Coimbatore Tourism

About Coimbatore

One of the most important cities of Tamilnadu, Coimbatore is called the 'Manchester of South India' It is the third largest city in the state as well as the headquarters of the Nilgiri region. Its exposure to the Palghat Gap of the Western Ghats lends Coimbatore a salubrious climate.

Coimbatore is a highly industrialised city. It is the centre of textile manufacturing in the state - there are over a hundred mills in and around Coimbatore. Other than textile, it is known for the manufacturing of motor pump sets and various engineering and electronic goods.

Coimbatore Tourist Places to See

Though mainly a business center, yet there are plethora of tourist places to visit in Coimbatore. The most famous that you should not miss out during your tour to Coimbatore include:

» VOC Park and Zoo (Amusement Park)
Named after the famous freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram, the VOC Park is an interesting place to visit in Coimbatore, especially if you are accompanied by kids. For the young ones, the main attractions within the park include the aquarium, which has a good collection of different species of fish, a mini zoo, and a toy train for joyrides.

» Marudhamalai Temple
Located on a hillock about 12 km from Coimbatore Railway Station, the temple of Marudhamalai, dedicated to Lord Subramanya, is one of the most popular option for sightseeing in Coimbatore. One of the reasons of the large number of devotees flocking the temple is that the residing deity Dandayuthapani is believed to have performed several miracles here. Thai Poosam and Tirukarthigai festivals are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety at this temple.

» Perur Temple
Perur is a small town situated about 6 km from Coimbatore. It houses one of the most popular of Coimbatore tourist attractions - the holy Perur Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is also one of the seven Kongu Sivalayams. The outer buildings of the temple were built by rulers of Madurai in the 17th century but the inner shrine is much older. One of the remarkable features here is the figure of a sepoy (Indian soldier) loading a musket carved on the base of the pillar near the entrance, wearing identical dress to that of the Aurangzeb's soldiers.

» Chinnathadagam
15 kms from the heart of Coimbatore, Chinnathadagam lies at the foot of Anaikatty range of hills. The myriad faces of the hills due to the seasonal changes are a feast for the eye and soul. Now the sun shines brightly, now the clouds start gathering, a cool breeze tersely announces impending rain, and behold, in a few minutes the drizzle starts and develops into sharp showers and some-times torrential rains hiding the hills from the eyes. Definitely Not to be missed out on a tour to Coimbatore!

» Velliangiri Hills
Amongst the prime Coimbatore tourist places, Velliangiri is flanked by hills such as Tirumalgiri, Ayyanmalai and the Dharmalingesa hill. The five faces of Lord Shiva- Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshwara and Sadasiva are seen as Panchagiri and as Panchalingas pertaining to the panchabhutas, in Velliangiri. The hill ranges have abundant natural resources, which include rare herbs. Lord Panchalingesa and his Consort Manonmani Amman alias Parvathi, bestow their grace on the devotees who throng here annually between February and May to offer prayers at the Siva temple perched on the hills.

» Agriculture University
Though a bit different from the above mentioned Coimbatore tourist attractions, still the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is one of the interesting places to visit in Coimbatore. Five kilometers away from the railway station, the university is one of the best institutions of its kind in South Asia. The university also houses a botanical garden which is the main source of attraction here. It is located towards the west of the city centre and is spread over an area of 300 hectares. The garden has a good collection of different species of flowering plants and trees.

» Forest College
Located about 3.5 km north of the Railway Station, the Forest College is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the country. A visit to the College Museum is an interesting experience. This museum has an interesting collection of different minerals, rocks, pests, snakes, insects and fungal diseases that afflict plants and trees. The college also trains forest rangers.

Tours to Coimbatore also takes you to a number of other tourist attractions in Coimbatore. These include Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, Anubhavi Subramaniar temple, Monkey Falls, Ayyappan Temple, Kovai Kutralam Falls, Vydehi Falls, Siruvani Falls and Dam, Kovai Kondattam, Kodiveri Dam, Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple, St Antony's Church, Black Thunder, etc,.

Excursions From Coimbatore

Coimbatore tourism also offers a quiet a number of options for nearby tourist places to visit in Coimbatore. Primary amongst them are Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Topslip, Thirumoorthy Temple, Siruvani waterfalls and Dam, Parambikulam, Erode, Bannari, Chennimalai and Kodumudi. These attractions reveal both the natural and manmade marvels of Tamilnadu.

Accommodation in Coimbatore

Coimbatore offers a vast array of hospitality that will overwhelm you spectrally. There is a great deal of choice available for tourists in order to make a choice. From luxury hotels to budget hotels all are there for the tourists to fit there pockets. Few of the Hotels best known for there services in Coimbatore are; Hotel Heritage Inn, Hotel Surya International, Sree Annapoorna Lodging, Nilgiri's Nest, Shree Arvee Hotel and many more.

How to Reach Coimbatore

Coimbatore is superbly interwoven with the domestic network of air, rail and road.

» By Air : Peelamedu Airport is 10 km from the City.

» By Rail : Coimbatore is connected by rail to Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi and other cities.

» By Road : It is also connected to all the important cities and places of interest by road.