The region served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, on the principal trade route that extended from Muziris in the west coast to Arikamedu in the east.

[9] Archaeological excavations from Kodumanal on the banks of the Noyyal River show traces of civilization from 4th century BCE.

[13] Early Tamil Brahmi writings have been found on coins, seals and rings obtained from Amaravati river bed near Karuvur.

[14][15] An inscription found in a cave in Arachalur was dated to 4th Century CE and as per Iravatham Mahadevan, these were music syllables used in dance with further such sites discovered in Thadagam near Coimbatore.

[16] The region was in the middle of a trade route leading across the Palghat gap in the Western Ghats and that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean to East Asia.

Chera dominance of the region began with the rule of the Palyanai Sel Kelu Kuttuvan, the son of Uthiyan Cheralathan.

[31] The region played a prominent role in the Second Polygar war (1801), when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai who fought against the rule of British East India Company.

[37] The region covers an estimated area of 60,895 km2 (23,512 sq mi) of Western and North-Western Tamil Nadu and includes the core districts of Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Erode, Karur, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Salem.

[2][1] It shares its western and northern borders with states of Kerala and Karnataka respectively, while straddling other districts of Tamil Nadu on the other sides.

[43] The major rivers Kaveri, Bhavani, Amaravati, Noyyal and Siruvani flow through the region and are the important non-perennial sources of water.

Due to the south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap, the region receives most of the rainfall in the months from June to August.

After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November.

[65][66] In comparison to the southern or northern districts, the socio-economic and political divide between the Dalits and other intermediary castes is significant in the Kongu region.

Other languages spoken include Badaga, Toda, Irula and Kota by the tribal population of the Nilgiris district and Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu.

[70] Medieval Kural commentaries written by Parithiyar, Pariperumal, Kaalingar and Mallar have all been found in the Kongu Region.

[71] The 15th-century Jain inscriptions in the Ponsorimalai near Mallur indicate shunning meat from Tirukkural which may indicate that the people of the region might have practiced ahimsa and non-killing as chief virtues.

[79] They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.

The cuisine includes cereals like maize, ragi, samai, cholam, kambu, kezhvaragu, and different kinds of pulses, millets and sesame.

[82][83] Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy.

[84] Kongu Nadu cuisine does not involve marination of any raw material and as a result the food has a different taste and unique texture.

[87][88][89][90] Opputtu is a sweet made with rice, chickpea, palm or cane jaggery, cardamom and ghee.

[93][94] Kongu Nadu had a flourishing economy from ancient times and had trade contacts with foreign nations.

[102] Some of the main crops cultivated include sugarcane, spices, chilli, banana, cotton, turmeric, millets and pulses.

[116][117] Local caste based political outfits Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam and Kongu Vellala Goundergal Peravai also supported the demand.