"Sorgame endrallum adhu namoora pola varuma" is the song I often hear whenever thoughts of Coimbatore kindle me, says Anbu, a Coimbatorean who now lives in Orange County, US.
"How much we miss Coimbatore cannot be articulated in words. At times, when I feel home sick, I would eulogize to my friends, who are mostly westerners, on the salubrious climate and Siruvani water that I relished every bit there. And, they would immediately burlesque me by saying, Oh! the Coimbatore episode has started. See, I've made the westerners too aware of Kovai", winks Anbu.
November 24, on the 213th birthday of Coimbatore, thousands of sons and daughters of Coimbatore settled in several parts of the world with boundless memories to share about Coimbatore registered their warm birthday wishes through social media like facebook and twitter.
These are some of the wishes:
Goutham Ganesh, an IT professional: "I miss the innocence of our people which I haven't seen anywhere else. The way people respect each other in Coimbatore is something so unique that one wouldn't find it anywhere else. The place, I miss the most is the VOC grounds, it's so close to my heart. Every time I land in Coimbatore, the feeling of belonging and warmth is something to be experienced. The ambience and the memories we made there always circles around my head. "Enna dhan US vandhu KFC la' saaptalum nammaku 'K' means Kovai dhaan." boasts Goutham.
"The video clipping from the movie 'Vaidhegi Kathirundhal' is what I watch very often. Actress Kovai Sarala would question Koundamani who plays her husband on why Siruvani water is very tasty. The explanation that she gives in the native Kongu slang is worth a watch. The Kongu slang feels so natural and not complicated like other slangs. Coimbatore doesn't have fancy night clubs or pubs like metros but yet our city shines bright for its simplicity and cultured people. Even here we meet a lot of Coimbatoreans, we can just point them out from the crowd even before they introduce themselves", notes Ragav from Saudi Arabia.
"Yenanga, Enunga, amanga, illeenga are our copyright words. Not a day goes by without thoughts of Coimbatore. Though I was born in Chennai and lived there till I was 8, Coimbatore is the place I connect to and celebrate. I now live in Liverpool, UK. The city I live has been in existence for several hundreds of years, but Coimbatore is just 213 years old. And, I am amazed to see how cultured and educated the people of the city are. Long live Coimbatore!" wishes Selvakumar and family.
Ms. Preethi from US also feels the same that Coimbatore means more than a city to her. I've always felt secured and happy when I am in Kovai. And, What I miss the most is "Annapoorna's coffee and breakfast."
"Coimbatore is not a city it's my home. Whenever am there for a vacation, I just meander through some locations like Race Course, RS Puram and VOC grounds. I've had some crazy time out there with my friends. The puckish incidents still remains so fresh and lively in my heart. The day I left to pursue my PG in Australia. I felt lost. Only then I understood, I din't live in a home in Coimbatore but Coimbatore was my home in itself. I regularly follow the happenings in Coimbatore and glad that our city's infrastructural facilities are getting better." says Sarfraz Nawaz Siddique from Glasgow, UK.
"Recently, I heard that Coimbatore is one among the cities selected for the Smart City project. Looking forward to see my city more smarter and greener", Nawaz adds fondly.