Coimbatore is Tamil Nadu's second-largest city and the economic capital of the western part of the state. It sits at the foot of the Nilgiri Hills, with the Western Ghats visible from much of the city on clear days. Locally it's called "Kovai" and is known as the "Manchester of South India" for its textile industry — particularly the spinning and weaving of cotton, which has been the basis of the city's economy for over a century.
For travellers, Coimbatore is mainly a gateway. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway to Ooty departs from Mettupalayam 40 km north; the hill station of Ooty is 3 hours by bus; Kodaikanal is 5 hours. The Anamalai Tiger Reserve and the forests of the Western Ghats begin within an hour of the city. The city also has easy connections to towns in Kerala, making it a logical entry or exit point for travel between the two states.
The city itself has the energy and infrastructure of a prosperous industrial centre. The Isha Yoga Centre on the outskirts, founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, is a major draw for spiritual seekers, with its large Adiyogi statue and various programmes. Maruthamalai, a hilltop Murugan temple 12 km from the city, is worth the trip for the views over the city and the surrounding hills.
Coimbatore's food scene benefits from proximity to Kerala — fish and prawn dishes appear on menus alongside the standard Tamil vegetarian tiffin. The city also has a significant Muslim community from the trading castes, so biryani is particularly good here.