Coimbatore Day on November 24th
Celebrating Kovai
Coimbatore is been referred to as the MANCHESTER Of the SOUTH. Coimbatore was elevated as district headquarters on November 24, 1804.
Such a celebration would promote friendliness among the citizens and would be an event for everyone in Coimbatore city. It also depicts the resources and the beauty of Coimbatore.
Coimbatore came under British control in 1799, the first railway service in the region (between Erode and Podanur) began in May 1872, the first textile mill, CS&W Stanes Mill, was started by Robert Stanes in 1888, Bhavani and Dharapuram, were the headquarters of Coimbatore district before 1804. It was shifted to Coimbatore city on November 24, 1804.
Coimbatore, once a dense forest, was formed 1200 years ago. It had four streets on the East-West and six streets on the North-South. The streets were square shaped like the ones during the Chola period.
Covan, a tribal chieftain, ruled Covanpathy, an area that comprised forests when Sundaramurthy Nayanar visited the Patteeswarar temple in Perur. The Chera King who accompanied Nayanar wanted the place to be converted into a town.
Thus, Covanputhur (later known as Coimbatore) came into existence in 9th century A.D. In fact, Perur has been described as `Naatu Covanputhur' in one of the inscriptions.
Hope College (named after Arthur Hope, then Governor of Madras Presidency) is where the first government polytechnic of the region was started in 1945.
The population of Coimbatore declined in 1800 following a series of wars. Dr. Buchanan of the British Raj has documented this.
Veerkeralam (originally Veerakerala Nallur) became the headquarters of Coimbatore for a brief period and gives an account of the irrigation tanks built during the Kongu Chola period. It also has information on Pandya rule in the region, formation of Congress Committee by industrialist
G. Kuppusamy Naidu, history of Kongunadu, its temples, Poolaimedu (Peelamedu), Sulur and the streets of the city and the growth of cinema in Coimbatore.
Our District is Known for Finding Oppurtunity in adversity. Here's a day devoted to taking pride in its history.
Coimbatore was recognised as a gateway to the Nilgiris and Kerala and it used to have just a few thousand families living here with good infrastructure.
The making of a city, although also largely involving humans and their inventions, obviously cannot be encapsulated in such finite terms, as the 'parts' that make it are beyond mere statistics and figures. However, the necessity for a reference point merits the fixing of a date - a pivot for history. For Coimbatore, November 24, 1804 - the day it was declared the district headquarters - is that pivot.
Coimbatore existed as a sleepy village for a very long time, although it was located between three important roads. Coimbatore came under the control of many a dynasty, from the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas and the Nayakars to the Banas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara empire and the Mysore sultanate. But after the killing of Tipu Sultan, on May 4, 1799, the control of Coimbatore was ceded to the British.
Under them, in 1800, the place was divided into North and South divisions with seperate collectors. It was an administrative move. But as the British realised the plantation potential of the Nilgiris, they found the district a suitable transit point. This led to its industrial development.
As Coimbatore is fully geared up to celebrate its Formation Day(November 24, 1804), its people look back with pride on how this prominent district in the Kongu region developed into an industrial, educational and healthcare centre - almost completely on its own. But, there is also a stock taking of the present and a demand for a roadmap for a good future.
An inscription on the Palakkad Pass speaks of Rajakeseri Peruvazhi, a historical highway that passed through the Kongu region. This speaks of Coimbatore having been a trade and tourism gateway. It remains so. National Highway 47, an important highway that links Kerala with Tamil Nadu and serves as a major transportation route for goods for other States, also passes through Coimbatore.
Industry has been the backbone of Coimbatore's economy. Some of the major industrial groups have not stopped with just their main activity. They have gone beyond this to open a number of educational institutions and healthcare centres. Coimbatore hospitals are renowned across the world for the medical expertise they possess. And this has turned the city into a centre for medical tourism, attracting patients for elective surgeries from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, European and South East Asian countries.
As the district grew, one factor that helped it most was its cosmopolitan culture. Every segment of the society and people from different cultures have contributed to the modernisation and balanced growth of the district. In the days to come, too, this harmonious existence will help the city soar to even greater heights.