Vellore

Vellore (வேலூர்)
Fort City
—  municipal corporation  —
Vellore (வேலூர்) Location of Vellore (வேலூர்) in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates	12°55′13″N 79°08′00″E
Country	India
Region	Tondai Nadu
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Vellore
MLA	V. S. Vijay
Planning Agency	Vellore Municipal Corporation
Population • Density	City 5,02,000 (2,011) District 3,928,106 • 701 /km2 (1,816 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	87.915 square kilometres (33.944 sq mi) • 216 metres (709 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 632 XXX • Telephone • +91- 416 • Vehicle • TN 23, TN 73 website=vellorecorp.tn.gov.in/

Vellore (Tamil: வேலூர் pronounced [veːluːr] ( listen)is a tier-2 City and municipal corporation in the vellore district Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In the August of 2008, it was made a municipal corporation. Even though it is upgraded as 9th city corporation in 2008,due to its fast growth,It is the 6th largest city in Tamil Nadu in terms of population and area,after chennai,coimbatore,madurai,trichi and salem.

It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai (145 km) and Bangalore (215 km) and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati. The city has many colleges, ancient temples and one of the best hospitals in India (Christian Medical College & Hospital) and also one of the best technical institutes in India the (Vellore Institute of Technology). Vellore is a major transit point for travellers, a hub for medical tourism and is emerging as a tourist hot spot.

History

Vellore fort

Vellore has a blend of heritage and culture reflecting the ancient Dravidian civilization. It was the seat of the Pallavas, Cholas, Nayak, Marathas, Arcot Nawabs and Bijapur Sultan Kingdoms. Vellore was once the capital city of the Vijayanagar empire during 1606-1672. The fort in Vellore was described as the best and strongest fortress during the Carnatic War in the 18th Century. The monuments found in the district give a vivid picture of the evolution of the city through the ages.

In the centuries before India's independence there were many changes in kingdoms of the south and their capitals. The north and south regions of Arcot came into the political map in 1810 at the time of the last Mughal Emperor. Later in 1908, the two districts, namely North and South Arcot, came into existence. Chittoor (now in Andhra Pradesh) was the first capital of the North Arcot district. From then on it was the principal military base of the British. In 1911, Vellore became the head quarters of North Arcot Dt., comprising Vellore and Thiruvannamalai.

Etymology

It is believed that one time, the town and its surroundings was home to 'vela' trees, hence the name.

Vellore Sepoy Revolt

Vellore District had always been at the forefront in the struggle for freedom. The Vellore Revolt of 1806 AD that broke out inside the Vellore fort against the British authority is considered to be a prelude to the "Meerut Sepoy Mutiny" of 1857, which is called as the "First War for Indian Independence". A pillar commemorating the revolt has been installed in front of the fort near hazrath makkan junction and a monument in memory of the fighters is to be built at another location in the city.

Geography

Vellore is located at 12.93°N 79.13°E / 12.93; 79.13. It has an average elevation of 216 metres (709 ft).

The city is 200 metres above sea level, situated 130 km North West of Chennai and 180 km East of Bangalore. Vellore is on the plains surrounded by low, rocky hills. Temperature ranges from as low as 10°C in the winter months of December–February to even 43°C in the summer months of April–June. It is essentially a dry climate, rainy and humid only at the times of the two monsoons: June–August and October–December.

Unlike other tier-II cities of India, the area of Vellore is considerably high, though it has a population well below 900,000, city urban agglomeration total area spans across 55 km.

Demographics

Vellore City consists of Sathuvachari,Rangapuram,saidapet,hazrath makkan,otteri,Dharapadavedu, Shenbakkam, Allapuram, Thorapadi,Bagayam,Kazhinjur,Gandhi Nagar, Katpadi, Palavansathu, Virupakshipuram, Konavattam, Virudampet, Kangeyanallur, Idaynsathu, Ariyur(sripuram), Alumelmangapuram(A.M.Puram) and Chitheri. Total area spans across 20 km approximately. Total area is 87.915 km² according the G.O.(Rt).No. 221 Dated 28.09.2010 issued by Tamil Nadu government.

Vellore city is administrated by Mayor,deputy mayor and corporation commissioner.Vellore City Municipal Corporation consists of 60 wards. Corporation is divided into 4 zones namely Katpadi-North, Sathuvachari-East,velapadi-Central and Shenbakkam-south west.

File:Vellore.JPG

building of the Vellore corporation

Vellore (old City) population is 185,895 according to the 2011 census, .

now,vellore city corporation (including 4 zones of corporation) population is above 5 lakhs.while the metropolitan population is above 7.5 Lakhs. Tamil is the official and most widely spoken language.Other languages spoken include Telugu, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada. Most of the people in Vellore can converse in English and in Hindi.

Most of the people here follow the principles of Hinduism. There is a significant Muslim population in the city, particularly in Kaspa, R.N.Palayam, Saidapet, Hazarath Makkan, Bakiyath Street, Sarbanamedu, which is considerably higher than the state average. Most of them speaking Dakhni Urdu as their mother language. Many of the churches located in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu fall under the Vellore Diocese - both Catholic and CSI are under the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop.

Vellore is one among the least discussed cities in India in terms of law and order issues. The city is traditionally known for its religious and linguistic harmony.

Climate

Climate data for Vellore (1951–1980)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	35.3 (95.5)	39.8 (103.6)	42.8 (109.0)	44.4 (111.9)	45.0 (113.0)	44.3 (111.7)	40.9 (105.6)	39.4 (102.9)	39.6 (103.3)	39.2 (102.6)	35.8 (96.4)	35.0 (95.0)	45.0 (113.0)
Average high °C (°F)	29.2 (84.6)	32.0 (89.6)	35.0 (95.0)	37.1 (98.8)	38.5 (101.3)	36.3 (97.3)	34.6 (94.3)	34.0 (93.2)	34.0 (93.2)	33.0 (91.4)	29.5 (85.1)	28.3 (82.9)	33.46 (92.22)
Average low °C (°F)	18.2 (64.8)	19.2 (66.6)	21.3 (70.3)	24.8 (76.6)	26.3 (79.3)	26.0 (78.8)	25.1 (77.2)	24.6 (76.3)	24.1 (75.4)	22.9 (73.2)	20.8 (69.4)	19.2 (66.6)	22.71 (72.87)
Record low °C (°F)	10.2 (50.4)	12.0 (53.6)	12.1 (53.8)	13.8 (56.8)	18.1 (64.6)	19.6 (67.3)	18.8 (65.8)	18.7 (65.7)	18.7 (65.7)	15.6 (60.1)	12.1 (53.8)	11.0 (51.8)	10.2 (50.4)
Precipitation mm (inches)	9.0 (0.354)	7.1 (0.28)	5.9 (0.232)	21.8 (0.858)	83.9 (3.303)	71.0 (2.795)	117.0 (4.606)	124.9 (4.917)	149.6 (5.89)	176.9 (6.965)	155.2 (6.11)	78.6 (3.094)	1,000.9 (39.406)
Avg. precipitation days	0.8	0.5	0.4	1.3	4.7	5.3	6.6	7.8	7.6	9.4	7.7	3.9	56
Source: India Meteorological Department,

Vellore has an tropical wet and dry climate, reaching high temperatures during summer. The city experiences wet winters and dry summers and has an elevation of about 224 meters with the north-east monsoon the highest contributor to rainfall. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and winter varies between 38.5°C and 18.95°C. Highest temperature ever recorded is 45C and lowest is 10 °C.

The humidity ranges are 40% – 63% during summer and 67% – 86% during winter. The average annual rainfall is 996.7mm. The maximum rainfall occurs during October and November through the North-east monsoon. The area experiences rainfall during the South-west monsoon as well.

Economy

The Vellore administrative center is predominantly a market place for its own district and neighboring districts such as Chittoor District(Andhra Pradesh) and Thiruvannamalai District.

The city, along with its nearby industrial towns, has witnessed a consistent industrial growth followed by the implementation of South Asia's second railway track between Chennai Royapuram and Walajah. The Golden Quadrilateral road has significantly improved the region's industrial activities.

Vellore lies between the IT majors (Chennai & Bangalore) and major pilgrim centres (Tirupathi and Thiruvannamalai). Thousands of men and women from here travel to Chennai and nearby industrial towns everyday for work.

Leather industry

Hundreds of leather and tannery industries are located around Vellore and its nearby towns such as Ranipet, Ambur and Vaniyambadi. The Vellore district is the top exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Vellore leather accounts for more than 37% of the country's Export of Leather and Leather related products such as finished leathers, shoes, garments, gloves and so on. Leather and Leather products exports by the end of the year 1999 has been estimated Rs.2000 crores from this District alone.

Manufacturing Industries

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is one of the nine major Federal Government owned enterprises in the nation . This place is home to the Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) located in Ranipet( Industrial hub of vellore), which gives employment to around 10000 men/women directly or indirectly . This is also one of the fastest growing BHEL unit of India, Ranipet also has about 250 small scale engineering units catering mainly to BHEL, Ranipet, probably the second largest fabrication cluster in India.

Numerous chemical industries, located in Ranipet-SIPCOT Economic zone, form a major source of income. EID Parry is a sanitary-ware product manufacturing company with 38% of world's market share in bathroom accessories. Tirumalai Chemicals and Greaves are among the many international brands located here. Automobile and mechanical companies of Global Brands like SAME-DEUTZ, TVS – Brakes India, Mitsubishi, Greaves Cotton, MRF etc., are situated here. Mitsubishi Tools (Formerly SRP Tools) and Greaves Cotton Ltd. are also in Ranipet at Vellore Dist.

Arakonam, near Vellore, is the home of major companies like MRF while TVS Lucas has its major manufacturing facilities in Sholingur (40 km from Vellore). Brakes India Sholingur's foundry division is located at Vellore-Sholingur. It provides a major source of employment for people in and around Vellore

Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL) is located in Vellore at Katpadi. This is India's only Government Explosives Company with more than a thousand employees. This company is headed by senior IAS officer.

Mr. RP Sinha was the first General Manager of the Company, who was recruited from an Explosive MNC for using his knowledge in Best Practices and deploying Modern KP machines. During his tenure, TEL reached the maximum production for NG Explosives before shutting its NG Operation.

KRAMSKI Stamping and Molding India Pvt Ltd., a German Multinational corporation, is located near Vellore in Erayankadu and is a high precision metal and plastic integrated component manufacturing company. Mainly the precision component manufacturers of Automotive, Telecommunications, Electronics & Medical applications.

Retail Business

Major business in heart of the city include Officer's line(Anna salai),Town hall road, Long bazaar ( kirubananda variyar salai ),Bangalore Road, Scudder Road, Arni Road,Gandhi road(Opp.CMC Main gate) and Katpadi Road. Hundreds of boarding and lodging houses are located in and around Scudder road and Gandhi road.

Medical Tourism

CMC Hospital is located at Ida scudder Road in the heart of the city is the biggest private employer in the city. It creates a large floating population mostly from other states of India and foreign countries. Lodging, hospitals and allied businesses are among the major sources of income generated in the central part of the city. Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital(VMCH) is also located at Adukamparai in vellore city, which is also an important medical colleges in the state. Government VMC has a huge In-patient and Out-patients visiting each day with variety of case, from all over the country. With the advent of hospitals such as Apollo KH Hospitals in Melvisharam and Sri Narayani Medical Research Center in Sripuram coupled with colleges such as CMCH & VMCH, VIT and other engineering and science colleges the hospital industry is growing at a fast pace.

Agriculture

The mainstay for people in the rural areas is not agriculture but industries like weaving, beedi rolling and match-stick rolling. The Indian Army has a significant number of men from the Vellore district specifically from Kammavanpet village which is known as the military village and is one of the major sources of income for the region.

Proposed/Future developments

The Tamil Nadu Government has announced its plan to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Vellore, a leather goods SEZ on 260 acres (1.1 km²) at Ranipet and another SEZ at Katpadi. A new IT park was proposed to be set up in Vellore by state owned Electronics limited corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) in partnership with the private sector in the financial year (2008–2009) but has not yet materialized.

Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai Industrial Corridor

Prime Minister. Manmohan Singh has accepted in principle the suggestion made by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to declare the stretches along the Chennai-Bangalore highway as an industrial corridor, with plans of a bullet train, a six-lane road and an extension of the metro rail from Chennai to Bangalore. It was the considered opinion of the State government that by making the Chennai-Bangalore highway an industrial corridor, the Centre could facilitate the improvement of infrastructure along the highway on a par with world standards. Besides, it would help further industrial development of Vellore, Ranipet, Hosur and Krishnagiri. .

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Thursday welcomed the proposed corridor, to be built on the lines of an industrial corridor planned between Delhi and Mumbai. Under its City Connect programme, the CII has held several discussions with senior officials of the Tamil Nadu government to develop the new corridor.

'The Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor would go a long way in tapping the potential of the two states to attract investment and help creation of a skilled workforce,' Gopal Srinivasan, chairman of the CII's Tamil Nadu Council, said.

Education

Main article: List of educational institutions in Vellore

Vellore is considered to be one of the best destinations for world class medical and technological education in India. Vellore has a State Government University, a Private Technological University, one Government and one Private Medical School, various other Engineering colleges.Students from over 43 countries all over the world and 23 states of india are said tto be studying at VIT:http//vit.ac.in</ref>

Research centres

The country's first stem cell translational research centre was set up here in Dec 2005. The central government's biotechnology department had selected the Christian Medical College (CMC) as the first of a series of centers in the country as it already had world class clinical hematology and biochemistry departments. Recently it made a breakthrough that attracted the attention of the country's medical and scientific community. The Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Christian Medical College has succeeded in reprogramming cells drawn from adult mice and making them function like stem cells found in the human embryo.

The agricultural research station at Virinjipuram comes under the North Eastern Zone region of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 32 research stations of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) which was ranked as the best Agricultural University in India during 1999.^{[citation needed]} Another research station is located in the Virinjipuram village of Katpadi Taluk of Vellore District. It is about 15 km. away from the Vellore bus stand on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway and 21 km from Katpadi railway station.

The Government of India sponsored National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) scheme is in operation since October 1997 with the main objective being trials of conservation measures conducted mostly on water and soil of in 18 watersheds of the Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Districts.

Universities

Thiruvalluvar University

The Thiruvalluvar University was formed by the bifurcation of the University of Madras which was located earlier in the Vellore Fort campus. Then foundation stone for a multi-core university campus was laid at Serkaadu near Katpadi in Vellore by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi on 16 February 2008.and inaugurated on 27 November 2010, Almost all of the Government run Arts and Science colleges present in Vellore District, Tiruvannamalai District, Villupuram District and Cuddalore District are affiliated to the Thiruvalluvar University.

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)

The Vellore Institute of Technology (popularly known as VIT) is in Katpadi, Vellore. VIT has been ranked as the best private engineering university in India by the magazine India Today. Both India Today and Times of India ranked had ranked VIT at No. 8. VIT is also the last Indian University to be accredited by the prestigious Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) in London and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in the USA. VIT University obtained the highest possible grade of "A" from NAAC for all the programs offered by the University during the re-accreditation process in January 2009. Programmes at VIT have been accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). VIT University has two schools of study under its umbrella and also houses the VIT Business School. The college has around 15000 students from all over India and from over 25 countries studying in its campus.

Aerial View of VIT Vellore Campus.

Medical Colleges

College Name	Address
Christian Medical College and Hospital	Ida Scudder Road, Vellore – 632004
Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital	Cuddalore – Chitoor Highway, Adukkamparai, Vellore – 632011
Sri Narayani College of Nursing	Thirumalaikodi, Vellore – 632055
St. John College of Nursing	Vellore – 632002
College of Nursing, Christian Medical College	Bagayam, Vellore – 632002
College of Occupational Therapy, Christian Medical College	Bagayam, Vellore – 632002
College of Physiotherapy, Christian Medical College	Bagayam, Vellore – 632002

Main building of the Christian Medical College Hospital

Christian Medical College & Hospital (popularly known as CMC) is one of the largest hospitals in India^{[citation needed]} and is located in the heart of Vellore City. As a major health care provider for the population of surrounding districts, the hospital attracts a floating population of at least 5000 persons every day.^{[citation needed]} The hospital was founded in the early part of the 20th century by an American medical missionary Dr. Ida S. Scudder.

The CMC Hospital has a functioning quality management programme and is one of the first Asian hospitals to have been ISO certified.^{[citation needed][citation needed]}

Apart from these there are low-cost{who says} treatment wards for people who cannot afford standard treatment or therapy but not all the treatments are low-cost and patients are expected to buy their medication regardless of their economic status.

Engineering

College Name
G.G.R College Of Engineering
C. Abdul Hakkeem College of Engineering and Technology
Adhiparasakthi College of Engineering(Kalavai)
Ganadipathy Tulsis Jain College of Engineering
Global Institute of Engineering and Technology
Kingston College of Engineering
Ranipettai Institute of Technology (official website http://www.rec-walaja.com )
Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology
Vellore Institute of Technology
Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology (TPGIT), one of the 6 Government Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu

Business

The VIT Business School is a member of the Association of Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The All India Management Association (AIMA) in its survey published in the Indian Management (September 2009) graded VITBS at the top of the A3 schools in line with the top schools in the south of India.^{[citation needed]}

Arts and science

Auxilium Women's College founded in 1954 is the first women's college in Vellore District as well as other art and science colleges such as the Dhanabakyam Krishnaswamy Mudhaliar Women's College (DKM) near Sainathapuram, Vellore and the Muthurangam Government Arts College (MGAC) in Otteri near Bagayam, Vellore. Voorhees College (Estd. 1898) is the oldest in Vellore District and is famous as the Institution where Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Former President of India, studied. Recently a commemorative stamp to honour of the centenary of the college was issued by the government of India. C.Abdul Hakeem College is located in Melvisharam. Arignar Anna Arts College for Women(AAA) is located in Walajapet.Sacred Heart College located in Tirupattur.

Law

The Government Law College in Vellore was started in 2008. It offers a three year Bachelor of Laws (BL) degree with an annual intake of 80 students. It is located in Katpadi, Vellore.

Agriculture

Adhiparasakthi Agriculture College Kalavai, Vellore is affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Arabic

There are numerous Arabic colleges in Vellore such as the Madrasa Al-Baqiyathus Salihath (Arabic: مدرسة الباقيات الصالحات‎ ‎), popularly known as Baaqiyaath, which is the second oldest Arabic college in India after Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.^{[citation needed]}

Professional Societies

The following are some of the national/international professities with their chapters and/or student branches functioning at Vellore: Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), Computer Society of India (CSI), Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineering (IEEE), Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), Institution of Engineers-India (IE-I), Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and many others. These non-profit societies work towards professional development of theirs members and public at large.

Correctional Institutes & Training Schools

Police recruit school

The police recruit school is located inside the Vellore Fort. A training school to recruit constables was opened in Vellore in April 1908. It is one of the two permanent police recruit schools of the present day state of Tamil Nadu with another one in Coimbatore. The Inspector General of Police in his letter to the Government dated 25 August 1897 made the Government form a combined training school at Vellore for police inspectors and station house officers who were to undergo six months course. In the 1909 a police museum which was in the office of Inspector General of Police since 1901 was moved to the Police Training School at Vellore. The 1973–74 Batch of directly recruited Sub-Inspectors was the last batch to undergo training at Vellore. In 1976 the Police training college moved to Chennai Ashok Nagar as the P.T.C. After the move it was called the Police Recruit School (P.R.S.). Since 1990 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was arrested in Hyder Mahal at Police Recruit School. For the Past 12 Years there has been no training at all.

Warders Training Centre

There is a prison warders training centre at Vellore which conducts 6 months training for Grade II Warders. This Institute also imparts in-service training to Grade I & II Warders and training in the handling of modern weapons, drill and management of Prisons with emphasis on human rights. The in-service training includes training in martial arts, commando skills, un-armed combat and bomb disposal. The Police Standing Order (PSO) Temporary Warders training centre at Trichy and Coimbatore started to the train the newly recruited warders.

Academy of Prisons & Correctional Administration

The Academy of Prisons & Correctional Administration,located at thorapadi in Vellore city is the first of its kind in India and a model of regional co-operation in the country. It is sponsored by the four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The institute was inaugurated on 1 October 1979 and became a pioneering institute in preparing personnel to handle the prison and correctional administration in the country. Its aim is to achieve the accepted objectives of reintegrating offenders into the main stream of the society. This was previously known as Regional Institute of Correctional Administration (RICA)

Vellore Central Jail

The Vellore Central Prison was set up in 1830 A.D. is historically important as some eminent personalities and freedom fighters like Rajaji, C.N. Annadurai, Kamaraj, the former presidents of India V.V. Giri, R. Venkataraman, Sayyid Husain Shihabudheen Attakkoya Thangal Panakkad and other political leaders like Vaiko had served their prison terms here. The present prison was constructed during 1867. The total area of this Prison is 153 acres (0.62 km²) and the authorised accommodation is 2,130. The architectural design of this Prison is of radial blocks with a tower.It is the second largest central prison in tamilnadu after puzhal central prison.

Women's prison

This Prison started functioning from 15 April 1836. The prison was originally named as Presidency Jail for Women Prisoners. The prison occupies 13.62 acres (55,100 m²) of land and the authorised accommodation is 412. This prison is managed by women officers and staff. There is a nursery and crèche available in the prison to look after the welfare of the children accompanying the prisoners. It is the largest jail in the Vellore area.

Convicts sentenced to imprisonment were confined in the jail from various districts of the country as well as from Burma. Many prisoners sentenced to transportation (Andamans) by the courts of the Madras Presidency were retained here when considered physically unfit for deportation.

The chief industry carried out in the jail is weaving. A great variety of clothes of various patterns as well as table cloths, gunnies and choir mats. The manufacturing technique was first taught to the convicts by a carpet weaver of Ellore. The fabrics find ready sale in England. Carpentry, shoe making, iron and brass work and tent making are also carried out here. By extreme hard work and good conduct convicts may earn a remission not exceeding 1/6 of the total period of imprisonment awarded them.

Tourism

Vellore Fort

Main article: Vellore Fort

During British rule the Tippu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, were held as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian church, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter of which is famous for its carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806 and it is also a witness to the tragic massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya

The fortifications consist of a main rampart broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls are built of massive granite stones surrounded by a broad moat fed with water by subterranean drains from the Suryagunta tank. Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. The fort is one of the most perfect specimens of military architecture in Southern India. The Fort also houses the famous "Tipu Mahal" where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British and the graveyards of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. The fort is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India. Vellore Fort has been declared as a "Monument of National Importance" and is a popular tourist destination.

State Government Museum

This state Government Museum is inside the fort and was opened to the public in 1985. It consists of objects of art, archaeology, pre-history, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology and zoology. It treasures ancient and present day curios relating to anthropology, art, archaeology, botany, geology, numismatics and zoology etc. The historical monuments of the erstwhile composite North Arcot District are depicted in the gallery.

Special exhibits include a bronze double antenna sword from Vellore Taluk dating back to 400 BC, stone sculptures from the late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, ivory chess boards and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Raja Singha. The educational activities of this Museum include an art camp for school students, the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students.

Kavalur Observatory

Kavalur observatory, the Vainu Bappu Observatory, is located in Kavalur in the Javadu Hills (part of the Eastern Ghats) in Alangayam, Vellore District. The observatory is at an altitude of 725 m above mean sea level (longitude 78° 49.6' E ; latitude 12° 34.6' N). Apart from being reasonably away from city lights and industrial areas, the location has been chosen in order to be closer to the Earth's equator for covering both northern and southern hemispheres with equal ease. In addition, its longitudinal position is such that it is the only major astronomical facility between Australia and South Africa for observing the southern objects. The largest Telescope in Asia is located here with a diameter of 2.3M.

Clock tower

This clock tower was erected in the memory of the coronation of King George V. The tower is also dedicated to the 22 English soldiers who went to fight from this town during the 1st World War (1914–1918) out of which 14 died in this war^{[citation needed]}.

Church of South India

It comes under the jurisdiction of the churches of south India. It is one of the biggest churches and was established when the Reform Church of America came to the North Arcot District^{[citation needed]}. The church is nearly 150 years old and was previously in the filter bed road. The British soldiers who died during the Sepoy Mutiny are buried in the vicinity of this church and the church is given authorization by the British Government to maintain the graveyard where they are buried.

Amirthi Forest

Amirthi zoological park is situated under the Javvadu/Javadi Hills of Tellai across Amirthi river which is 25 km away from Vellore city. This zoological park was started in October 1967 and has an area of 25 hectares. The inflow of tourists is mostly during the holidays. This zoological park has been recognized recently and so the state government has taken initiative to develop the area.

There is a range office at Amirthi headed by the forest ranger. There is also a hill tribe society at Nimmiyambattu near Amirthi whose main aim is to provide employment opportunities to the hill tribes in the area.

Amirthi Forest

Villapakkam

The hilly area locally known as Pancha Pandava Malai in Villapakkam was a flourishing Jaina center during the early medieval period as is evident from the rock cut cave temple, natural caverns with Jaina figures and inscriptions. The rock cut cave temple is a large excavation on the eastern face of the hill.

Sripuram Golden Temple

Main article: Sripuram

Vellore has a golden temple located at Sripuram near Thirumalaikodi and is coined as a spiritual oasis. It is approximately 8 km from the Vellore old bus terminus near fort.

The temple is located on 100 acres of land and has been constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. The temple has intricate carvings hand-made by hundreds of gold artisans speciliazing in temple architecture. About 1500 kg of gold was used in the making of the Golden Temple, which is the largest amount in the world. The lighting is arranged in such a way that the temple glitters even during night. The temple construction was completed in on August 24, 2007.

The outer pathway of the temple is made in the shape of a star and is 1.8 km in length. The walls of the pathway have inscriptions of the teachings of Sakthi amma. Thousands of people visit the temple everyday.

French Bungalow

Locally called French Castle - Located 33 km outside of vellore city is a bungalow built by a minor prince of the erstwhile Mysore state - Srinivasa Iyer. He went abroad to study where he fell in love with a French woman. The prince belonged to the "Arni Jagir" clan. They married and returned to India where they built a bungalow to live in at Poosaimallikuppam. The house is now mainly in ruins due to vandalism and neglect. It is a brass frame-worked structure and a lot of the material was imported. The walls are built with lime-stone and stone. This is the reason why the main structure still stands.The attic is now in ruins as the wooden roof has been vandalised. Most of the metal was imported from Glasgow and still has failed to rust despite being exposed to harsh weather conditions over the years. The building used to have separate servant quarters with kitchens but is in ruins now. There is also a granary on the premises. The main building has four towers in its four corners. The house also features a larger well which used to also serve as a roman bath. The well is now dry as the local villagers have started pumping out water for cultivation.The maintenance is now taken up by the Exnora group but nothing is done. The bungalow is situated 7 km outside Poosaimallikuppam (coordinates :- 12.74, 79.24) on Bungalow Road.

Significant places of worship

Jalakandeswarar Temple, Srilakshmi Golden Temple, Seethalakshmana Sametha Sri Kothanda Ramar Swamy Temple at Rangapuram, Thengal Ashram, Sholinghur Narasimha swamy Temple, Mettukulam MahaMuthumariamman Temple, Virinchipuram Shivan Temple, Pallikonda Ranganathaswamy temple, Wallajapet Dhanvantri temple, Ponnai Navagraha kottai temple are few of the famous temples located here. Also the district is well known for numerous Murugan temples like Rathinagiri Balamurugan Temple.. The City also has churches and mosques. The Assumption Cathedral and the 150-year-old St. Johns Church inside the Fort are some of the churches located in Vellore. The Big Mosque in the heart of the city houses the largest Arabic College in India.

Jalakandeswarar Temple

Jalakandeswarar Temple - Situated inside the Vellore Fort has a Gopuram (tower). Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of "Jalakandeswarar". The temple is located lower than the temple moat, hence the name Jalakandeswarar. The temple was closed for a very long period. The main deity of the sanctum sanctorium was taken away to a distant location to save it from being dishonoured by an appraisal. It was brought back in 1980 when there was a severe water scarcity. The then collector was the key in getting the deity back.

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  The Jalakandeswarar Temple's main Gopuram

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  The inside prakaram(closed precincts of a temple) entrance seen through the Raja Gopuram of Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore

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  Inside Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore

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  Inside Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore

The temple which had been built in the late Vijayanagar style, consisted of the main shrine and closed ambulatory passage around, and the integral Mahamantapa, with a northward projecting shub-shrine for Nataraja, containing also several other sub-shrines. The temple has two court yard, one is inner prakara and the other is outer prakara.

The structures in the court yard on the outer prakara include the lofty Gopuram on the southern side which is the entry to the temple. One the South-West corner of outer court yard is the Kalyanamantapa which is the gem of architecture of Late Vijayanagar style in embellishments and the art motifs of its pillars, ceilings and plinth moldings. It stands as testimony for the architectural workmanship of that period. Jalakanteswarar, or "Siva residing in the water", temple entrance is topped with a fine gopuram with massive wooden gates and studded with bosses of iron like lotus flowers. The best sculpture is found on the left side of the entrance, a porch which contains monolithic pillars of grandeur and delicacy of execution. The temple is adorned with some remarkable sculptures.

Walls have been built between its piers and white wash and fittings have reduced it to the condition which we thought appropriate to the noblest works of India. The great cornice has double flexures and its little trellis work of supports is a very elegant form. The outer facing is said to be about only an inch in thickness and its network of supports is more elaborate and delicate.

The bracket shafts are attached to the pier by a very elegant open work. The bracket shafts are mere monuments in a neglected condition. There are impressive sculptures in the temple particularly outside the swami sannathi and inside the main mandapam. The temple could be entered from the northern side and the sanctum sanctorum is a small low building and at the entrance there are dwarakapalas in blue granite. At the main entrance there are solid pillars, highly sculptured and decorated, supports the upper works.

The shrine is enclosed within an inner line of walls, having a low gopuram at the entrance. The carvings are crude compared with the outer enclosure. Sculpture work on the ceilings and pillars are rich in its characteristics. In the north west corner of the outer prakara there is a well which has a stone door way opening on a point which is usually below water level. The under ground mandapa or Neerazhi Mandapa is said to lead to a subterranean passage leading to the River Palar. Bold text

Ratnagiri Temple

Rathnagiri is a temple devoted to Lord Balamurugan located at Rathnagiri, Vellore. Balamurugan adimaigal was the one responsible for developing this hilltop temple from 1968. Under his guidance a hospital and school were founded. All the people from Kilminal were also responsible for the development of this temple complex. An emergency medical service unit is available near to the Ratnagiri hospital on the Madras–Bangalore highway. Access is via a winding road or 150 steps.

Main article: Ratnagiri Murugan Temple

More information please visit the website http://www.ratnagiri.org/

Sripuram

Golden Temple

Sri Lakshmi Temple, popularly known as Golden Temple, is a newly built temple ad spiritual park in Thirumalaikodi, Vellore. The whole exterior of the temple is laid with gold sheets and plates with construction reported to have cost Rs.300 crores (65 million USD). The temple can only be accessed by going through a star shaped walkway. The surrounding area was once called Malaikodi, then changed to Thirumalaikodi. Nowadays it is known as Sripuram.

Kangeyanallur

Swami Thiru Muruga Kirupanandha Variyar, popularly known as and reverently called Variyar Swamigal, was born at Kangeyanallur,this area is located on the northern bank of the Palar river in the vellore city. This area lies at a distance of 3kms from new bus stand(near palar) 3kms from katpadi(vellore) junction. This province is referred to as Thondai Nadu in Sangam literature. Bus route No.1G covers this area from katpadi to bayagam via odaipillayar koil,college roundatana,manadapam,kangeyanallur,viruthampet,new bustand,cmc,old bus stand,officers line,tolgate,thorapadi,bagayam.

Vallimalai

Is a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan which is located on top of the hill, part of the Eastern Ghats, about 30 km from Vellore. The temple is known for its majestic views.

Vallimalai Murugan Temple is located in Vallimalai, Vellore District. The temple is situated near the town Walajapet. The residing God in the temple for Lord Murugan along with his wives Valli and Devayanai. The temple is located in beautiful hills on the top of the mountain. There are 444 steps to climb and reach the temple in a single hill.

The history of Vallimalai Murugan temple is great one. Lord Maha Vishnu's two daughters were Valli and Devayanai. One day they decide to search husband for them. Their wish to marry a husband, who will never get angry. So they prayed for that. Suddenly Lord Murugan appeared before them. They requested Lord Murugan to marry them. But Lord Murugan said them that Devayanai will born to Indiran and Valli will born to Vedas in next generation. Then he promised to marry them and disappeared.

Surapadman, the Asuran disturbed everyone in Indiralogam. So everyone fall in the feet with Lord Murugan to protect them from Asuran. Lord Murugan accepted their request and started to war with Surapadman. After destroying Surapadman, Lord Muruga visit Indiralogam. By promised, he married Devayanai, the daughter of Indiran.

Valli was born on Vallimalai. She was born for Veda King. Then she was adopted by Nambiraj, the chief of hunters as an adopted father for Valli. So the birth place of Valli became the name "Vallimalai" later. Valli was very affectionate in her young age. She was very interested to listening the stories of Murugan's heroism and his brilliance. From that she fallen on love by thinking Lord Muruga.

Local people say a lot of stories about vallimalai. Lord Muruga came disguised as an old man who tried to woo Valli. Lord Ganesha came as a big wild elephant to frighten her so that she ran to the old man for help.

There are jain caves inside which entry is restricted by Archealogical survey of India (ASI). It is told by local tourist guides that at night they hear some bhajan songs about Lord Muruga and Siddas still reside there to worship Lord Muruga.

One has to climb 444 steps to reach this temple that is carved in a single rock. On the steps there are a number of resting mandapams. Out of the many canopies one of them is still not renovated. When they tried to renovate it, Mr. Arunachalam, Mr. Apathurai and Kripananda Variar tried to remove the stone. When they had smoke incense smell coming from the chamber below the stone they had the vision of siddhas and rishis seated in yoga posture. All the three had a shock and became unconscious. From that time the stones were closed and this particular canopy has been left as it is without renovation. There are a number of stories about this.

Aanaikulathamman Koil

This is located in vellore from new/old bus stand it will be close to 15 to 20 km. People can get into number 2 route buses from Vellore bus stand or from Katpadi railway station. They need to get down at Dhinakaran Bus Stop, which is before Velapadi bus stop. The pooja pradosham is performed here in this temple which falls once in every 15 days and considered most auspicious by Shaivites, almost 2 days before either Amavasya (black moonday) or Pournima (full moon day). This temple has Lord Shiva, Ganesh and MariAmman. The pooja is performed regularly by group of people in and around Salavenpet area, vellore.

Google Maps Aanaikulathamman

Cathedral

This is the main Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vellore. Situated adjacent to the Bishop's House, the Church has turned into a major religious center after it was rebuilt in 2001. The bell tower of the church, said to be the highest bell tower in India, is a major attraction.

Balamathi

Balamathi is a small village located on top of the hills of Eastern Ghats and is a 30 minute drive from Vellore old bus stand. It is famous for its Balamurugan Temple.

• View from the Balamathi hills
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  View from the Balamathi hills

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  Panoramic view

Virinchipuram

This temple is located 15 km away from the city with an underground route from the Virinchipuram temple to the Vellore Jalagendeswarar temple.

Mettukulam

Famous Anjaneyar temple is located 12 km from the old bus stand.7kms from vellore city limit.

Mahamuthumariamman Temple

Transportation

By Road

National Highways

Three important National Highways passing through Vellore are:

• NH48 (old NH46)
• NH75 (old NH234)
• NH40 (old NH18)
• NH38 (old NH234)

Vellore is well connected to all major cities in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Direct buses are available to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupathi, Salem, Coimbatore, Mysore, Chittoor, Kurnool, Trichy, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kanyakumari, Arani,Madurai, Tirunelveli,Kanchipuram, Kalpakkam, Gudiyatham, Dharmapuri, Erode, Tirupur,palakkad, Krishnagiri, Gingee, KGF, and other major towns and cities in South India.

vellore city has two major bus stands namely old bus stand(opp.to fort)and new bus stand on the bank of palar river near NH GREEN CIRCLE Rountana.Two bus stands are maintained by vellore city municipal corporation.Now CHEIF MINISTER JAYALALITHA announced that going to exten the new bus stand with modern class facilities like AC passengers waiting hall,good drinking water,clean toilets.

Vellore is located on NH46, which connects Bangalore and Chennai (NH4 from Ranipet to Chennai) and on Cuddalore - Chittoor highway, thus making it a major transit point for travellers. Golden Quadrilateral (the largest express highway project in India) makes the city extremely easy to access from both Bangalore and Chennai (in an average, 2.1 hrs from Chennai and 3 hrs from Bangalore). for Every 10 minutes buses to chennai is available in new bus stand.

By train

Main article: Katpadi Junction

File:KPD.jpg

Katpadi Junction

Main article: Cantonment Railway station

Vellore city has three main railway stations. The largest is Katpadi Junction, 5kms north of CMC (old bus stand). It is located within the city limit.This is a major junction which sits on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line. Lines go to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati and Villupuram.It has 4 four direction route,North-East direction towards chennai,North-West towards andhrapradesh and north india,south-west towards coimbatore,karnataka and kerala, south towards kanyakumari,madurai.It is the prestigious railway junction because chennai-bangalore shatabdi express stops here,this is the only junction shatabdi stops between chennai-bangalore.And also expect mysore shatabdi all super fast trains stops here.Totally 150 passenger trains(UP and DOWN) crossing katpadi (vellore)junction everyday..Here we can get trains to chennai,delhi,mumbai,kolkata,trivandrum,bangalore daily and also to almost all state capitals and major cities in india daily.[3][4]The station is served by 5 platforms,of which Platforms 1 to 3 primarily serve trains bound to Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Karnataka and Kerala directions,platforms 4 and 5 primarily serve trains bound from\to trichy, madurai via Cantonment Railway station and from\to Andhra Pradesh and North India.

The second-largest station, Cantonment Railway station is located in suriyakulam area, sits on the Villupuram-Tirupati broad gauge line, 7kms from Katpadi Junction. Currently EMU and passenger trains to Tirupati, Chennai and Arakonnam depart from here. The 150 km broad gauge line was extended to Villupuram in January 2010, and it connects Vellore and South Tamil Nadu; however, as of October 2010 it is not serviced by passenger trains. An EMU from Vellore Cantonment to Chennai Central was introduced on Dec 22, 2008.

The third-largest, Vellore Town Station is located in konavattam area, is on the line connecting Katpadi Junction to Villipuram Junction.

Major stations in Vellore

Sl no	Station Name	Address	Station Code
1	Katpadi Junction	NH-234, Chittor Hi-Road, Katpadi, Vellore-7	KPD
2	Cantonment Railway station	Infantry Road, Near Vellore Corporation Office, Vellore -1	VLR
3	Vellore Town	Bangalore Road, Konavattam, Vellore -8	VT
4	Latteri	NH-234, Gudiyatam Road, Latteri, Vellore -202	LTI
5	Tiruvalam	Vellore - 632515	THL
6	Sevur	Vellore - 632102	SVUR
7	Walajah Road	Vellore - 632513	WJR
8	Mukundarayapuram	Vellore - 632405	MCN
9	Gudiyattam,	Vellore-632803	GYM

Buses

Vellore is served by the city bus service, which connects the city, suburbs and other places of interest. The bus service extends about 30 km from the city center.

The city bus terminus was in the heart of the city, opposite to the fort, until it was shifted to its new location near the Chelliamman Temple on the banks of the river Palar. The old bus terminus near the fort continues to function as a center for all buses travelling between the city and its suburbs. Other bus terminals are located at Chittor Bus stop, Bagayam and Katpadi.

Major Transport inside the city is Route 1 and Route 2 buses which ply from Katpadi to Bagayam.

By Air

The city has an airport near to Abdullapuram but as of 2010 it is not open for passengers. It is currently being used for Aeronautics Training Programmes The nearest international airports are Chennai International Airport(130 km), Bengaluru International Airport (200 km), and the nearest domestic airport is Tirupati Airport (100 km).

The government had proposed to make Abdullapuram airport fully functional by 2009 to allow the operation of 45-seater ATR aircraft and also the Tamil Nadu government had announced that it would speed up the construction of terminal buildings and thereby make the airport fully operational by 2009. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked on an "idle airports activation programme" in the Southern region that includes Vellore. But none of these have been taken up by the government and the airport lies idle devoid of use.

But the highlight is that the Vellore airstrip, located on 51.5 acres (208,000 m²), was recently opened to trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club. The proposed Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Aeronautical Science will be moved from Sriperumpudhur to Vellore.

Auto and Taxi

Autos and taxis charge a flat rate and do not abide by government fixed fares. Fleecing of passengers at railway stations and bus stands in Vellore is a common sight,^{[citation needed]} but the rates are much more reasonable than their counterparts in Chennai, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

Media and Communication

Newspapers

Leading Tamil, English, Telugu, Kannada and other regional language newspapers are available in Vellore and English language dailies such as the Deccan Chronicle, The New Indian Express, The Hindu, The Times of India and the Deccan Herald can be found here. Tamil dailies Thinaththanthi, Dinamalar, Dinakaran, Dinamani,Tamil oosai, Tamil Murasu, Maalai Murasu and Maalaimalar are printed in Vellore. Jakg TV the only cable channel in the district is noted for its local news.

Telephones

Vellore Telecom Circle is run by Tamil Nadu Telecom. The administrative office is located on Officer's Line. A station of All India Radio is located in Vellore. The city has several Local TV Channels like JakG, Jakg Plus, JakG music etc.

Mobile Operators in Vellore Circle

Network Name	Type
Aircel	GSM
Airtel	GSM
Vodafone	GSM
BSNL	GSM
Reliance	CDMA,GSM
Tata Indicom	CDMA
MTS India	CDMA,GSM
Uninor	GSM
Idea	GSM
TATA DOCOMO	GSM
Videocon	GSM

Entertainment

List of Cinema Halls in Vellore

The following list gives the Cinema halls in alphabetical order. There are defunct and non-operating theatres which are not included in this list. The link below gives you the information on the movies playing in these theatres.
Movies in Vellore

Cinema Theatres	Location	Features
Big Cinemas Alankar	Infantry Road, (Near Cantonment Railway Station), Vellore - 1	A/C, DTS, RDX
Big Cinemas Lakshmi	Officer's Line, ( Opp HDFC Bank ), Vellore - 1	70 mm, A/C, Dolby Digital, RDX
Anna Kalai Arangam (State Government owned hall)	Officer's Line, Vellore - 1
Apsa	VIT Road, Katpadi, Vellore - 7	SDX Digital
Apsara	Officer's Line, (Opp Voorhees College) Vellore - 1	A/C, Dolby Digital, RDX, Qube Digital
Balaji	Chittor Road, Katpadi, Vellore - 7	Dolby Digital, Qube Digital
Blue Theatre	Arni Road, Sainathapuram, Vellore - 2
Crown theatre	Arcot Road, Saidapet, Vellore - 12
Jeyamurugan	Arni Road, Sankaranpalayam, Vellore - 2	DTS, Qube Digital
Kural	Bangalore Road, Konavattam, Vellore - 8	A/C, DTS, Qube Digital
Ragavendhra	Bangalore Road, Shenbakkam, Vellore - 8	A/C DTS, Qube Digital
Raja	Officer's Line, Vellore - 1	DTS, Qube Digital
Silambu	Bangalore Road, Konavattam, Vellore - 8	70 mm, A/C, Dolby Digital, Qube Digital
Srinivasa	Arcot Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 9	DTS,Qube Digital
Thirumalai	Vellore - 2	DTS, Digital
Sri Vishnu	New Palar Bridge Road, Viruthampet, Vellore - 6	A/C, DTS, Qube Digital
Venus	Post Office Street, (Opposite ICICI bank ), Vellore - 1	A/C DTS, Qube Digital
Lakshmi (Kamalam)	Arcot, Vellore - 503	DTS
Sivan & Sakthi	Arcot, Vellore - 503	DTS
PNR (Murali)	Arcot, Vellore - 503	DTS
Rajeswari	69 C Bazaar Street, Ranipet, Vellore - 401	DTS
Shanmuga	Ammoor Road, Ranipet, Vellore - 401	DTS
Blue	Walaja police station backside,Walajah.

Cuisine

Cuisine of vellore is almost Tamil Nadu style. But Vellore has the famous non-veg cuisine, briyani. Because of major Muslim population in this district like ambur,vaniyambadi and arcot.In vellore city, ambur briyani and arcot briyani is available in all briyani stalls.In the evening times,Chicken pakoda with idiappam is available in all areas of the city and district. Arcot famous makkan beda also available in major sweet shops in vellore city.side dishes for briyani is brinjal thokku and curd onion.here they will do briyani in seeraga samba and basmati rice,which is so tasty.Hotel amma briyani at old bus stand,jyothi briyani stall at bangalore road(near makkan junction),manna briyani at officer's line(Anna salai) are famous briyani stalls in vellore.

Politics

Vellore assembly constituency is part of Vellore (Lok Sabha constituency).

External links

• Official Government Site
• HaiVellore | Every Thing About Vellore
• Official Site of Christian Medical College, Vellore - India's 2nd Best Medical College
• Thiruvalluvar University
• vellore friends network | vellore social network
• Chennai museum
• Shiksha Kendra Residential School
• Hospitals in Vellore

History / Reference

• Vellore web Tools 2010 - Vellore First Host Company
• Article on Vellore Revolt 1806 - Bi-Centenary Commemoration Committee
• Vellore—the town with the "healing touch"
• Vellore Fort History by Indian Postal Dept.
• When the Vellore sepoys rebelled
• Frontline Article on History of Vellore
• Colonial British perspective on the Sepoy Mutiny at Vellore Fort
• Rulers of Arcot
• HISTORIC MONUMENTS IN VELLORE DISTRICT
• Sambuvarayar period stone inscription found
• Neolithic tools discovered
• POLICE TRAINING COLLEGE
• Tamil Nadu Prison Department