Coimbatore (Tamil: கோயம்புத்தூர்)
also known as Kovai (Tamil: கோவை)
is the second largest city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Coimbatore District and a major textile and engineering hub of South India. It is referred to as "the Manchester of South India" due to the presence of a flourishing textile industry. It is a heavily industrialised city with textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities and technical educational institutions. The hill stations of Ooty, Coonoor and Valparai are close to the city making it a good tourist attraction throughout the year. The city is situated on the banks of the Noyyal River and is close to the Siruvani Waterfalls.