Coimbatore Hotels

• State: Tamil Nadu
• District: Coimbatore
• Type of Tourism: Industrial Hub, Pilgrimage
• Area: 105.5 sq. km / 40.7 sq mile
• Population: 930,882 (As per Indian census- 2001)
• Altitude: 1,349 ft (411.2 meters)
• Languages spoken: Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, English.
• Telephone Code: India (0422), International (+91)
• Pin Code: 641001
• Best time to visit: March to September
• Clothing recommended : Light cotton in summer, light woolen in winter
• What to buy: Benarasi, Kanchivaram and other designer Saris, Handloom Clothes, Jewellery, Handicrafts, Mysore Pak
• Food Specialties: Idli, Dosa, Vada, Sambar, Chutney, Vegetarian Rice Meal, Karandi, Non Vegetarian Food, Sevai, Muttai Chappathi, Halwa, Mysore Pak.
• Local transportation: Public Transport Buses, Auto Rickshaws, Taxis.

Coimbatore, the second largest city of the state of Tamil Nadu is one of the fastest growing metropolitans of the country. Nestled on the banks of the river Noyyal at the foot hills of Nilgiris, Coimbatore suffices as the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore District. Also known by the name ‘Kovai’ in Tamil, Coimbatore is called ‘Koneyammanputhhur’ due to its location on the banks of the river Noyyal. The term Koneyammanputhhur implies the ‘birth place of the Goddess’. Renowned country wide for its motor pump sets manufacturing; Coimbatore is a thriving industrial laureate and a mainstream commercial hub. Acclaimed for its aspiring entrepreneurship and diligent striving for progress, Coimbatore boasts of housing over 30 thousand small, medium and large scale industries.

The city is distinguished in every quarter of the country for its multitudinous industries such as engineering enterprises, textile mills, IT culture, software companies, cotton industries, agriculture, educational institutes, health care, and so on. The fertile black soil, very good rains and ample water resources have rendered this place a major agricultural pivot. Cotton is grown here in bulk which has made Coimbatore a flourishing textile city. This textile capital of South India is rightly complimented as ‘Detroit of South’ or ‘Manchester of Southern India’. The Surveys undertaken by different study groups, for instance; Economic Times, Frost and Sullivan and CII have reported that Coimbatore is the topmost facilitated investment terminus of India and ranks first in the index of consumer confidence.

One more feather in the hat of Coimbatore is the well known ‘Siruvani Water’. Acknowledged as world's second tastiest water after Nile, Siruvani Water amplifies the honor of this cosmopolitan.

History of Coimbatore

Much contemplated and controversial history of Coimbatore is dated back to 2nd century AD. The cardinal literary assertion of the name of Coimbatore - ‘Kongu Nadu’ is discovered in a 2nd century Tamil Epic entitled ‘Silappathikaram’. In 10th century Kongu Nadu was a part of the Chola Empire. The city changed hands from Cholas to Irulas in 12th century when an Irula chief named ‘Kovan’ rechristened ‘Kongu Nadu’ after his own name as ‘Coimbatore’. The excavation that was carried out by the Archeological Department of India in the terrains in and around Coimbatore has laid fingers on several Roman coins that indicate the prevalent trade between Coimbatore and Roman merchants.

15th century witnessed the heyday of Vijayanagara Empire when Coimbatore, along with the rest of the regions of Tamil Nadu was under the governance of Vijayanagara Domain. With the fall of Vijayanagara Empire in 17th century, Coimbatore region was merged with Mysore Kingdom that retained its reigns till 18th century. In the late 18th century when Tipu Sultan was overthrown by British, the British East India Company took over Coimbatore. They synthesized Coimbatore with Madras Presidency in the year 1799. Coimbatore made a great contribution in the 2nd Poligar War of 1801, against the British East India Company.

Coimbatore and the nearby towns and villages were congregated and a ‘Coimbatore District’ was formed in the year 1865. Coimbatore was appointed as the headquarters. 19th and 20th century tuned out to be a hard time for Coimbatore. Natural calamities such as earthquake, famine and plague befell this city and Coimbatore had to lose a lot in the tussle against these disasters. Coimbatore also participated in the Independence Struggle of India and at the same time kept marching ahead in the compass of industrialization and commercialization. In the year 1888, the first textile mill of Coimbatore was established and today Coimbatore has reached to such heights that it is commended as ‘the Manchester of South India’.