Everything about Coimbatore totally explained
Coimbatore, also known as Kovai, is a major industrial city in
India and the second largest city in the
state of
Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of
Coimbatore District. It is known as
Manchester of South India. It is also a part of
Kongu Nadu region of Tamilnadu.
Coimbatore is known for its textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities, educational institutions, pleasant weather, and hospitality. Situated on the banks of the
Noyyal river, Coimbatore's name comes from the local Goddess here,
Koniyamman.
Koniyattamuttur, or "Koniyamuttur" later metamorphosed to
Koyamuttur which is anglicised as 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.
From the Cholas, then to the
Hoysalas 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 regio 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 stands till date 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 river Noyyal. Many lakes and ponds were constructed near the river during ancient periods. The Coimbatore city alone has Nine lakes (wetlands). In most of the urban ecosystems, these wetlands are the major life supporting component. They support 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, 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 viz. 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 is a very pleasant, salubrious climate city situated in the western parts of the state of Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore is situated at an elevation of about 398 meters. The temperature in this part of India is quite pleasant throughout the year. The temperature during both summers and winters varies anywhere between 37 'C to 14 'C. The best time to visit Coimbatore is between the months of July to February, Highest temperature is 41°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. Annual rainfall is 61cm
Although this rainfall isn't enough to sustain the needs of the city for the entire year, small rivers like the Siruvani and Atthikadavu fulfill the city's water needs. The Siruvani river is the second sweetest water in the world and is well known for having water of the purist taste. This is because of large numbers of
Amla trees present in the mountains where the Siruvani river originates; this making the Siruvani river one of the greatest assets of Coimbatore.
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
Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History is located at Anaikatty in Coimbatore district.
Demographics
As of the 2001
census, Coimbatore had a population of 1.1 million within city limits and another estimated 0.75 million under urban cover. 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 a sizable
Muslim and
Christian populations.
Sikhs and
Jains are also present in smaller numbers.The city has a large number of Telugus (Kamma Naidus and few
Telugu Chettiars), Palghat Brahmins, Malayalees / Keralites,
Kannadiga’s (
Gowda’s 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.
Tamil is the most widely spoken language of Coimbatore. The dialect of the Tamil language spoken here's referred to as "
Kongu Tamil", often addressing younger person and strangers with respect, irrespective of class. Coimbatore's inhabitants have a satirical sense of humor, 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
ISKCON
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. Coimbatore 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.
Administration
The city is a Municipal Corporation as well as the district Headquarters. The city has two Members of Legislative Assembly representing the Coimbatore east and west constituencies, but about 20% of the city's territory is represented by the
Nilgiri constituency which runs into the northern part of the city. 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 don't function after 11pm.
Drunken driving and parking punishments are strictly enforced.
Infrastructure
The city has six major arterial roads and three
National Highways,
- NH-47 (Kanyakumari–Salem),
- NH-67 (Mysore–Nagappattinam) and
- NH-209 (Bangalore–Dindigul)
passing through the city. The city has an airport (Coimbatore Airport) at Peelamedu (11 km from the city) and an air-force base at Sulur (15 km). Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore to all parts of India, with a meter gauge line connecting the city to Dindigul (this is now under gauge conversion). A new bypass highway completed in 1998 has helped reduce truck traffic in the city. However, the city's roads are still underdeveloped. This has resulted in the construction of large apartment complexes in areas meant for lower population densities.
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 rickhaws. 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. It is second highest revenue yielding station in Southern railways.
International flights from the airport include a direct flight to
Colombo by
Srilankan airlines, to
Sharjah by
Air Arabia and to
Singapore by SilkAir. The runway requires expansion to handle larger planes. The Second Extension phase is under construction.
Coimbatore Airport is currently serviced by
Air India - Sharjah.
Air Arabia - Sharjah.
SilkAir - Singapore.
Srilankan Airlines - Colombo.
Paramount Airways - Chennai, Hyderabad.
Indian Airlines - New Delhi, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Cochin, Chennai.
Jet Airways - Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai.
Air Deccan - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Mumbai.
JetLite - New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai.
Kingfisher Airlines - Chennai, Bangalore.
SpiceJet - Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad.
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 journy 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, S. 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 50cc moped under the name Suvega,but, only the cetral 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 1930's and 1940's with two fully equipped studios, Central Studios and Pakshiraja Studios. Many laterday 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. However, 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 town 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 400 acre plant on Eachanari bypass road. Wind Energy major Suzlon has planned to setup a foundry & machine shop in Coimbatore 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 Instruments & Control Limited(PRICOL), ELGI Equipments, Shanti gears, LGB, Roots Industries, Pump industries like CRI Pumps, Deccan Pumps, Texmo Industries, 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 160,000 square feet trade fair ground, built in 1999. It was named COINTEC due to its hosting of INTEC (Small Industries Exhibition)(External Link). 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)(External Link). It is also the country's largest pillar-free hall, according to the Limca Book of Records.
The IT industry in Coimbatore is nascent, with CSS Corp,Cognizant, Perot Systems, Robert Bosch.
Environmental issues
Air Pollution
Coimbatore's air quality is worsening, thanks to the city's heavy industrialisation. In 1990’s 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 50's and 60’s 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 initiated 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.
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), Mani higher secondary school (1954), Carmel Garden Matriculation Higher Secondary School (1964) and Lisieux Matriculation Higher Secondary School (1972).
The first college was the Government Arts College (1875-76). The first engineering college was started by PSG (P.S. Govindasamy Naidu) and Sons (1926) as a polytechnic and industrial training institute, later offering graduate programmes including textile engineering. G.D. Naidu started Hope College (named after Sir Arthur Hope, then Governor of Madras Presidency), offering technical education in civil, mechanical, electronics, electrical, and automobile engineering. Later it became the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore (aka... GCT). The Coimbatore Institute of Technology(1956) was started by MIT and Sloan alumni P.R. Ramakrishnan.
Coimbatore Medical College (1966) started functioning on land granted by some industrial families. 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 spread over Tamil nadu. 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. Karunya Institute of Technology (Karunya University ) started in the year 1986 was the first autonomous self financing college it's now a University. Sri Krishna College Of Engineering&Technology started in the year 1998 is also worth mentioning.
Media and communication
The city has two major English dailies, The Hindu (External Link) and The New Indian Express (External Link). Tamil language dailies include Dina Malar(External Link), Dina Thanthi(External Link), Dina Mani(External Link) and Dinakaran(External Link) with two other dailies Tamil Murasu(External Link) and Malar[www.maalaimalar.com] 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(External Link) 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 two major temples, Marudamalai and Perur.
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 epic, a saint prayed to God sitting under a marudha tree for helping him quench his thirst and tiredness. 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 Garba graha of this temple was built by Karikala Chola in the early Christian era. It is a Shiva shrine with a Swayambumoorthy.
The Sthalapuranam states that when the calf of Kamadhenu was playing in the forest of arasu trees its legs got plunged into a hard object from which blood gushed out. It was then 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. Since it was sung by Saint Appar and by Saint Sundarar in their Devaram. The temple is located in Perur, 6 km from Coimbatore on the Siruvani main road. The Temple attracts a large concourse of people from throughout the land.
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 homeopathic clinics run by NGOs.
Coimbatore: An emerging healthcare destination
Fast pace of industrialisation, spiraling 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. Being the head quarter of the district government hospital, CMCH with a capacity of 1150 beds treats more than 20 lakh patients every year. The history of large private players coming to the healthcare scenario started with the commencing of the G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial Hospital (GKNMH). It was started 50 years ago by the Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial Trust primarily as a speciality hospital for gynaecology and paediatrics. Over years, it developed into a multi speciality hospital with 300 beds.
Notably, majority of the big private players in the city are registered as trust hospitals. The ushering in of the corporate multi speciality hospital a decade ago has intensified the competition among the private hospitals. This intense competition has necessitated advanced medical technology and better patient care. Few of the super speciality hospitals in the city have also slowly moved into specialities like cardiac care, cancer treatment and eye care. Amidst the super speciality and multi speciality hospitals also function wide range of speciality hospitals. To maintain and extend their patient base, few of the these hospitals have also added on other disciples that can be accommodated with the existing specialities. Patients who used to travel to other metros now have healthcare deliveries at their doorstep.
Apart from providing healthcare services of international standards, hospitals in Coimbatore are also trendsetters. When hospitals in Mumbai and Bangalore are in the infant stages of establishing hospital networking, hospitals in Coimbatore have already taken a lead. KG Hospitals has tied-up with more than ten clinics in the nearby towns to provide expert medical consultancy. These clinics would refer to the partner hospital for tertiary care of its patients. A year back, KG Hospital also established a satellite diagnostic at Tirupur. According to Dr G Bakthavatsalam, chairman, K G Hospital, the satellite diagnostic centre is an extension of the hospital and its services. The satellite centre equipped with the state-of-the-art medical devices is helpful to the medical fraternity and the people of Tirupur to undertake preliminary investigations at ease. Similarly KMCH has also established a diagnostic centre, which it calls as a city centre to provide primary and secondary care. Hospitals here are also engaged in emergency networks, clinical trials and other new concepts that are explored by the hospitals elsewhere in the country to increase the patient base and satisfaction.
Private hospitals in the city have also joined with NGOs in community service by establishing trauma care centers and emergency networks. The trauma care project implemented by the private hospitals in association with Rotary along the National Highway is one such. A group of private hospitals, government hospital and the communication department have also joined hands to set up an emergency medical service system in the city.
With a large array of multi speciality and speciality hospitals existing and rendering yeomen service, can the city absorb new comers? The demand and the supply isn't in perfect sync and the gap has to be bridged by few more hospitals, say experts.
Coimbatore is all set to emerge as one of the important hub for medical tourism. The Ganga Medical Center and Hospitals have been leaders in trauma, orthopedic and plastic surgery care. They have recently relocated to the Mettupalayam Road. The hospital regularly hosts international conferences ion Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery and Anaesthesia. Kovai Medical Center & Hospital(KMCH)(External Link), G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial Hospital(GKNM), KG Hospital, PSG Hospitals & Ramakrishna Hospital are major super speciality hospitals. There are other hospitals with specialisation areas. Ganga Hospital(Orthopaedics, Neuro-Surgery ), GEM Hospital (Laparoscopic procedures).Coimbatore Christian medical center for the poor and needy CCH
List of Hospitals
Ganga Hospital [www.gangahospital.com]
KTVR Group Hospital (External Link).
Sankara Eye Centre Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust.
Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH).
The Eye Foundation.
MedIndia Hospitals (MIH).
Siloam Thomas Eye Hospital.
G.Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital.
Lotus Eye Care Hospital.
Sheela Hospital.
Ellen Hospital.
Rao Hospital.
Coimbatore Diabetes Foundation.
Vedanayagam Hospital Pvt Ltd.
Naveen Hospital.
Coimbatore Kidney Centre.
Sri Ramakrishna Hospital.
Richmond Hospital.
Arvind Eye Hospital.
Kongunad Hospital (P) Ltd.
Ponniah Hospital.
PSG Hospitals.
Lalithaa Hospital.
Vikram ENT Hospital & Research Institute.
Arya Vaidya Chikitsalayam & Research Institute (Unit of AVP (Cbe) Limited).
Coimbatore Kidney Stone Centre.
Diabetes Care & Research Centre.
Kalpana Hospital.
Kovai Diabetes Speciality Centre.
CSR Nursing Home.
The Balakishnan Hospital.
Aparna Hospital.
Surya Hospital.
Balaji Nursing Home.
Kanthaswamy Siddha Hospital.
Saravana Surgery.
Karunya Rural Community Hospital.
Sri Kumar Hospital - Kaundampalayam
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. 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 center.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 didn't 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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Coimbatore'.
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