites (Palghat Iyers), Kannadigas (Gowdas and Chettiars) who migrated and settled in and around Coimbatore during the 16th century. There is also a large population of Gujarathis and Marwaris settled more than 100 years ago. Also people from Konkan coast of Konkani and Tulu origins have settled in the city.Apart from the above the ancient habitants were kongu vellala gounders who also form a major population.
Tamil is the most widely spoken language of Coimbatore. The dialect of the Tamil language spoken here is referred to as "Kongu Tamil", often addressing younger person and strangers with respect, irrespective of class. Malayalam is also Spoken in some areas of the city. Coimbatore's inhabitants have a satirical sense of humour, known in Tamil Nadu as "Coimbatore Kusumbu."
Culture
The city has a multi-cultural society, mostly of cosmopolitan nature. Its inhabitants are largely conservative and traditional, retaining their roots in their native villages.
There are numerous temples in the city including the Perur Temple, the Konniamman temple and the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple. The Mariamman festivals, at the city’s numerous Amman temples, are a major event in summer. A replica temple of Tirupathi is located in Valparai and another near Mettupalayam. A famous temple is also located 9 km from the city. It is a famous temple dedicated for Lord Krishna. Marudamalai, a well known shrine to Murugan, is close to the city. Coimbatore has also been an abode for many siddhars or rishis, who were also experts in medicine, alchemy and astrology. The most prominent of them was Pambatti Siddhar who is said to have lived in Marudamalai. Many of his findings are recorded as poems.
The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the period of Hyder Ali. Christian missions date back to 1647 when permission was granted by the Nayak rulers to set up a small church in Karumathampatti (12 km). It was destroyed by Tipu Sultan’s army resulting in a new church in 1804. In 1886, Coimbatore was constituted as a diocese after bifurcating with Pondicherry. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain Temples are also present in Coimbatore. Many locations in the city including Kottaimedu have Muslims and Hindus living together which is also considered very sensitive as these locations become the prime target of crime during communal riots as witnessed earlier in the city.
Coimbatore cuisine
Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. However, the population of Coimbatore is multi-cultural due to the influx of migrant population from various regions of the country and this reflects in the food as well. The flavours are generally fairly mild, with variations to suit the local palette. Most locals still retain their rural flavour, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Mysorepa (a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee), idly, dosa, Halwa (a sweet made of different ingredients like milk, wheat, rice) and vada-sambar and biryani are popular among the locals. The recent influx of coffee shops and pizza shops has increased and serving as hangout locations for the youth.
The city is a Municipal Corporation as well as the district Headquarters. The city has a Mayor, Deputy Mayor and several councillors elected by people representing administrative wards, as well as a corporation Commissioner to administer the city headed by the District Collector. The District court is the highest court of appeal in Coimbatore. Despite being the largest revenue earning districts, insufficient state government funds have resulted in the city's basic infrastructure being underdeveloped.
Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984 was followed by large scale arson and looting. During the 1980s crime increased, possibly due to an abundance of liquor shops. Hindu – Muslim riots were frequent in the late 80’s, reaching their peak in the 90’s when a massive riot occurred in the Townhall and west Coimbatore area. Recently, the crime rate has improved, possibly as a result of increased police vigilance after the 1998 bomb blasts. Unlike other major cities, shops and public transportation do not function after 11pm. Drunken driving and parking punishments are strictly enforced.
Politics
The city has five Members of Legislative Assembly representing the Coimbatore East, Coimbatore West, Singanallur, Perur,
Kaundampalayam constituencies, but about 20% of the city's territory is represented by the Nilgiri constituency which runs into the northern part of the city. Both Coimbatore East and Comimbatore West assembly constituencies are part of Coimbatore (Lok Sabha constituency). Also about 10 percent of city comes under Pollachi (Lok Sabha constituency)
Transport
Air
The city has an airport (Coimbatore Airport) at Peelamedu (11 km from the city) and an air-force base at Sulur (15 km). The Coimbatore airport caters to domestic flights to all the major Indian cities and international flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Sharjah and Colombo.
The Extended Runway is now ready at Coimbatore airport. It now runs to and is capable of handling wide-bodied and “fat-bellied” aircraft, such as are used for international flights. With the extended runway, airlines can operate aircraft types such as 747 SP, A 330, 747-300B, 747-300 ER, 747-400 and 747-200.
Rail
Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore to all parts of India and Tamilnadu, with a meter gauge line connecting the city to Dindigul. The Coimbatore Junction is well connected to major Indian cities like Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, besides to the neighbouring State of Kerala. It is second highest revenue yielding station in southern railways. The Coimbatore junction is under Salem division which contributes 42.17% of its divisional income. But the facilities and projects does not match with the high income.
Podanur Junction and Coimbatore North Junction are other two important Railway stations in the city.
Road
The city has six major arterial roads and three National Highways,
A new bypass highway built by Larsen and Toubro completed in 1998 has helped reduce truck traffic in the city.
Coimbatore has 6 major bus stands. They are-
- Gandhipuram Bus Stand (Buses going to Erode, Tirupur, Mettupalayam, Ooty, Salem, Bangalore, Chennai and other distant places)
- Singanallur Bus Stand (Buses going to Madurai, Trichirapalli, Tanjore and nearby towns)
- Town Bus Stand (Local Buses)
- Thiruvalluvar Bus Stand, Gandhipuram (SETC and Kerala State Buses)
- Ukkadam Bus Stand (Buses to Palghat, Pollachi, Palani, Dindigul, Kodaikanal and other nearby places)
- Mettupalayam Road Bustand - Getting Ready.
Major City Bus Routes
- 1C - ONIPUDUR - VADAVALLI (Via:Singanallur BS Ramanathapuram GH Railway Station, Gandhipark, TNAU, Pudur)
- 2 - PERUR - SITRA (Via: Townhall, Lakshmi Mills, Peelamedu, Hope College, CMC, CIT, GRD, GPT, PSG, Aravind eye hospital)
- 3 GANAPATHY - MADUKKARAI (Gandhipuram Ukkadam Kuniamuthur)
- 4 THUDIYALUR - POTHANUR (Vadakovai Townhall Ukkadam)
- 5 SIVANANDACOLONY - SIVANANDACOLONY (Gandhipuram Lakshmi Mills Ramanathapuram Townhall)
- 7 GANDHIPARK - GANDHIPARK (Vadakovai Gandhipuram Puliakulam Townhall)
- 11 Kanuvaai Saibabacolony Townhall Railway Station
- 12 and Subsidiaries i.e, 12A 12B etc.., : Gandhipuram Ukkadam - Pollachi Road
- 14 and Subsidiaries Gandhipuram - Siruvaani road (Townhall Perur Via)
- s17 Avarampalayam Ramakrishna Hospital Gandhipuram Railway Station Perur Kovaipudur
- 19B and 30 Series Ukkadam Ramanathapuram Singanallur Ondipudur Sulur Aero
- 19C Gandhipuram Peelamedu Singanallur Ondipudur Sulur Aero
- 20A Gandhipuram Peelamedu SITRA Karumathampatti Somanur
- 32 and Subsidiaries - CBE to MTP Road
- 33 and Subsidiaries - CBE to Pollachi Road (Kinathukadavu)
- 45C Gandhipuram Ganapathy Saravanampatti Annur
- 70 Gandhipuram - Marudhamalai (Via:Sivanadacolony Saibabacolony GCT TNAU Vadavalli)
- 73 Gandhipuram - Chettipalayam (Via: Ukkadam)
- 90A Ukkadam - Somanur (Townhall GH RAilway Station Peelamedu SITRA Chinniampalayam Karumathampatti)
- 96 Gandhipuram - Walayar (Palghat Road Via)
- 100 Cheran Maanagar - Cheran Maanagar
- 130 Ukkadam BS - Gandhipuram BS
- 140 Singanallur BS - Gandhipuram BS
- Gandhipuram BS - Singanallur BS: 1A 1B 1D 1E S7 S7A S9 S9A S9B S9D S10 S11 S11A S16 S18 19C 19D 20B 20C S21A S21B S23 S23A S23B S23C 28 S29 30D 65 65A 69B 69C 80 86 88 95 105C 108 108A 109 113 114 140
The city has a very high vehicle-to-population ratio. Town buses started operation in 1921. Town bus services serve most parts of the city, as well as other towns and villages in the district. Buses also connect the district to all towns in Tamil Nadu, North and central Kerala, South Karnataka and Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh). The number of mofussil routes operated by Coimbatore division is 119 with 500 buses.
The number of town buses in the city is around 800 in 228 different routes.
The city is also served by auto rickshaws. However, rickshaw drivers have had a reputation for fleecing passengers, resulting in competition from call taxis. Trains first began serving Coimbatore in 1872, upon construction of the Podanur (Coimbatore South) -Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India.
Economy
The city's primary industries are engineering and textiles. The district also houses the country's largest amount of hosiery and poultry industries. Most of the industries are run by entrepreneurs, often indigenous with family based or community financing. The city's industrial growth started in 1920’s and accelerated after independence, without any government assistance or the entry of external industrial houses. The city serves as the homeground for most of the well known industrialists from Tamil Nadu. Of late, information technology companies have started opening offshore development centres in the city.
Early industrial developments
When the British occupied Coimbatore, the territory connected the Malabar ports with the rest of India (apart from Konkan coast). The British later expanded their railway network in 1862, passing through Podanur to Cochin for quicker transit of raw materials required in England.
In 1888, Sir Robert Stanes founded the Coimbatore Spinning and Weaving Mills (also known as Stanes Mills) in the northern edge of the town after starting a coffee curing factory in Trichy road thus kick starting the industrial journey of Coimbatore. The Stanes textile mill he started is the forerunner to the huge textile industry of world repute which Coimbatore has today. Sir Robert Stanes would later assist several others in setting up their ventures.He was to be awarded the Kaiser-I-Hind gold medal for services to Coimbatore and to education and was subsequently knighted in 1920 for his high sense of honour.
Two more mills (Kalleeswara and Somasundra mills) were established in 1910. Lakshmi Mills Company commenced their operations in 1911 in Papanaickenpalayam.
By the 1930s, several textile mills had been established around Coimbatore due to the cheap power offered by the Pykara power station.
In 1900, Swamikannu Vincent, a railway engineer, built the first cinema in South India, the "Variety Hall" (now Delite Theatres). His son Paul Vincent introduced talking motion pictures in South India. In 1922, Narayanaswamy Naidu started a workshop to repair cane crushers and cotton ginning machines. Two years later, he established the Dhandayuthapani Foundry. Around the same time, G.D.Naidu started his unique bus service. He is also credited for manufacturing the first electric motor in India. In 1931, Pollachi Nachimuthu Gounder stated his transport business which grew into a multi-crore industrial and trading house. In the 1940s, a Sheffield University graduate, D. Balasundaram Naidu from Avarampalayam in Coimbatore, started his company Textool to manufacture textile machines of his design. In 1965 another Textile family of VLB Naidu group set up Mopeds India Ltd after a technical collaboration with Motobécane of France to manufacture their legendary Motobécane Mobylette 50 cc moped under the name Suvega, but, only the central office was in Coimbatore while the plant was set up in Tirupathi.
The manufacture of Wet grinders, considered to be India’s only product and engineering invention, later spun-off into several variants. LMW and Pricol would commence operations later growing into a multi-crore group.
Coimbatore was also a major movie hub in 1930s and 1940s with two fully equipped studios, Central Studios and Pakshiraja Studios. Many latter-day Tamil movie stars started or spent their early career in these studios.
Industries today
Coimbatore is the highest revenue earning district in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore is called the Manchester of South India due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields. It is also called as the pump city of India. The City houses large number of small scale engineering companies. The motor and pump industry supplies two thirds of India’s requirements, while its wet-grinder industry has a near monopoly. Agriculture is still the major occupation in the district as in any other part of the Country. General trade attracts people from all over the state including the neighbouring Kerala. The neighbouring city of Tirupur is home to Asia’s largest garment manufacturing companies, exporting hosiery clothes worth more than Rs. 50,000 million. Coimbatore is also emerging as an IT and BPO city.
Textool offered a prototype of Sten Guns to the Indian Government after independence. They developed the first in-house designed car in the 1960s, which never saw the light of day due to the license raj. They made several prototypes until the 1990s. They successfully manufactured India's first indigenously developed diesel engines in 1972 for cars and their own CNC lathes in 1982. Today their spin-off company, Jayem Automotives, offers R & D services to Mahindra, Tata Motors and Hindustan Motors.
Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors source up to 30% of their automotive components from Coimbatore. The city also houses numerous jewellers engaged in jewellery exports. L&T has opened a plant on Eachanari bypass road. Wind Energy major Suzlon has planned to set up a foundry & machine shop in Coimbatore (between Karumathampatti and Annur) which could be the largest corporate facility of its kind so far in the southern city of Tamil Nadu. Along with it Hansen Transmission, a Belgian Company which manufactures gearboxes for windmills is setting up a plant here with an investment of Rs 940 cr.
Some of the major industries are Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW), Premier Evolvics (PEL),Premier Instruments & Control Limited (PRICOL), ELGI Equipments, Shanti gears, LGB, Roots Industries,The Major Pump industries Sharp Industries, CRI Pumps, Texmo Industries, Deccan Pumps are renowned world wide, Coimbatore is also called as the pump city. Research and Development Organisations like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, CONTRIVE Group [www.contrivegroup.com], South India Textile Research Association[www.sitra.org.in], contribute a lot to the city. other industries LMW, PSG, Sakthi group contribute a lot, and the now closed South India Viscose are one of the major employers in the city.
Coimbatore also has a trade fair ground, built in 1999. It was named COINTEC due to its hosting of INTEC (Small Industries Exhibition). The Trade Fair complex, one of the country's largest, was built in six months, and is owned by CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association). It is also the country's largest pillar-free hall, according to the Limca Book of Records.
The IT industry in Coimbatore is nascent compared to its textile and manufacturing industries, with CSS Corp Pvt Ltd, Tata Elxsi Limited, Cognizant, Perot Systems, Robert Bosch and TCS to name a few.
A new supply chain management company called VWR Lab products Ltd named after the founders Van Water & Rogers is one of the upcoming MNC companies in coimbatore having its base in USA & branches all over the world.
Environmental issues
Air pollution
Coimbatore's air quality is worsening, due to the city's heavy industrialisation. In 1990s the State Government and pollution control board took major steps to re-locate the steel foundries out of the city. The foundries were established in 1950s and 1960s when there were no residential areas nearby, but expansion had to give way. The textile mills are all equipped with air treatment towers. The results of such an exercise is yet to be realized.
Waste management
The city has no proper underground drainage or sewage system. Garbage is collected by the Corporation (sometimes systems developed by the locals). The city's hospitals have no proper bio-waste management scheme. Drainage is pumped into the remaining tanks through streams. During the 80’s, corporation planned on closing the tanks due to encroachment by filling with waste. But as a result of outcries from associations, the tanks are being renovated by the city's environmental groups with their own fund-raising. From mid 90’s, corporation authorities are keeping public encroachments under check.
The Bio-Medical waste dumped in Podanur Vellalur road has sparked lot of angry demonstrations by the locals in Vellalur village, but the local government is yet to solve this issue.
Tanks revival
Siruthuli, an environmental organisation founded by the city's industrial houses, has embarked in de-silting of tanks and cleaning of the Noyyal river. Citizen Voice Club is one of the most active clubs in raising civic issues. The public should be warned of the hazards caused by pollution. Unless public awareness is created no such governmental or private measures will work out.
Education
Educational institutions played a major role in the city's development. The year 1867 saw the first group of students appearing for the SSLC Examinations. The city today has more than a dozen engineering colleges, two medical colleges, an air-force administrative college, a forest college, more than 75 arts and science colleges and 3 universities, churning out about 35,000 graduates every year. The earliest educational institutions were CSI Higher Secondary School (1831), St. Michaels School (1860), Stanes High School (1862), St. Francis Anglo Indian Girls High School (1880), Sarvajana High School (1910) in Peelamedu, Suburban Higher Secondary School (1917), Devanga Higher Secondary School (1948), Mani higher secondary school (1954), St. Joseph's matriculation higher sec. school(1960), Carmel Garden Matriculation Higher Secondary School (1964), Lisieux Matriculation Higher Secondary School (1972)and Shri Nehru Vidyalaya (1964), Bharathi Matriculation Higher Secondary School and PERKS Higher Secondary School.
The first college was the Government Arts College (1875-76). The first engineering college in the city was started by G.D. Naidu in the name Hope College (named after Sir Arthur Hope, then Governor of Madras Presidency), offering technical education in civil, mechanical, electronics, electrical, and automobile engineering in the year 1945. Later it became the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore (aka... GCT)presently known as Anna University Coimbatore. Later in the year 1951 PSG College of Technology was started by P.S. Govindasamy Naidu as a polytechnic and industrial training institute, later offering graduate programs including textile, electrical and mechanical engineering. According to a survey by Outlook India, PSG Tech is the one of the best private engineering institutions in India. The Coimbatore Institute of Technology(1956) was started by MIT and Sloan alumnus P.R. Ramakrishnan.
Coimbatore Medical College (1966) started functioning on land granted by some industrial families. On 12 August 1973, Kongunadu Arts and Science College was started. Later in 1987 PSG and Sons started PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (1971) has successfully developed several high yielding varieties of rice and millets. The University has seven constituent colleges, thirty two research stations and thirteen Krishi Vigyan Kendras throughout Tamil Nadu. The University is responsible for teaching, research and extension activities related to Agriculture in the State. The University is situated in the western part of the city, on Maruthamalai Road. The Government Law College (1978) started functioning in order to fulfil the long felt need for legal education in the district.Tamilnadu College of Engineering was established in 1984. For the records, Tamilnadu College of Engineering has the distinction of being the First Self-Financing Engineering College in Tamil Nadu. Amrita Institute of Technology & Science and Kumaraguru College of Technology(KCT) are also good institutions for Engineering education. VLB College of Engineering & Tech is one among the old Self-Financing Engineering College. Karunya Institute of Technology (Karunya University), started in 1986, was the first autonomous self financing college it is now a University. Sri Krishna College Of Engineering & Technology, started in 1998, and Shri Krishna Arts and Science College, started in 1997, also serve the community.INFO INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING, Aditya institute of technology and other new institutions of engineering have also been started newly , and is doing extremely good. Coimbatore is well known worldwide for its Education institutions and Engineering industries.
Media and communication
The city has two major English dailies, The Hindu and The New Indian Express . Tamil language dailies include Dina Malar , Dina Thanthi , Dina Mani and Dinakaran with two other dailies Tamil Murasu and published in the evening. A short wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with most programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi. Five FM radio stations operate from Coimbatore, Rainbow FM by All India Radio and Suryan FM by the Sun Network. Radio Mirchi, Radio City, and Hello FM started their operations recently.... All these private radio stations air exclusively Tamil based programmes, including film music. The range of these stations cover Coimbatore, Erode and Ooty districts of Tamil Nadu; Palakkad and Wayanad districts of Kerala.
Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan. In 1986, after inception of a repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras Doordarshan commenced. The people of Coimbatore witnessed the 1980 Olympics and 1983 Cricket World Cup on a giant screen in VOC Park when the city-based UMS developed a dish antenna for satellite signal reception. Television reception is through DTH or by Cable, while "Doordarshan" reception is still available using an external antenna. In 2005, Doordarshan opened its studio in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore has good communication infrastructure, with all major service providers involved.
It is the headquarters for the Tamil Nadu circle of cellular service providers, with Aircel having its headquarters in Coimbatore. Services available are DOT landline, CDMA and GSM. Fiber optic cables were laid in 2001, improving Internet access which had begun with the establishment of a dial-up connection in 1996.
Temples
The city has several major temples: Marudamalai, Perur, Annur, Karamadai, Kooniamman Temple,Bathrakali Amman Kovil and Arulmigu Vazhai Thottathu Ayyan Temple.
Marudamalai
The word "Marudhachalapathy" or "Maruthamalai Andavar" means Master of Hills, abounding in Marudha trees. The name has also a legendary origin. A Siddha, overcome by excessive thirst and tiredness, sought shelter under the shade of a Marudha tree and prayed to the mercy of the Lord Muruga for a shower of water, which sprang at once as though by a miracle from beneath the tree. As water gushed out from the roots of the marudha tree, the Siddha leaped in joy, glorifying Muruga as the Lord of "Marudha" and "Jalam" (water) with the passage of time, "Marudhajalapathi" became "Marudhachalapathy".
According to the epic, while sitting under a marudha tree, a saint prayed to God for help quenching his thirst and exhaustion. Soon he noticed water springing from beneath the tree. Overwhelmed, he pronounced 'Lord Muruga' as the Lord of Marudhajalapathi. In due course it became 'Marudamalai'. History has it that Pambatti Siddhar, was originally a snake charmer and was initiated into the world of philosophy by a Siddhar by name Sattai munivar. Pambatti Siddhar is said to have performed several miracles, and written extensively on herbal medicine. His songs are addressed to snakes.
Location of the temple: Sri Subramanyasami temple is located at Marudamalai, 13 km North - West of Coimbatore, Industrial city of Tamil Nadu, India.
Perur
The Garbagraha of this temple was built by Karikala Chola in the early hindu era. It is a Shiva shrine with a Swayambumoorthy.
The Sthalapuranam (local folklore)states that when the calf of Kamadhenu was playing in the forest of arasu trees, its' legs plunged into a hard object from which blood gushed out. It was discovered that the object was nothing but a sacred Siva Lingam. This led a temple to be built here. It was built over the Moolasthanam and worshipped by the Saivaites. The place became a Vaipu Sthalam in Saivalore. It is one of the few temples in Kongunadu which figures in the Devaram by Saint Appar and Saint Sundarar. The temple is located in Perur, 6 km from Coimbatore on the Siruvani main road, on the banks of the Noyyal river.
Lord Nataraja and His natya sabha is worth seeing here. The statues in this mantapam are very beautiful.The veins of the dancers in the statues can be seen. Nataraja's festival, Arudhra Dharsanam, is one of the important festivals celebrated here. It occurs on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Marghazhi (Dec-Jan).
Sri Santhalinga Mutt, also known as Arulmigu Santhalingar Thirumadam, is one of the ancient Virasaiva mutts established by Sri Santhalinga Swamigal. The mutt now provides quality education, religious services and services to the poor and needy. It has done yeoman service for development of Tamil and use of Tamil in temple worship.
Annur
The Manneswara Temple is located here. This Temple of Shiva was built by a Chera King around 1000 years ago. It is believed that a hunter was digging the roots of a tapiaco tree to pull it down. He was surprised to see blood gushing out of the root. He later found a 'Lingam' beneath the tree. On hearing this, the King built a temple here. The uniqueness of this temple is that it faces was 'Markandeya', a staunch devotee worshipped the 'Linga' enshrined here, it is believed. And this Linga is 'Suyambu Linga' that means natural one.
Karamadai
Dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, this is the second oldest temple in Coimbatore. It was built by the Vijayanagara Kings. The Temple attracts a large concourse of people from throughout the land.The famous Ranganathar temple in karamadai is an easy destination for the people of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Annur, Ooty, Metupalayam etc.
The 'Thottiyars' clan of people lived at Karamadai. A cow of one of the thottiars failed to yield milk all of a sudden. He found out that the cow was shedding milk at a bush. Enraged, he started to cut it and heard an exploding sound and saw blood gushing from inside. On hearing this, the other people in the village came there and found a 'Suyambu Lingam' inside the bush. The same night God appeared in the dream of him and asked him to adorn the 'Lingam' with 'Chandana Kaapu'.and it is very near to periyanayakkan palayam.
Bathra Kali Amman Koil (Thekkampatti)
This is one of the oldest temples in Coimbatore. It is on the banks of the Bhavani River. The goddess' name is "Vanabhadra Kaliamman".This temple attracts
large crowds and also it is a very good picnic spot. A one day picnic combining this temple and adjoining Kallar (the first hair-pin bend of mettupalayam - ooty road) is worthwhile from coimbatore.
Health care
The city has numerous hospitals. Apart from the Government hospital, several multi-facility hospitals function in the city. The district's health department is amongst the best in terms of implementing government-initiated health schemes. Also, several rare surgical procedures have taken place here. The polio eradication programme is heavily assisted by the city's Rotary Clubs, who also regularly donate ambulances for smaller hospitals. The city also has numerous homoeopathic clinics run by NGOs.
Fast pace of industrialisation, spiralling population and the increase in the health awareness have led to the growth of the healthcare industry in Coimbatore. The city stands second to Chennai in the Tamilnadu for highly affordable and quality healthcare deliveries of international standards.
Coimbatore is also the preferred healthcare destination to the floating population from nearby towns and districts and also nearby districts of Kerala. The growth of the hospitals in the city can be attributed to the vision of the industrialists here to bridge the gap between growing health needs and the existing services. Many of the private hospitals in the city are promoted by industrialists as an extension of their business portfolio and their service to the society.
The first healthcare centre started in 1909, later became the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) during 1960s.
Sports and recreation
Motor sports plays a large part in the city, with Coimbatore often referred to as the "Motor sports Capital of India" and the "Backyard of Indian Motorsports". Some wealthy industrialists, such as S.Karivardhan, who had a penchant for tinkering with machines and cars, plunged into motor racing, later making Coimbatore the country's motor racing hub. The city has a Formula 3 Category circuit, as well as three Go-Kart circuits. National Champion races for Formula racing (Cars), Motorcycle racing, Go-Kart racing are held in Kari Motor Speedway. Super Speeds designs and constructs almost all Formula cars. Rallying is another major event with all teams based in Coimbatore. Rallies are conducted in closed roads around Coimbatore districts. Narain Karthikeyan is the city's most famous driver, being the first Indian to enter Formula 1 in 2005 with Team Jordan. Also he is the First & only Indian to win A1GP World Championship Race. He belongs to the the popular P.S.G business family. of Other famous motorsport personalities from Coimbatore are former Formula 3 driver J.Anand and seven time national rallying champions N. Leela Krishnan and V. R. Naren Kumar.
The city is also known for its antique bikes, cars and jeeps. Many prominent industrialists own antique automobiles.
Nehru stadium, built originally for football, can also host athletic meets. Now Synthetic track is constructed and Korean grass in the centre. Apart from the stadium, the city also has several sports clubs. The prominent tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan hails from Coimbatore. The Coimbatore Golf Club is home to a major 18-hole golf course. The Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, which is more than 100 years old, was founded for Indian members only, in response to the English Coimbatore Club, which did not admit Indians until the 1950s. The Coimbatore Flying Club is located in the Coimbatore airport premises.
Though there are a lot of entertainment centres mushrooming in the city, visiting the cinema still remains the city's most popular recreational activity.
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