Coimbatore The 3rd largest city in Tamilnadu, Coimbatore is popularly known as the ‘Manchester of south India’ for its many textile mills. Is a large business and industrial city and a hub of discussion and debate with many medical, educational, business and technology groups conducting seminars here. Based at the foothills of the Nilgiris, the city also boasts of tea and coffee plantations along with numerous cash crops like tobacco and cotton. One of South India’s most important industrial cities, the development of hydroelectricity from pykara falls in the 1930s led to a cotton boom in Coimbatore.

Attractions in Coimbatore:

• VOC Amusement Park and Zoo
The amusement park, named after the freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram, is an exciting place for both children and adults. The main attraction of the park includes a number of joy rides, an aquarium containing large variety of fish, a zoo and a toy train.

• Marudhamalai
Located on a hillock about 12 km from Coimbatore Railway Station, the temple of Marudhamalai, dedicated to Lord Subramanya, is one of the most visited temples in the region. 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.

• Agriculture University
Situated about 5 km from the railway station, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is one of the best institutions for agricultural studies in Asia. The university spread in an area of 300 hectares also houses a botanical garden with different species of plants and trees.

• Perur
Perur is a small town situated about 6 km from Coimbatore. Its main claim to fame is the holy Perur Temple, 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. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. 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.

• Forest College
The Forest College is located at a short distance from the railway station. A museum located inside the college is one of the major tourist attractions housing a collection of unique rocks, minerals, snakes, insects and other types of fungi.

• Siruvani Waterfalls
The picturesque Siruvani Waterfalls and Dam is situated about 37 km west of the city. The place abounding in natural beauty leaves the tourists mesmerized and spellbound by its sheer natural splendor. The water of Siruvani contains a lot of minerals and is known for its taste.

Coimbatore Excursions:
Thirty kilometers from the city is the famous Vaideki Water Falls, which is a popular Coimbatore thing to do. Visitors are spell bound by the beauty of the waterfall. The area around the fall is also a good trekking area. About ninety kilometers from the city is the Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. It is spread over an area of almost nine-hundred-and-sixty square kilometers, and is home to some of the finest species of mammals, including all the big cats.

Bhavani is a major pilgrim site that is located one-hundred-twenty kilometers from the city. All the Crocodile Dundees can travel twenty from Amarvati dam, to a crocodile farm, where you can feed a croc. This temple has visitors all round the year. You can also visit Black Thunder, which is frequently called the best amusement park in Asia. This water theme park is very thrilling indeed. Coimbatore is a gateway to many fascinating cities in the south, like Kodaikanal or Ooty.

How to Reach Coimbatore:

By Air
Peelamedu airport is 10-km from the Coimbatore city, which operates regular flights to Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Madurai.

By Rail
Coimbatore is a major railway junction on the Southern Railways and has trains to Chennai, Rameswaram, Madurai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kanyakumari, Kozhikode, Mettupalayam, Kochi and Delhi.

By Road
Well built roads and highways connect Coimbatore to all the major cities in and around the state.

Local Transportation
For local transportation, city buses, taxis and auto rickshaws are available. State Transport Corporation ply mini luxury coaches between various points in the city and airport.