Coimbatore

Coimbatore Coimbatore
Location of Coimbatore
Population  (2004)
• Total	1,965,234

Coimbatore (Template:Lang-ta), also known as Kovai (Template:Lang-ta), is a major industrial city in India. According to the 2001 census it is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore District.

Coimbatore is known for its textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities, educational institutions, pleasant weather, friendly culture and hospitality. Situated on the banks of the Noyyal river, Coimbatore is also known as Koneyammanputhhur, which means "birth-place of the Goddess" (Koni Amman).

History

Information about the origins of Coimbatore is scarce. During the early period it was ruled by the Chera and Chozha dynasties. During the early Chola period (prior to the year 200 CE) Karikala Chozha built the Perur temple. Later, the region passed to the Rastrakutas and Ganga kingdoms of Mysore following the political confusion created by the Kalabhras, who held sway over South India until 550 CE. The Chalukya dynasty took over the region in 550 CE, after a brief tussle with the Pallavas, who ruled the region for a few decades. From the Chalukyas, it passed on to the Pandyas of Madurai in 720 CE. 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. The village was named "Kovanputhur" after its aboriginal Irula Clan chieftain. The Irulas built the water tanks which still play a major role in Coimbatore's water management system.

The Sugarcane Breeding Institute at Coimbatore, 1927

From the Cholas, control of Coimbatore passed back to the Pandyas for a brief period, 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 village 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 in the late 19th century and founded a major high school.

In 1979 Coimbatore became a corporation with annexure of the Singanallur municipality.

Geography

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Sunset at Ukadam, Coimbatore

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. 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

The district's climate is generally hot in Summers and cold in winters with moderate low humidity than other cities in South India. Temperatures range from 14°C to 32°C during December–January to a hot 22°C to 40°C between March and May. Temperatures during the rest of the year range from lows around 21-23°C to highs around 28-32°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.

Although these rainfalls are not enough for the entire year, small rivers like the Siruvani and Atthikadavu fulfil the city's water needs.Of the two rivers, Siruvani is well known for its tastiest water. It is one of most tastiest drinking water resource in the world. This is because of large number of Amla trees present in the mountains where the Siruvani river originates.This Siruvani river is one of the greatest asset 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 censusTemplate:GR, Coimbatore had a population of 0.9 million within city limits and another estimated 0.6 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.

Tamil is the official and widely spoken language. 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. Coimbatore's inhabitants have a satirical sense of humor, known in Tamil Nadu as "Coimbatore Kusumbu." Other languages spoken in Coimbatore include Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English. There is a large population of Telugus, Gujaratis, Marwaris, Kannadigas and Keralites, as well as people of Konkani and Tulu origins.

Culture

A Hindu temple in Coimbatore

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 and the Konniamman 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 famaous ISKCON temple also located 3 KMS from the city.It is a famous temple 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.

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. Coimbatore flavours are generally fairly mild, with variations to suit local palette. Most locals still retain their rural flavour, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. There are large numbers of non-vegetarians. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Mysorepa (a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee), idly, dosa, vada-sambar and Biryani are popular among the locals. The recent influx of coffee 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 Parliament representing the Coimbatore east and west constituencies, but about 5% 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.

DB Road, RS Puram, Coimbatore

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 blast. Unlike other major cities, shops and public transportation do not 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 (Coimbatore–Nagappattinam) and NH-209 (Bangalore–Dindigul) passing through the city. The city has an airport at Peelamedu (8 km from the city) and an air-force base at Sulur (12 km). Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore to all parts of India, with a meter gauge line connecting the city to Dindigul. 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 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 is around 800 in 228 different routes.

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View of Coimbatore Airport

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.

Proposed international flights from the airport include a direct flight to Colombo by Srilankan airlines and to Singapore by Silk airways. The runway requires expansion to handle larger planes. The airport is currently serviced by Indian, Jet Airways, Paramount Airways, JetLite, Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines.

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. 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. Sir Robert Stanes would later assist several others in setting up their ventures. 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.The Indo Shell Mould Groups is one of the countries leading manufacturers of Shell moulded casting components for Automobile Hydraulic Industries.

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.

Terraced fields near Coimbatore

A wind farm near Coimbatore

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.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.

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). 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.It has entered Limca Book of Records. The Book reads as “Coimbatore District Small Scale Industries Association INTEC Technology Centre at Coimbatore is the first pillar-free trade fair complex spread over 40 acres, constructed over 13,500 square metres in 155 days with 1,500 workers working round the clock.”

The IT industry in Coimbatore is nascent, with ABT Infoserve, Cognizant, Ephronsys (a division of Ephrontech LLC), Robert Bosch, Nous Infosystems, CG-Vak Software & Export, KG Design Services, KG Information Systems, Pricol Technologies,Quattro Infotech (a division of Lakshmi Technology & Engineering), Sharp Info Solutions, Spheris India,J technologies[www.jtechindia.com] and Tata Consultancy Services being some of the players in the city.

Environmental issues

Coimbatore's air quality is good, in spite of the city's heavy industrialisation. Most industries are engineering based, and there are no toxic spewing or waste dumping factories. 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 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.

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. Sareens sir

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), Sarvajana High School (1910) in Peelamedu, Suburban Higher Secondary School (1917), Mani higher secondary school (1954) and Carmel Garden Matriculation Higher Secondary School (1964).

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PSG College Of Technology, Peelamedu

The first college was the Government Arts College (1875-76). The first engineering college was started by PSG 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,electricals and automobile engineering. Later it became the Government Polytechnic (GPT). 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. Government Law College (1978) started functioning in order to fulfill the long felt need for legal education in the district.

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 Malai Malar published in the evening. A short wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with most programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi. Two FM radio stations operate from Coimbatore, "Rainbow FM" by All India Radio and "Suryan FM" by the Sun Network.

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.

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.

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. LG Sports 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.

A typical raceday scene at Kari Motor Speedway

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. 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 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 land-locked city, visiting the cinema still remains the city's most popular recreational activity.

External links

• Coimbatore District Administration
• Municipal Corporation
• Coimbatore - Schools, Colleges, Universities & Educational Institutions
• Template:Dmoz

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