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Vellore

Coordinates: 12°55′13″N 79°08′00″E / 12.920219°N 79.133306°E / 12.920219; 79.133306
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Vellore
Metropolis
Clockwise from the top: Vellore Fort, Assumption Cathedral, Jalakandeswarar Temple, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore Institute of Technology Campus, Amirthi Zoological Park, Paragliding at Yelagiri and Srilakshmi Golden Temple
Clockwise from the top: Vellore Fort, Assumption Cathedral, Jalakandeswarar Temple, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore Institute of Technology Campus, Amirthi Zoological Park, Paragliding at Yelagiri and Srilakshmi Golden Temple
Nickname: 
Fort City / Second Madras
Vellore is located in Tamil Nadu
Vellore
Vellore
Vellore is located in India
Vellore
Vellore
Coordinates: 12°55′13″N 79°08′00″E / 12.920219°N 79.133306°E / 12.920219; 79.133306
Country India
StateTamil Nadu
RegionTondai Nadu
DistrictVellore
ZonesVellore North (Katpadi)

Vellore East (Sathuvachari)

Vellore Fort

Vellore West (Shenbakkam)
Founded byUnknown
Named forHeritage and culture
Government
 • BodyVellore Municipal Corporation Vellore-Ranipet Metropolitan Area
Area
[1]
 • Metro
87.915 km2 (33.944 sq mi)
Elevation
216 m (709 ft)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Metropolis185,803
 • Rank8th in Tamil Nadu
 • Metro
484,690
DemonymVellorekaran
Language
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
632×××
Telephone code91- 416
Vehicle registrationTN 23, TN 73
Distance from Chennai City limits101 kilometres (63 mi)
Planning agencyVellore Municipal Corporation
Websitewww.nammavellore.in

Vellore is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of the Palar River in the north-eastern part of Tamil Nadu, the city has been ruled at different times, by the Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Vijayanagar Empire, Rashtrakutas, Carnatic kingdom and the British. The city has four zones (a total of 60 wards) covering an area of 87.915 km2 and has a population of 423,425 based on the 2001 census.[1][3] It is located about 101 kilometres (63 mi) west of Chennai city limits. Vellore is the nearest Major city from chennai and about 200 kilometres (124 mi) east of Bangalore City limits. Vellore is administered by Vellore Municipal Corporation under a Mayor. It is a part of Vellore (State Assembly Constituency) and Vellore (Lok Sabha constituency).

Vellore is the home to Christian Medical College & Hospital[4] and Vellore Institute of Technology.

Vellore region is the top exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Leather exports from Vellore account for more than 37% of the country's leather exports and leather-related products.[5]

The Government of India has released the next list for the smart cities project and Vellore in among the 27 cities chosen in that list. [6]

Etymology

According to legend, the region was surrounded by Velan trees (Babul trees), resulting in the place to be called Vellore.[7]

History

Main article: Vellore_Fort § History

Historical importance of Vellore

Vellore is also known as Second Madras because of its business and locality.

Vellore, the headquarters of Late North Arcot District, has a very interesting history of its own. A strategically located city, it is well connected by rail and bus routes to major towns of the neighboring states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The history of the city assumes a great significance and relevance. It was under the sway of various dynasties and rulers, the prominent among them being the Pallavas, Cholas, Rashtrakuta dynasty of Malkhed, Sambuvarayar, the rulers of Vijayanagara, Carnatic and the British rulers. The monuments found in the district paint a vivid picture of the city through the ages. In the 18th Century, Vellore was the site of some of the decisive battles fought in Ambur(Tirupattur district) (1749) A.D Arcot (Ranipet District) (1751) A.D and Vandivasi(Tiruvannamalai district) (1760A.D) as a result of the long -drawn struggle between the English and the French for Supremacy. Some of the monuments of Vellore include a Fort. The date of construction of this fort is not known due to the lack of sufficient records. A very close examination of the stone inscriptions suggests that the fort was most likely built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak (1526 to 1595A.D). The fort is a testament to Military architecture in South India. The Jalakandeswarar Temple inside the fort is a very fine example of Vijayanagar architecture. The Kalyanamantap, on the left of the entrance, with intricate carving and delicacy of exaction, bears testimony to the engineering and advanced state of sculpture of the times. Another landmark that brought Vellore to prominance in the Medical world is the Christian Medical College Hospital. Dr. IDA Scudder, an American lady with a missionary zeal, started her Medical work in 1900 A.D. by setting up a very small Hospital, which in the last hundred years has grown into a premier Medical Institution of international reputation. The central prison in Vellore, set up in 1830 A.D. is another historically important landmark as some eminent personalities and Freedom Fighters like Thiru Rajaji, R.Venkata Raman had served their prison terms there. The other note worthy monuments are the Mausoleums located in Aruganthampoodi area on the Vellore – Arcot road, where the family members of Tippu Sultan were buried and the Muthu mandapam on the banks of river Palar, a memorial raised by the Tamil Nadu Government to honor Vikarama Raja Singha, the last Tamil King who ruled Kandy (Sri Lanka) from 1798 to 1815 A.D. He was imprisoned in the Vellore fort for 17 years.

The Role Of Vellore in the freedom struggle

Vellore was on the forefront in the struggle for freedom. In fact,the Sepoy Mutiny of 1806 A.D. that broke out inside the Vellore fort against the British authority is considered to be a prelude to the Great Revolt of 1857, which is often described by some historians as the first war of Independence. The outstanding performance of this district in contributing to the Military service is commendable, as more and more men have enlisted themselves to the Military service, to serve the nation with indomitable sprit and courage. The clock tower in the Long Bazaar Vellore was built in 1920 A.D.; a stone inscription in the building reads “Vellore – From this village, 277 men went to the Great war[1914-1918] and 14 of them gave up their lives". This is a recorded testimony of the valour and military prowess of this area.

Sepoy Mutiny

In 1806, more than 50 years before the great Revolt of 1857, there was another soldier- led mutiny in the south. The Vellore Sepoy mutiny, was bloody and violent though short lived. For one long day, soldiers stationed at the historic fort of Vellore took up arms. Though this mutiny seems to have faded from our collective memory, it was indicative of the simmering dissent in the British barracks. The Vellore Sepoy Mutiny is considered to be the first large-scale mutiny against the British which resulted in over 100 British officers getting wounded or dying. The trigger for this mutiny was also British high-handedness and the fear that the British were trying to convert the soldiers they commanded.

Sepoys of the Madras Army in the early 1800s

New regulations required sepoys to ensure they had no ‘caste marks’

In 1805, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army of the British East India company, General Sir John Cradock embarked on an ambitious reform of the army's disciplinary system. As a result of this, the Military Board approved a new, standardized regulation for the Madras army which dictated how sepoys should wear their uniforms and appear on duty. While this included generic rules like the need to have their beards and moustaches trimmed, it also required sepoys to ensure they had no ‘caste marks’ and wear a new kind of turban with leather embellishments. The last regulation created an uproar as leather was taboo for upper caste sepoys of the Madras army. Many sepoys now believed that the Company was conspiring to convert them to Christianity. In May 1806, a few soldiers who protested against this change in uniform were sent to Chennai's Fort St. George where they were given public lashings and sacked from the army. Already angry, this ‘soldier’s rebellion’ was further instigated by the sons of the deceased Tipu Sultan, who nursed grudges against the British and helped the sepoys in their uprising.

Vellore Fort

The Vellore fort even withstood Hyder Ali's siege for two years from 1780-82 CE

The fort of Vellore was built around 1566 CE by the chieftains of Sadashiv Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. In the mid-17th century the fort passed through many hands. First the Aravidus, the last dynasty that ruled Vijayanagara lost Vellore to the Bijapur Sultan then in 1676 CE, it was captured by the Marathas after a siege that lasted four and a half months. Eventually the fort came under the charge of Dost Ali, the Nawab of Carnatic, before passing on to the British in 1760 CE. From this time, the fort would be linked with the fate of Tipu Sultan's family. Vellore fort withstood Hyder Ali's siege for two years from 1780-82 CE, and would later become the base for Lord Cornwallis’ march on Bangalore to defeat Tipu Sultan.

When Tipu Sultan was killed at Sringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798-79 CE) and his kingdom handed back to the Hindu Wodeyar kings of Mysore, the British exiled Tipu's surviving 13 sons, several daughters, their respective families and their entire entourage to the Vellore fort. They stayed in the palaces in Vellore fort and so played an important role in the Mutiny of 1806.

The Day of the Mutiny

Indian Sepoys used Tipu's daughter's wedding as an excuse to enter the fort

On 9 July 1806 CE, one of the daughters’ of Tipu Sultan was getting married. The sepoys used this as an excuse to enter the fort. As a sign of the revolt, they pulled down the British flag and hoisted the Royal Tiger Flag of Tipu. They also announced Tipu's son Fateh Hyder as the new ruler. In the early hours of July 10, the Indian sepoys attacked the European barracks within the fort, and by late morning they had killed over 100 British soldiers and ransacked their houses. On receiving the news, the British commander, Colonel Robert Rollo Gillespie rushed with the Madras Cavalry, based 20 km away in Arcot, and charged through the gates attacking the Indian sepoys. The revolt was suppressed by noon resulting in the execution and court-martial of most of the mutineers.

Attack of the Mutineers on the Redan Battery at Lucknow, 1857

Tipu's family would be moved away and objectionable dress codes retracted.

As a result of the uprising, a court of inquiry was setup by the British, who decided to shift Tipu Sultan's family to Calcutta, in isolation, so that they could be as far away from Vellore as possible. Meanwhile, the objectionable orders related to the dress code, that triggered the mutiny were also retracted. The news of the uprising shook up England so much that the then governor, William Bentick, and the Commander - in - chief of the Madras army, John Cradock, were both dismissed from their positions. Sadly however the British, didn't quite learn from the Vellore mutiny about the need to be sensitive to Indian ways. Decades later, reports that the British were lining cartridges of the newly introduced rifles in animal fat would send soldiers across Meerut, Lucknow and the North up in arms!

Economic, Social AND Cultural Changes in Vellore in the 20th Century

The economic condition of the district in the earlier stages was not very sound, in the absence of the major industries. Thanks to the sustained efforts and Vigorous police of the Govt. Industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd Ranipet, Tamil Nadu Explosives Ltd., Vellore Katpadi. Have been set up. Besides there has been marked growth of small scale industries and Tanneries in the district. This industrial activity has not only generated employment opportunities, but also contributed. Farmers to economic growth the recently introduced Uzhavar Sandhai., for instance has benefited the rural poor. giving much needed thrust to the economic. The innovative self help groups of woman are also playing a very useful role in building rural economy and helping rural women to be self reliant. The social scenario also has changed keeping pace with the changing times. Increased social awareness and upward social growth mark the successful story of the district . The bonded labour, the child labour, etc. Are fast disappearing giving place to new social order. A striking feature of the social change is that the district achieved cent percent literacy owing to the effective implementation of the Arivoli Movement. The Samathuvapurams that are being set up, in various parts of the district, herald a new era, as social harmony and peaceful co-existence of different communities are the basic concept of this scheme. The Varumun Kappom Thittam by proving basic infrastructure to rural folk for a free medical examination is indeed a milestone in the social history of Tamil Nadu.

Vellore Katpadi Junction

Vellore City's Main junction and highest train stoppage railway junction of Tamil Nadu (More than 230 trains). playing bigger role in Southern railways.

Kammavanpet

(Ranuvapettai)

Kammavanpet is a locality in vellore. The Indian Army has a number of recruits from the Vellore district (especially from Kammavanpet, which is known as "the military village") and military spending is a major sources of income.

Presence of Lord Muruga

It is believed to have been the place of the Tamil God Murugan, who appeared with (Vel)

""Velavan Veludan Thondriya Oor""= Vellore. 

You can see the lot of Murugan temples around Vellore. One of them Vallimalai is the place where Lord Murugan got married with Valli.

Are the ancient "Lord Muruga" Temples which situated around Vellore.

The recorded history of Vellore dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscriptions in the Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai.[8]

During the first half of the 19th century, the town came under British rule.[7]

Geography and climate

AnnaSalai

Vellore is at 12°55′N 79°08′E / 12.92°N 79.13°E / 12.92; 79.13, 220m above the mean sea level. The city has a semi-arid climate. It is in Vellore district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, 135 km (84 mi) west of the state capital Chennai. Vellore lies in the Eastern Ghats region and Palar river basin. The topography is almost plain with slopes from west to east.[9]

Vellore experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). The temperature ranges from a maximum of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) to a minimum of 13 °C (55 °F). Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coldest. Vellore receives 1,034.1 mm (40.71 in) of rainfall every year. The southwest monsoon, with an onset in June and lasting up to September, brings rainfall of 517.1 mm, with September being the rainiest month. The northeast monsoon which lasts from October to December brings rainfall of 388.4mm. The humidity ranges from 40%–63% during summer and 67%–86% during winter.[10]

Climate data for Vellore
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) 		43.0
(109.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.8
(85.6) 		32.8
(91.0) 		36.1
(97.0) 		39.9
(103.8) 		41.1
(106.0) 		40.6
(105.1) 		35.1
(95.2) 		34.3
(93.7) 		34.0
(93.2) 		32.3
(90.1) 		29.8
(85.6) 		28.7
(83.7) 		34.5
(94.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6) 		18.9
(66.0) 		21.6
(70.9) 		24.6
(76.3) 		25.7
(78.3) 		25.2
(77.4) 		23.5
(74.3) 		21.0
(69.8) 		17.4
(63.3) 		14.4
(57.9) 		12.6
(54.7) 		09.2
(48.6) 		19.1
(66.3)
Record low °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3) 		12.0
(53.6) 		12.1
(53.8) 		17.8
(64.0) 		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) 		8
(46)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 11.5
(0.45) 		1.7
(0.07) 		16.7
(0.66) 		28.2
(1.11) 		69.7
(2.74) 		78.2
(3.08) 		170.4
(6.71) 		134.1
(5.28) 		195.2
(7.69) 		158.1
(6.22) 		166.3
(6.55) 		90.0
(3.54) 		1,120.1
(44.1)
Average precipitation days 0.9 0.2 1.1 1.5 4.5 5.0 10.2 7.8 8.8 8.6 7.6 5.6 61.8
Source: India Meteorological Department,[11]

Demographics

Religious census
Religion Percent(%)
Hindu
 
 80.09%
Muslim
 
 14.28%
Christian
 
 4.79%
Sikh
 
 0.01%
Buddhist
 
 0.01%
Jain
 
 1.4%
Other
 
 0.53%
No religion
 
 0.05%

According to 2011 census, the Vellore District had a population of 3,936,331 with a sex-ratio of 1,034 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[14] A total of 19,898 were under the age of six, constituting 10,093 males and 9,805 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 14.16% and .18% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 77.15%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[14] The city had a total of 42598 households. There were a total of 70,257 workers, comprising 297 cultivators, 395 main agricultural labourers, 4,387 in house hold industries, 59,281 other workers, 5,897 marginal workers, 59 marginal cultivators, 74 marginal agricultural labourers, 667 marginal workers in household industries and 5,097 other marginal workers.[13] As per the religious census of 2011, Vellore had 80.09% Hindus, 14.28% Muslims, 4.79% Christians, 0.02% Sikhs, 0.03% Buddhists, 0.51% Jains, 0.26% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.[15]

As of 2001, out of the total area, 69.88% of the land was marked developed and 31.12% of the city remained undeveloped.[16] Out of the developed area, 55.76% was used for residential purposes, 8.34% for commercial, 1.58% for industrial, 3.3% for educational, 16.46% for public and semi public and 10.12% for transport and communication.[17] The population density is not uniform: It is high in areas like Arugandhampoondi and lower in the peripheral areas such as Poonthottam. The average density of the city is 241 persons per hectare.[16]

Vellore Panorama
Vellore Panorama.

Administration and politics

Municipal Corporation officials
Mayor P. Karthiyayini[18]
Commissioner P. Janaki Raveendran[19]
Deputy Mayor V.S.Chokkalingam[18]
Elected members
Member of Legislative Assembly P.Karthikeyan[20]
Member of Parliament Kathir Anand[21]

Vellore is the headquarters of the Vellore District. The town was constituted as a third-grade municipality in 1866, promoted to first-grade during 1947, selection-grade from 1970 and a municipal corporation from 1 August 2008. The Vellore municipal corporation has 60 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards.[22] The functions of the municipal corporation are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head.[23] The legislative powers are vested in a body of 60 members, one each from the 60 wards.[24] The legislative body is headed by an elected Mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor.[25]

Vellore is a part of the Vellore & Katpadi and it elects 2 members to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years.[26] From the 1977 elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly twice (in 1977 and 2009 elections), four times by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (in 1980, 1984 and 1989), twice by Indian National Congress (INC) (in 1991 and 2001 elections) and twice by Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) (in 1996 and 2001 elections). The current MLA of Vellore constituency is P.Karthikeyan from DMK party.[20][27]

Vellore is a part of the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency & Arakkonam_Lok_Sabha_constituency. It had the following six assembly constituencies before 2009 delimitation: Katpadi, Gudiyatham, Pernambut (SC), Anaicut Village, Vellore and Arni. After delimitation, it is currently composed of Vellore, Anaicut Village, Kilvazhithunaiankuppam (SC), Gudiyatham, Vaniyambadi and Ambur[28]

From 1951, the Vellore parliament seat was held by the Indian National Congress for four times during 1957,[29] 1962,[30] 1989 and 1991 elections,[31][32] AIADMK twice during 1984 and 2014 elections,[21][33] CWL once during 1951 elections, and independent once during 1980 elections,[34] Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam five times during the 1967,[35] 1971,[36] 1996,[37] 2004 and 2009 elections,[38] once each by NCO during 1977 elections,[39] and twice by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) during 1998 and 1999 elections.[40][41][18] The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Kathir Anand from the DMK party.[21]

Law and order is maintained by the Vellore subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a deputy superintendent. There are four police stations in the town, with one of them being an all-women station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a superintendent of police.[42]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Vellore

According to Indian Census of 2001, the urban workforce participation rate of Vellore is 43.64%. Vellore, being the headquarters of the district, has registered growth in the tertiary sector activities, with a corresponding decrease in the primary sector. Major employment is provided by the leather industry, agricultural trading and industries in and around the city. Approximately 83.35% of the workforce is employed in tertiary sector comprising transport, services and commerce. The secondary sector activities like manufacturing and household industries employs 13.52% of the workforce. Male workers participation (43.64%) is high compared to the female work participation (24.39%).[43]

Hundreds of leather and tannery facilities are around Vellore and 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 and gloves).[5] Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is one of the nine major government owned enterprises in the nation. The Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of BHEL in Ranipet is the industrial hub of Vellore. Chemical plants in the Ranipet-SIPCOT economic zone are a major source of income to the residents of Vellore.[44] EID Parry is a sanitary-ware manufacturing company with 38% of the world's market share in bathroom accessories.[45] Tirumalai Chemicals and Greaves are among the international brands that have their manufacturing units in the city. Automobile and mechanical companies of global Brands, including SAME Deutz-Fahr, TVS–Brakes India, Mitsubishi, Greaves Cotton and MRF have their manufacturing units in the area. Brakes India Sholingur's foundry division is located at Vellore-Sholingur and is a major employer in the area.[46] Vellore is known as the Leather hub of India[47]

Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company, Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL), is in Vellore at Katpadi. This is India's only government explosives company with more than a thousand employees.[clarification needed] The company is headed by a senior Indian Administrative Service officer.[48] Kramski Stamping and Molding India Pvt Ltd, a German precision metal and plastic integrated-component manufacturing company with automotive, telecommunications, electronics and medical applications is in Erayankadu, near Vellore.[49] Major businesses in the city center are on Officer's Line, Town Hall Road, Long Bazaar and Bangalore, Scudder, Arni, Gandhi and Katpadi Roads. Many boarding and lodging houses are in and around Scudder and Gandhi Roads. Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of 14 Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) in India. Trichy, Vellore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem in Tamil Nadu.[50]

Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), on Ida Scudder Road in the heart of the city, is Vellore's largest private employer and has a large floating population from other parts of India and abroad. Lodging, hospitals and allied businesses are among the major sources of income generated in the central part of the city. The Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital (VMCH) is located at Adukamparai in Vellore. With the advent of hospitals such as Apollo KH Hospital in Melvisharam and Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre in Sripuram, coupled with colleges such as CMC & VIT and other engineering and science colleges, the health care industry is growing rapidly.[51]

The mainstay for people in the rural areas, more than agriculture, is industries such as weaving, beedi and matchstick rolling. The Indian Army has a number of recruits from the Vellore district (especially from Kammavanpet, which is known as "the military village") and military spending is a major sources of income.[52]

Education

Main article: List of educational institutions in Vellore

Vellore is considered a prominent destination for medical and technological education in India.[53][54] It has a state-government university, a private technological university, one government and one private medical school and several engineering and arts and science colleges.

The country's first stem-cell translational research centre was established in Vellore in December 2005.[55] The central government's biotechnology department selected the Christian Medical College (CMC) as the first in a series of centers, since it already had world-class clinical hematology and biochemistry departments.[56] The college has made a breakthrough which attracted the attention of the country's medical and scientific community: the Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Christian Medical College succeeded in reprogramming cells from adult mice to make them function like stem cells found in the human embryo.[57] The agricultural research station at Virinjipuram is in the Northeastern Zone of Tamil Nadu. It is one of 32 research stations of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The Government of India-sponsored National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) scheme has been in operation since October 1997, with the main objective being trials of conservation measures conducted in water and soil of 18 watersheds in the Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts.[58]

Thiruvalluvar University was split off from the University of Madras, is located near Vallimalai, Vellore.[59] Nearly all the government-run arts and science colleges in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts are affiliated with Thiruvalluvar University.[59][60] Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology is the only government engineering college in Vellore. The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has been ranked best private engineering university in India by the magazine India Today.[53][54]

Three-story building with central column, framed with palm trees
Main building of the Christian Medical College Hospital

Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), one of the largest hospitals in India and Asia, is based out of Vellore. It is a major health care provider for the surrounding districts.[61][62]

Auxilium Women's College (founded in 1954) is the first women's college in Vellore district;[63] Other arts and sciences colleges in the city are the Dhanabakyam Krishnaswamy Mudhaliar Women's College (DKM) near Sainathapuram and the Muthurangam Government Arts College (MGAC) in Otteri, near Bagayam. Voorhees College (founded 1898) is the oldest college in the district and known as the institution where S. Radhakrishnan (former president of India) studied; a commemorative stamp for the centenary of the college was issued by the government of India. C. Abdul Hakeem College is in Melvisharam. Arignar Anna Arts College for Women(AAA) is located in Walajapet.

The Government Law College, Vellore was established in 2008. It offers a three-year Bachelor of Laws (BL) degree with an annual intake of 80 students. The college is in Katpadi, Vellore.[64] There are several Arabic colleges in Vellore such as the Madrasa Al-Baqiyathus Salihath, popularly known as Baaqiyaath, founded by Shah Abdul Wahab, which is the second oldest Arabic college in India after Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.[65][66]

Schieffelin Institute of Health – Research and Leprosy Centre (SIH-R & LC) called Karigiri Hospital is located near Vellore, was established in 1955 to care for the leprosy patients.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Vellore
Vellore Fort and Jalakandeswarar temple Panorama

Vellore Fort is the most prominent landmark in the city. During British rule, Tipu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Rajasinha, were held as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter known for its carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it witnessed the massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya.[67] 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 pipes from the Suryagunta reservoir.

Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. It is a noteworthy example of military architecture in South India. The fort houses the Tipu Mahal where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British; the graves of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore.[68] It is administered by the Archaeological Survey of India. Vellore Fort has been declared a Monument of National Importance and is a noted tourist attraction.[69]

Sri Jalakandeswarar Temple Main Gopuram, February 2012

The State Government Museum is inside the fort. It was opened to the public in 1985. It consists of objects of art, archaeology, prehistory, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology and zoology. Historical monuments of the erstwhile composite North Arcot District are contained in the gallery.[70] Special exhibits include a bronze double sword from Vellore Taluk dating 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. Educational activities at the museum include an art camp for school students and the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students.[71]

Transport

Road

NH 48 Green Circle Junction (Central Bus Terminus) flyover in Vellore City

The Vellore municipal corporation maintains 104.332 km (64.829 mi) of roads. It has 50.259 km (31.229 mi) concrete roads, 6.243 km (3.879 mi) kutcha roads and 47.88 km (29.75 mi) bituminous road.[72] The National Highways passing through or terminating at Vellore as per new numbering are,[73]

Highway Number Destination Via
48 Chennai Kanchipuram, Sriperumbudur,
Delhi Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur, Jaipur
38 Thoothukudi Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai
40 Hyderabad Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool
75 Mangaluru Gudiyattam, Pernambut, Venkatagirikota, Kolar, Bengaluru, Hassan, Sakleshpura

Vellore is connected with major cities in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Bus service is available to Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupathi, Kadapa, Anantapur, Salem, Chittoor, Kuppam, Kolar, Kolar Gold Fields, Madanapalle, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Karur, Kumbakonam, Aranthangi, Mannargudi, Nagapattinam, Hosur, Marthandam, Thoothukudi, Thiruchendur, Sengottai, Cuddalore, Kurnool, Trichy, Thuraiyur, Thammampatti, Thiruvannamalai, Tindivanam, Pondicherry, Kallakkurichi, Tirupattur,Viluppuram, Kanyakumari, Arani, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kanchipuram, Tiruttani, Kalpakkam, Pallikonda, Ponnai, Gudiyatham, Dharmapuri, Erode, Tirupur, Palakkad, Krishnagiri, mumbai Gingee and other major towns and cities in South India. Vellore is served by a city bus service, which connects the city, suburbs and other places of interest. The bus service extends about 30 km from the city center. There are two bus terminals: the Town Bus Terminus (opposite the fort and near CMC Hospital) and the Central Bus Terminus (Near Green Circle). Other bus terminals are located at Chittor Bus Stand (near VIT Road), Bagayam and Katpadi(Junction bus stop). The bus stands are maintained by the Vellore Municipal Corporation.[74]

Rail

Vellore has three main railway stations: Katpadi junction, Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town. The largest is Vellore-Katpadi Junction, 5 km north of CMC hospital. This is a major railway junction on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line running to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati,New delhi,Howrah, Kanyakumari. There are direct rail links to Vijayawada Junction, Tirupati, Jhansi, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Dehradun, Agartala, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Bhopal Junction, Mumbai, Mangalore, Tiruchchirapalli, Kumbakonam, BilaspurKorba, Patna, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Kanniyakumari, Shirdi, Kanpur, Gaya, Dhanbad, Jammu Tawi, Madurai, Bhilai, Gwalior, Chennai Central, Howrah Station, New Delhi Railway Station, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Silchar, Howrah, Nagarcoil, Kozhikode, Kollam, Thrissur, Jaipur, Dibrugarh, Varanasi, Pune, Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and other major cities. More than 150 trains cross the Vellore-Katpadi Junction daily. Nearly 250 to 265 trains halts this junction. This is the mMajor and busiest junction in South India, and 1st Important railway station in Vellore district.[75]

Vellore Cantonment is in Suriyakulam on the Viluppuram-Tirupati broad gauge line, 8 km from Katpadi Junction. EMU and passenger trains to Tirupati, Chennai and Arakonnam depart from here.[76] The 150-km broad gauge line was extended to Villupuram in January 2010 and connects Vellore and South Tamil Nadu; however, as of January 2019 it is serviced by slow passenger trains. The line was opened for goods trains in June 2010.[77] An EMU from Vellore Cantonment to Chennai Central was introduced on December 22, 2008. Vellore Town Station is in Konavattam on the line connecting Katpadi Junction with Viluppuram Junction via Tiruvannamalai.

Air

The Vellore Airport came up in the year 1934 is located at Abdullapuram, 11 km away from the city centre. It had been used to land trainer aircraft and helicopters.[78] It was re-activated in as a part of Airports Authority of India idle airports activation programme in July 2006 to facilitate regular flying by trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club whose operations were restricted with the increase in scheduled aircraft movement at Chennai Airport.[79] Vellore airport being revived under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) or UDAN, runway and terminal building works are under progress, all the required infrastructure works scheduled to be ready by June-2019 for operations.[80]


Urban Area

Vellore-Ranipet Metropolitan Area

Utility services

Electricity supply to Vellore is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city and its suburbs forms the Vellore Electricity Distribution Circle. A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters.[81] Water supply is provided by the Vellore municipal corporation from the Palar river through Palar headworks and Karungamputhur headworks and distributed through ten overhead tanks. As of 2005, there were 16,371 connections against 33,772 households. In 2000–2001, a total of 7.4 million litres of water was supplied daily for households in the city. The other sources of water are Otteri Lake, Sathuvancheri town panchayat, Ponnai and street bore wells.[82][83]

As per the municipal data for 2011, about 83 metric tonnes of solid waste were collected from Vellore every day by door-to-door collection. The source segregation and dumping was carried out by the sanitary department of the Vellore municipal corporation. The municipal corporation covered 16 wards for waste collection as of 2001.[84][85] There is no underground drainage system and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences.[86][87] The municipal corporation maintained 145 km (90 mi) of storm water drains in 2011.[88] As of 2011, 24 government and private hospitals and one veterinary hospital take care of the health care needs of the citizens.[89] As of 2011, the municipal corporation maintained 5,241 street lamps: 735 sodium lamps, 73 mercury vapour lamps, 4,432 tube lights and one high mast beam lamp.[90][91] The municipal corporation operates the Nethaji Daily Market that caters to the needs of the city and the rural areas around it.[92]

See also

Notes

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References

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