Coimbatore

Coimbatore, also known as Kovai or Covai, is a large metropolitan city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the country's most populous cities. In addition to being situated on the banks of the Noyyal River, it is also bordered by the Western Ghats mountains. According to the 2011 census, Coimbatore is the second most populous city in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai, and the 16th most populous metropolitan agglomeration in India. Incorporated in 1956, it is the administrative seat of the Coimbatore District and is managed by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation. Coimbatore was established as the third municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai and Madurai, in 1981. Podanur Junction is the most historic railway station in the city of Coimbatore. Jewelry, wet grinders, poultry, and auto components are among the most popular exports from the city, which has been designated as a Geographical Indication by the Indian government. Both "Coimbatore Wet Grinder" & "Kovai Cora Cotton" are also recognised as Geographical Indications. In recognition of its role as a centre of the textile industry in South India, the city is frequently referred to as "the Manchester of South India." According to the Ease of Living Index 2020, it was placed as the 7th best city in India.

The Cheras dominated the territory surrounding Coimbatore during the Sangam period, which spanned the first to fourth century CE. The region functioned as the eastern entry to the Palakkad Gap, which served as the primary commercial route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu during this time period. Located along the historic trade route that ran from Muziris to Arikamedu in South India, Coimbatore was a major port and trading centre. In the 10th century CE, the Cholas, a mediaeval kingdom, invaded the Kongu Nadu. After being dominated by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century, Kongu Nadu was administered by the Nayaks, who instituted the Palayakkarar system, which divided the territory into 24 Palayams, which is still in use today. The Coimbatore area fell under the control of the Kingdom of Mysore in the latter part of the 18th century, and after the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed the territory to the Madras Presidency in 1799, making it part of the Madras Presidency. The Coimbatore region played a key part in the Second Poligar War (1801) when that was the center of operation of Dheeran Chinnamalai.

When the newly created Coimbatore district was founded in 1804, Coimbatore was designated as its seat, and in 1866, the city was granted municipal authority, with Robert Stanes serving as its chairman. According to people who are knowledgeable with the city's history, the 24th of November used to be Coimbatore Day. It was because of the fall of India's cotton industry in the early nineteenth century that the city saw a textile renaissance. Following independence, Coimbatore had tremendous expansion as a result of industrialization, which included the establishment of three shopping malls in strategic areas. In the annual Indian city poll conducted by India Today in 2014, Coimbatore was named the best rising city in the country. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry, the city ranks fourth among Indian cities in terms of investment environment, and seventeenth among the top global outsourcing hubs according to Tholons. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Towns Mission, Coimbatore has been chosen as one of the hundred Indian cities that will be transformed into smart cities over the next decade. According to a survey published by the National Crime Records Bureau in 2015, Coimbatore was regarded as one of the safest cities in India for women.