Coimbatore is a rather unknown city outside of India despite having a population of over a million and being the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. I’d like to think it’s just modest and a little shy. I thought it would be neat to show folks some of the interesting neighborhoods, places of interest and quirks of the city so I decided I’d start a sporadic series on my blog about Coimbatore, my home for the next two months.
Coimbatore goes by several other names (just to make things confusing), the most popular of which is Kovai, which many of the locals call it. It’s also called CBE or my personal favorite, (and maybe I’m making this up myself) C-tore. The city is known in India for being a major producer of textiles, and it has more colleges and universities than most cities several times its size, with over 130. This gives the city a young feel and a lot of energy, which you can notice as you peoplewatch around town. It is also a very fertile area, and the city has lots of agriculture surrounding it, including many banana and coconut plantations.
I’ve already had several posts about Coimbatore and the surrounding area in the past, as I have already lived in this city for about 4 months between 2009 and 2010. During that time, I’ve seen it grow dramatically, with new buildings and roads popping up daily. Some of my past blogs about Kovai included ones about the great nature spots outside of town, like Topslip and Ooty, both within an hour and a half from town. The city also has some really great temples close by, including the Dhyanalingam , which I visited two years ago for a bath and meditation. I also blogged about my general impressions of the city in ’09 on a visit, and then again when I moved to the city.
This go around, I am much closer to the city center, as before I was in the outskirts, almost in a village outside of town. Being in the thick of the city has given me a new appreciation for the character of the city and how lively it can be- stay tuned for some insights into my new experiences in Coimbatore/Kovai/C-tore/the CBE!!!
South India with C-tore highlighted. Propers to Gmaps!
A closer view of the greater CBE. Thanks Gmaps!
The view from the roof- the fog rolling over the Western Ghats reminds me of the fogbank rolling over SF and the Santa Cruz Mountains!
More mountains from my roof- Coimbatore is located near one of the few passes through the Western Ghats- the mountain range that forms the western spine of India, making it a major gateway to the western shores of the country and the state of Kerala.
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