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Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of
Vellore district Vellore district () is one of the 38 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. It is one of the eleven districts that form the north region of Tamil Nadu. Vellore city is the headquarters of this district. As of 2011, the district had a popu ...
in the Indian state of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. It is located on the banks of the
Palar River Palar is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu before reaching its confluence into the Bay of Bengal at Vayalur ab ...
in the northeastern part of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
and is separated into four zones that are further subdivided into 60 wards, covering an area of 87.915 km2 and housing a population of 423,425 as reported by the 2001 census. It is located about west of
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, and about east of
Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
. Vellore is located on the
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
–Chennai arm of the
Golden Quadrilateral The Golden Quadrilateral ( hi, स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज, Svarnim Chaturbhuj; abbreviated GQ) is a national highway network connecting several major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a ...
. Vellore is governed under a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
and the Vellore Municipal Corporation. It is a part of both the
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
and state assembly constituencies of Vellore. Vellore is the home to
Christian Medical College & Hospital Christian Medical College, Vellore, widely known as CMC, Vellore, is a private, Christian community-run medical school, hospital and research institute. This Institute includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary care hospitals in a ...
, the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and Sripuram Golden Temple. The Vellore region is the largest exporter of finished
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...
goods in the country. Leather exports from Vellore account for more than 37% of India's leather exports and leather-related products. Vellore is one of 27 cities chosen by the Government of India to take part in the country's
Smart Cities Mission National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Devel ...
.


Etymology

According to a legend, many babul trees (known locally as velan trees) surrounded this region, which led to the name 'Vellore'. Vellore is also known as the Second Madras because of its importance and location relative to
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
(Madras).


History

The recorded history of Vellore dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscription in the
Annamalaiyar Temple Arunachalesvara Temple (also called Annamalaiyar Temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Shaivis ...
in
Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai ( Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruva ...
. Vellore is strategically located and well-connected by rail and bus routes to major towns in the neighbouring states of
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. Many dynasties and rulers dominated Vellore throughout its history, including the
Pallava dynasty The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...
,
Medieval Cholas Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE and established one of the greatest empires of South India. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influen ...
,
Later Cholas The Later Chola dynasty ruled the Chola Empire from 1070 C.E. until the demise of the empire in 1279 C. E. This dynasty was the product of decades of alliances based on marriages between the Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas based in Vengi, and ...
, the
Rashtrakuta dynasty Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing thei ...
, the Sambuvaraya chieftains,
Vijayanagar The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Maharas ...
, the
Nawabs of the Carnatic The Carnatic Sultanate was a kingdom in South India between about 1690 and 1855, and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until their demise. They initially had their capital at Arcot in the present-day Indian state of Tamil N ...
, and the administration of the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
. In the 18th century, Vellore was involved in the
Carnatic Wars The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India's coastal Carnatic region, a dependency of Hyderabad State, India. Three Carnatic Wars were fought between 1744 and 1763. The conflicts involved n ...
between Britain and France. It was situated close to several decisive battles, including those at
Ambur Ambur is a town and municipality in newly announced Tirupattur District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of the Palar River between Chennai and Bangalore. Ambur has a sizeable leather industry, and is known for its spicy biryani an ...
(1749),
Arcot Arcot (natively spelt as Ārkāḍu) is a town and urban area of Ranipet district Ranipet district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India, formed by trifurcating Vellore district. The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced its prop ...
(1751), and
Vandavasi Vandavasi, earlier called Wandiwash is a major town and a municipality in the Tiruvannamalai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is well known in the Carnatic history for the Battle of Wandiwash. Vandavasi town is also the large ...
(1760).
Vellore Fort Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, India built by Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara kings. The fort was at one time the headquarters of ...
is important to Vellore's history. Due to a lack of historical records, it is not known exactly when the fort was constructed, but estimates based on stone inscriptions suggests that the fort was most likely built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak between 1526 and 1595. The fort is a good example of Tamil Nadu military architecture, while the Jalakandeswarar Temple within the fort represents
Vijayanagara architecture Vijayanagara architecture of 1336–1565 CE was a notable building idiom that developed during the rule of the imperial Hindu Vijayanagara Empire. The empire ruled South India, from their regal capital at Vijayanagara, on the banks of the Tung ...
.
Christian Medical College & Hospital Christian Medical College, Vellore, widely known as CMC, Vellore, is a private, Christian community-run medical school, hospital and research institute. This Institute includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary care hospitals in a ...
, founded in 1900 by the American medical missionary Dr. Ida S. Scudder, is another Vellore landmark. The hospital has grown into a medical institution of international repute. The central prison in Vellore, established in 1830, had imprisoned notable figures like
C. Rajagopalachari Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji (Rajaji'', the Scholar Emeritus''), was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activis ...
and
Ramaswamy Venkataraman Ramaswamy Venkataraman (, 4 December 191027 January 2009) was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union Minister and as the eighth president of India. Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village in Ta ...
. Other landmarks include the Aruganthampoodi mausoleums, located close to the section of
National Highway 48 The following highways are numbered 48: Australia * Illawarra Highway Canada * Ontario Highway 48 * Saskatchewan Highway 48 Czech Republic * D48 motorway (Czech Republic) part of European route E462 * I/48; Czech: Silnice I/48 Hungary * M ...
between Vellore and Arcot, where the family members of
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
were buried; and the Muthu Mandapam, a memorial on the banks of
Palar River Palar is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu before reaching its confluence into the Bay of Bengal at Vayalur ab ...
built by the Tamil Nadu Government to honor Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka, who ruled from 1798 to 1815 and was imprisoned in Vellore Fort for 17 years until his death.


Vellore Fort

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 was owned by various parties. The Aravidus, the last dynasty that ruled Vijayanagara lost Vellore to the Bijapur Sultan before being captured by the Marathas after a siege that lasted four and a half months in 1676. The fort came under the charge of Dost Ali, the Nawab of Carnatic, before passing on to the British in 1760. Vellore Fort withstood Hyder Ali's siege from 1780 to 1782, 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), his kingdom was handed back to the Hindu Wodeyar kings of Mysore and the British exiled Tipu's surviving sons, daughters, their families, and their entire entourage to Vellore Fort. They stayed in the palaces in the fort and participated in the Mutiny of 1806.


Vellore mutiny

In 1805, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army of the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, General Sir John Cradock, began an ambitious reform of the army's disciplinary system. New, standardized regulations were approved for the Madras Army, which dictated how sepoys should wear their uniforms and appear on duty. Under these regulations, Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while on duty, and Muslims were required to shave their beards and trim their moustaches. One change that was especially problematic was a new headdress associated with Indian converts to Christianity, which included a leather
cockade A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat or cap. Eighteenth century In the 18th and 19th centuries, coloured cockades were used in Europe to show the alleg ...
. This caused an uproar, as leather was a cultural taboo for the upper caste sepoys of the Madras Army. As a result, many sepoys believed that their British officers were conspiring to convert them to Christianity. In May 1806, a few soldiers protested against these changes and were sent to Fort St. George in Chennai, where they were publicly lashed and discharged from the army. With the levels of resentment towards the British already high, the sons of the deceased
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
exacerbated the conflict by assisting the mutineers who revolted on 10 July. Under the pretense of attending the wedding of one of Tipu Sultan's daughters, mutineers gathered in Vellore Fort where the wedding was held and revolted. Raising the flag of the Kingdom of Mysore, they declared Tipu Sultan's son Fateh Hyder king. The mutineers inflicted about 200 casualties before their revolt was put down by reinforcements under the command of Sir Hugh Robert Rollo Gillespie; many of the mutineers were captured and summarily executed or court-martialed. As a result of the uprising, the dress codes were retracted, and Cradock was dismissed. Although the mutiny took place before larger revolts in the 1850s, it was indicative of the simmering dissent in the Indian soldiery. The Vellore mutiny is considered to be the first large-scale Indian mutiny against the British, and a prelude to the much larger
Sepoy Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...
in 1857.


Economic, social and cultural changes in the 20th century

The economic condition of the district in the earlier stages was not sound with the absence of major industries. Industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Ranipet, Tamil Nadu Explosives Ltd., and Vellore Katpadi were established as the result of governmental policy. There has been notable growth of small scale industries and tanneries in the district, which not only generated employment opportunities, but also contributed economic growth to farmers. Uzhavar Sandhai helped the rural poor improve the economy. Women-driven self help groups played an important role in building rural economy and teaching rural women to be self-reliant. Vellore also changed socially as time went by. Increased social awareness and upward social growth marked the successful foundation of its districts. Literacy improved in part of the Arivoli Movement. During the first half of the 19th century, the town came under
British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 12


Geography and climate

Vellore is at , 220m above sea level. The city has a tropical savanna climate. It is in the Vellore district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, west of the state capital
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. Vellore lies in the
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and cut ...
region and Palar river basin. The topography is almost flat with slope from west to east. Vellore is in a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Aw''). The temperature ranges from to . Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the mildest. Vellore receives of rainfall every year. The southwestern monsoon from June to September brings of rainfall, with September being the rainiest month. The northeastern monsoon which lasts from October to December brings of rainfall. The humidity ranges from 40%–63% during summer and 67%–86% during winter.


Demographics

According to 2011 census, Vellore had a population of 504,079 of which 247,002 are males and 257,077 are females. The sex-ratio of Vellore is 1,009 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 926. A total of 48,547 were under the age of six, constituting 24,692 males and 23,855 females. The literacy rate of Vellore is 87.09% which is higher than National Urban average of 85%. Literacy rate for male and female for Vellore stood at 92.03% and 82.23% respectively. Total literates in Vellore were 379,849 of which males were 199,247 and remaining 180,602 were females. The city had a total of 112,486 households, with 70,257 workers, including 297 cultivators, 395 main agricultural labourers, 4,387 in household 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. According to the religious census of 2011, Vellore's population was 80.09%
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 14.28% Muslim, 4.79% Christian, 0.02% Sikh, 0.03%
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, 0.51%
Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
, with 0.26% following other religions, and 0.02% following no religion or not indicating any religious preference. As of 2001, 69.88% of the city's land area was developed. Out of the developed area, 55.76% was used for residential purposes, 8.34% for commerce, 1.58% for industry, 3.3% for education, 16.46% for public and semi-public use, and 10.12% for transport and communication. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 29 Although population density varies between different areas, the average density of the city of Vellore is 241 persons per hectare. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 17


Administration and politics

Vellore is the municipal headquarters of
Vellore district Vellore district () is one of the 38 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. It is one of the eleven districts that form the north region of Tamil Nadu. Vellore city is the headquarters of this district. As of 2011, the district had a popu ...
. The town was first recognized as a third-grade municipality in 1866, promoted to first-grade in 1947, to selection-grade in 1970, and to a municipal corporation on 1 August 2008. The functions of the Vellore Municipal Corporation are divided into six departments: General Administration/Personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Planning, and Information Technology (IT). These departments are under the executive control of a municipal commissioner. Legislative powers are held by a body of 60 members, with each councilor being elected from one of the city's wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected mayor who is assisted by a deputy mayor. Vellore is a part of the
Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...
,
Katpadi Katpadi () is a locality in Vellore, at the northern part of Vellore city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its railway is located on the gauge line between Chennai-Bangalore and Villupuram-Tirupati. Politics and geography Once a village, Katp ...
& Anaicut assembly constituencies and elects 3 members to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post system. The presiding officer of the Assembl ...
once every five years. Since the 1977 elections,
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the  state of Tamil Nadu and the  union territory of  Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mi ...
(AIADMK) won the assembly elections in 1977 and 2009, while
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) won seats in 1980, 1984 and 1989. Elections were won twice by the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
(INC), in 1991 and 2001, while the
Tamil Maanila Congress The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (; TMC(M)) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is founded by the former Member of Parliament of the Republic of India G. K. Moopanar on 29 March 1996 as a breakaway fact ...
(TMC) secured seats in 1996 and 2001. The current MLA of Vellore constituency is Mr. P. Karthikeyan, Katpadi constituencyis Mr. Duraimurugan and Aniacut constituency is Mr. Nandakumar all from DMK. Vellore is a part of the
Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...
&
Arakkonam Arakkonam () is a railway town and suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with a population of 78,395 per the census 2011. It is in the newly created Ranipet district, about from Ranipet ...
Lok Sabha constituencies. It consisted of the following six assembly constituencies before 2009:
Katpadi Katpadi () is a locality in Vellore, at the northern part of Vellore city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its railway is located on the gauge line between Chennai-Bangalore and Villupuram-Tirupati. Politics and geography Once a village, Katp ...
,
Gudiyatham Gudiyetram, colloquially Gudiyattam (; also called as Gudiyatham) is a municipality in Vellore district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It lies between Bangalore and Chennai and the district of Vellore is 33 km away from the town. In ...
, Pernampattu,
Anaicut Anaicut or Anaikattu () is a very small village panchayat and taluk in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 20 km from Vellore city limit. The nearest large town is Pallikonda. Anaicut (state assembly constituency) elects ...
,
Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...
, and
Arni Arni may refer to: Municipalities * Arni, Tiruvannamalai, a town in Tamil Nadu, India * Arni, Maharashtra, in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra State, India * Arni, Karditsa, a municipality in the Karditsa regional unit, Greece * Arni, Aargau, a mun ...
constituencies. After the 2009 reorganization, it is composed of
Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...
,
Anaicut Anaicut or Anaikattu () is a very small village panchayat and taluk in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 20 km from Vellore city limit. The nearest large town is Pallikonda. Anaicut (state assembly constituency) elects ...
, Kilvazhithunaiankuppam,
Gudiyatham Gudiyetram, colloquially Gudiyattam (; also called as Gudiyatham) is a municipality in Vellore district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It lies between Bangalore and Chennai and the district of Vellore is 33 km away from the town. In ...
,
Vaniyambadi Vaniyambadi () is a town in the Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu and the headquarter for the Vaniyambadi Revenue district comprising Vaniyambadi and Ambur. It is located about 200 km from Chennai and 178 kilometer from Bengaluru. The Van ...
, and
Ambur Ambur is a town and municipality in newly announced Tirupattur District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of the Palar River between Chennai and Bangalore. Ambur has a sizeable leather industry, and is known for its spicy biryani an ...
constituencies. Since 1951, the Vellore parliament seat was won by the Indian National Congress four times in the 1957, 1962, 1989 and 1991 elections; AIADMK twice during the 1984 and 2014 elections; CWL once during 1951 elections; independent once during the 1980 elections; Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam five times during the 1967, 1971, 1996, 2004 and 2009 elections; once each by NCO during the 1977 elections; and twice by
Pattali Makkal Katchi Paattali Makkal Katchi (; PMK) is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India, founded by S. Ramadoss in 1989 for the Vanniyars, a caste in northern Tamil Nadu. It is currently part of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It contests t ...
(PMK) during the 1998 and 1999 elections. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Kathir Anand from the DMK party. Law enforcement in Vellore is organized by the Vellore subdivision of the
Tamil Nadu Police Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India.
headed by a deputy superintendent. There are four police stations in the city, one of them being an all-women station. Different special task forces focus on prohibition enforcement, district crime, and social justice and human rights. Administrative duties are performed by a branch that operates at the district level and is headed by a superintendent.


Economy

According to the Indian Census of 2001, the urban workforce employment rate of Vellore is 43.64%. Vellore, being the headquarters of the district, has registered growth in its tertiary sector activities with a corresponding decrease in the primary sector. Most employment is provided by the leather industry, tobacco 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 worker employment (43.64%) is higher than female work employment (24.39%). Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 20-21 Vellore is known as the leather hub of India. Hundreds of leather and
tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
facilities are around Vellore and nearby towns, such as
Ranipet Ranipet is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Ranipet (lit. Queen's colony) is an industrial hub of Southern Chennai city in southern India. It is located about from the Chennai city center. It is a major industrial town located on NH 4 Che ...
,
Ambur Ambur is a town and municipality in newly announced Tirupattur District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the banks of the Palar River between Chennai and Bangalore. Ambur has a sizeable leather industry, and is known for its spicy biryani an ...
and
Vaniyambadi Vaniyambadi () is a town in the Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu and the headquarter for the Vaniyambadi Revenue district comprising Vaniyambadi and Ambur. It is located about 200 km from Chennai and 178 kilometer from Bengaluru. The Van ...
. 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 A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb. If there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless glo ...
).
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. It is based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956, BHEL is India' ...
(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 Ranipet is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Ranipet (lit. Queen's colony) is an industrial hub of Southern Chennai city in southern India. It is located about from the Chennai city center. It is a major industrial town located on NH 4 Che ...
-
SIPCOT The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) ( ta, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு தொழில் முன்னேற்றக் கழகம் (வரையறுக்கப்பட்டது) ...
economic zone are a major source of income to Vellore residents.
EID Parry East India Distilleries (EID) Parry Limited is an Indian public company headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that has been in business for more than 225 years. It has many firsts to its credit, including the manufacturing of fertilizers (1906 ...
is a sanitary-ware manufacturing company with 38% of the world's market share in bathroom accessories. Tirumalai Chemicals and Greaves are among the international brands that have manufacturing units in the city. Automobile and mechanical companies of global Brands, including
SAME Deutz-Fahr SDF Group is an Italian agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1927 and with its headquarters in Treviglio (Bergamo), Italy. SDF is one of the world's leading manufacturers of tractors, combine harvesters, and diesel engines. The group's p ...
, TVS–Brakes India, Mitsubishi,
Greaves Cotton Greaves Cotton Ltd. is an Indian engineering company that manufactures engines and heavy equipment. It is traded on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). History The company was founded in 1859 by Jame ...
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. Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company, Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL), is in Vellore at
Katpadi Katpadi () is a locality in Vellore, at the northern part of Vellore city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its railway is located on the gauge line between Chennai-Bangalore and Villupuram-Tirupati. Politics and geography Once a village, Katp ...
. This is India's only government explosives company with more than a thousand employees. The company is headed by a senior
Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
officer. Kramski Stamping and Molding India Pvt Ltd, a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
precision metal and plastic integrated-component manufacturing company with automotive, telecommunications, electronics and medical applications is located in Erayankadu, near Vellore. 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.
Christian Medical College & Hospital Christian Medical College, Vellore, widely known as CMC, Vellore, is a private, Christian community-run medical school, hospital and research institute. This Institute includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary care hospitals in a ...
(CMCH), on
Ida Scudder Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder (December 9, 1870 – May 24, 1960) was a third-generation American medical missionary in India. She dedicated her life to the plight of Indian women and the fight against bubonic plague, cholera and leprosy. In 1918, sh ...
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 Government Vellore Medical College (GVMC) or Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH) is a Medical Council of India, Medical Council of India (MCI) recognised medical college located at Adukkamparai, Vellore city in Tamil Nadu. It is ...
and Hospital (VMCH) are located at Adukamparai in Vellore. With hospitals such as
Apollo KH Hospital Apollo KH Hospital is a multi speciality hospital located at Melvisharam in the city of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. This hospital is a product of joint venture between Apollo Hospitals, Chennai and KH Group, Melvisharam, Vellore Vellore (English: ...
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. 'Naruvi Hospitals' is being built at a cost of 3300 million INR, a joint venture between vellore based 'Pearl Human Care' and
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
-based
Henry Ford Health System Henry Ford Health (formerly the Henry Ford Health System) is an integrated, not-for-profit health care organization in Metro Detroit. The corporate office is at One Ford Place, in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, ...
. Sri Narayani Aayurvedic Centre, was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik on August, 2019. Other rural industries than agriculture include weaving and
beedi A beedi (also spelled bidi or biri) is a thin cigarette or mini-cigar filled with tobacco flake and commonly wrapped in a tendu (''Diospyros melanoxylon'') or ''Piliostigma racemosum'' leaf tied with a string or adhesive at one end. It origi ...
and matchstick rolling. The Indian Army has a number of recruits from the
Vellore district Vellore district () is one of the 38 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. It is one of the eleven districts that form the north region of Tamil Nadu. Vellore city is the headquarters of this district. As of 2011, the district had a popu ...
(especially from Kammavanpet known as "the military village") and military spending is a major source of income.


Education

Vellore is considered a prominent destination for medical and technological education in India. 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. Notable Islamic and Arabic college in Vellore is Bakqiyat Salihat Arabic College. The country's first stem-cell translational research centre was established in Vellore in December 2005. The central government's biotechnology department selected the Christian Medical College (CMC) as the first in a series of centers as it already had world-class clinical hematology and biochemistry departments. The college 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. 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 Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is the state agricultural university of Tamil Nadu located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. History The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University had its genesis from establishment of an agricultural sc ...
(TNAU). The
Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
-sponsored National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) scheme has been in operation since October 1997, and it makes conservation measures conducted in water and soil of 18 watersheds in the Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts.
Thiruvalluvar University Thiruvalluvar University is a public state university in the city of Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu, under the Thiruvalluvar University Act, 2002 (Tamil Nadu Act 32 of 2002). The university was na ...
was split off from the
University of Madras The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...
and is located near
Vallimalai Vellore Vallimalai is a village in Katpadi taluk ( Vellore North Taluk ) of Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located from Vellore City and it is near Ponnai. It is known for Subramaniyar temple, a Hindu temple for Murugan. (; ta, ...
, Vellore. Most government-run arts and science colleges in
Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...
,
Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai ( Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruva ...
,
Villupuram Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district. Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...
and Cuddalore districts are affiliated with Thiruvalluvar University.
Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology The Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology (abbreviated as TPGIT) is a government engineering institution located at Bagayam, Vellore. It was established in July 1990 and is one of the six government engineering colleges fully gov ...
is the only government engineering college in Vellore. The
Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private research deemed university located in Katpadi in Vellore, India. Founded in 1984 as ''Vellore Engineering College'' by G. Viswanathan, the institution offers 66 Undergraduate, 58 Postgraduate ...
(VIT) has been ranked best private engineering university in India by the magazine ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new o ...
''. 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. Auxilium Women's College (founded in 1954) is the first women's college in Vellore district; 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 Voorhees University (formerly Voorhes College) is a private historically black university in Denmark, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. History In ...
(founded 1898) is the oldest college in the district and known as the institution where
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (; 5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975), natively Radhakrishnayya, was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He served as the 2nd President of India from 1962 to 1967. He also 1st Vice President of India from 1952 ...
(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 was established in 2008. It offers a three-year
Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
(BL) degree with an annual intake of 80 students. The college is in Katpadi, Vellore. There are several Arabic colleges in Vellore such as the
Madrasa Al-Baqiyathus Salihath Baqiyat Salihat Arabic College (جامعة الباقيات الصالحات) Jami'ah al Baqiyath as Salihat is an Islamic college in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India that was established in 1857. The madrasa was founded by Aa'la Hazrat Abdul Wahhab ...
(popularly known as ''Baaqiyaath''), founded by Shah Abdul Wahab and is the second oldest Arabic college in India after Darul Uloom Deoband in
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
. Schieffelin Institute of Health – Research and Leprosy Centre (SIH-R & LC) is located near Vellore and was established in 1955 to care for leprosy patients.


Tourism

Vellore Fort Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, India built by Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara kings. The fort was at one time the headquarters of ...
is the most prominent landmark in the city. During
British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
,
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
'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. 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. 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. It is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. Vellore Fort has been declared a Monument of National Importance and is a famous tourist attraction. The State Government Museum is inside the fort and opened to the public in 1985. It consists of art, archaeology, prehistory, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology, and zoology exhibits. Historical monuments of the North Arcot District are contained in the gallery. Special exhibits include a double bronze sword from Vellore Taluk dating to 400 BCE, 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.


Transport


Road

The Vellore municipal corporation maintains of roads. It has of concrete road, of kutcha road and of bituminous road. The
National Highways National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all f ...
passing through or terminating at Vellore as per new numbering are: Vellore is connected with major cities in the states of Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. Bus service is available to
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, Coimbatore,
Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
,
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
, Tirupathi,
Kadapa Kadapa (colonial spelled Cuddapah) is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. As of the 2022 Census of India, the city had a popul ...
, Anantapur, Salem,
Chittoor Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division, respectively. The city has a popu ...
,
Kuppam Kuppam is a Granite City of Andhra Pradesh. Kuppam is a Municipality in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh located 115.8 kilometers South-East of Bangalore, the Capital City of Karnataka and 243 kilometers West of Chenna ...
,
Kolar Kolar or Kolara is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar district. The city is known for its milk production and gold mines. It is also known for Someshwara temple and Kolaramma temple. History The Wes ...
,
Kolar Gold Fields Kolar Gold Fields (K.G.F.) is a mining region in K.G.F. taluk (township), Kolar district, Karnataka, India. It is headquartered in Robertsonpet, where employees of Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) and BEML Limited (formerly Bharat Earth Mov ...
,
Madanapalle Madanapalle is a town in Annamayya Rajampeta district and Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one if the largest city in the District. It is a Selection Grade Municipal City Council and located in Mada ...
,
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...
,
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...
,
Karur Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of Amaravathi River, River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal. Karur is well known for the export of Home Te ...
, Kumbakonam,
Aranthangi Aranthangi is a town chola Nadu in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 40,814. And this is one of the part in Chettinadu. Geography The town lies 10 degrees north in latitude and 70 degre ...
,
Mannargudi Mannargudi () is a town in Thiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Mannargudi taluk. The town is located at a distance of from the district headquarters Thiruvarur, 36 km from Kumbakonam, 40 km fro ...
,
Nagapattinam Nagapattinam (''nākappaṭṭinam'', previously spelt Nagapatnam or Negapatam) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. The town came to prominence during the period of Medieva ...
, Hosur, Marthandam,
Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
,
Thiruchendur Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. Etymology Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the s ...
,
Sengottai Sengottai (also known as Shencottah, Chenkotta or Shenkottai) is a town in the Tenkasi district, of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the gateway to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Spread over an area of 2.68 km2 with a population of over 26,82 ...
,
Cuddalore Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj. While the early history of Cudda ...
, Kurnool, Kadiri,
Trichy Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
,
Thuraiyur Thuraiyur is a town and a municipality in the Tiruchirappalli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was upgraded to a III Grade Municipality from Town Panchayat on 17 January 1970, and to a II Grade Municipality in May 1998. It was upg ...
, Thammampatti,
Thiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruvanna ...
,
Tindivanam Tindivanam is a town and a municipality in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest town in Villupuram District after the headquarters town Villupuram. Important roads from north to south (NH 45) Tami ...
,
Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
, Kallakkurichi,
Tirupattur Tirupathur or Tirupattur is the headquarters of Tirupathur district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and is one of the oldest inhabited places in the state, with a history of over 1,600 years. The town is known for an abundance of sandalwood ...
,
Viluppuram Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district. Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...
,
Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
, Arani,
Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
,
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...
, Kanchipuram,
Tiruttani Tiruttani is a town in Tiruvallur district, suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit in state of Tamil Nadu, India. This town is famous for Tiruttani Murugan Temple which is one of the Arupadaiveedu and is dedicated to (Kartik ...
,
Kalpakkam Kalpakkam is a township in Tamil Nadu, India, situated on the Coromandel Coast 70 kilometres south of Chennai. A conglomerate of two villages (Puduppattinam and Sadurangappatinam) and a DAE township, it is about from Thiruvanmiyur and fr ...
,
Pallikonda Pallikonda is a selection grade town panchayat in Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It connects with 90 villages and the town of Gudiyatham. History Pallikonda hosts a large non-sepulchral megalithic assembly with a vast caps ...
, Ponnai,
Gudiyatham Gudiyetram, colloquially Gudiyattam (; also called as Gudiyatham) is a municipality in Vellore district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It lies between Bangalore and Chennai and the district of Vellore is 33 km away from the town. In ...
,
Dharmapuri Dharmapuri is a special grade town in the north western part of Tamil Nadu, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district which is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by spli ...
,
Erode Erode () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the state, after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruppur and Salem. It is also the administrative headquarters of the ...
,
Tirupur Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal ...
,
Palakkad Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
,
Krishnagiri Krishnagiri () is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, and it serves as the administrative headquarters of Krishnagiri District formed in 2004. It is located at the bottom of Krishnadevaraya Hills, and the town is fully surrounded by hill ...
,
mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
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. Vellore New Integrated Bus Terminus was constructed at a cost of ₹46.51 crore in a 9.25 acre area under the Smart City project by the Vellore City Municipal Corporation, it was completed in 24 months and become operational by January 2022.


Rail

Vellore has three main railway stations: Vellore Katpadi Junction, Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town. The largest is Vellore Katpadi Junction (5 km north of CMC hospital). It 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 Vijayawada Junction railway station (station code:- BZA) is an Indian Railways station in Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh, categorized as a ''Non-Suburban Grade-2 (NSG-2)'' station in Vijayawada railway division. Situated at the junction of Howra ...
,
Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is re ...
,
Jhansi Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...
,
Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...
,
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
,
Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
, Coimbatore,
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, Dehradun, Agartala, Ahmedabad,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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, Mayiladuthurai,
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, Kumbakonam, Bilaspur Korba,
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, Kanpur, Gaya,
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,
Vishakapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...
and other major cities. More than 150 trains cross the Vellore-Katpadi Junction daily. Nearly 250 to 265 trains halt this junction. This is the major and busiest junction in South India and 1st Important railway station in Vellore district. Vellore Cantonment is in Suriyakulam on the Viluppuram-Tirupati broad gauge line, 8 km from Katpadi Junction.
EMU The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The 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. It connects Vellore and South Tamil Nadu; however, it is serviced by slow passenger trains. The line was opened for goods trains in June 2010. An EMU from Vellore Cantonment to
Chennai Central Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...
was introduced on December 22, 2008. Vellore Town Station is in Konavattam on the line connecting Katpadi Junction with
Viluppuram Junction Villupuram Junction is a railway station in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu. Being a prominent railway station, it serves as the distribution point of rail traffic from Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu, towards the southern and central parts of t ...
via
Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai ( Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruva ...
.


Air

The
Vellore Airport Vellore Airport is located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. It serves Vellore and Adjoining districts. , it is revived and under construction. History In July 2006, it was re-activated in as a part of Airports Authority of India idle airports ...
was established in 1934 and is located in Abdullapuram, 11 km away from the city centre. It had been used to land trainer aircraft and helicopters. It was reactivated as a part of the 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 Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and its metropolitan area. It is located in Tirusulam, southwest of the city centre. Chennai International Airport is the sixth busiest airpo ...
. Vellore airport is in the process of being revived under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). UDAN, runway and terminal building works are under progress, all the required infrastructure works scheduled to be ready by June 2019 for operations.


Sports

Vellore is known for producing number of national and international weightlifters,
M Tamil Selvan M Tamil Selvan is a former Indian weightlifter who won silver medals in the men's Bantamweight event at 1978 Commonwealth Games and in the men's Featherweight event at 1982 Commonwealth Games. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in the year 1 ...
, a silver medal winner at the 1978, 1982 Commonwealth games and represented India in 1980 Olympics. Sathish Sivalingam, a gold medal winner at the 2014,2018 Commonwealth games. Vellore has the States first center of excellence for weightlifting. Built at an expense of 24 million INR, the centre has facilities for conducting international weightlifting events, latest training equipment and a multi-purpose training hall. Vellore was among the two districts in Tamil Nadu which didn't have a sports complex. In 2018, the
Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, l ...
announced a sports complex would be set up with facilities for 400 metre athletics track, gallery, administrative office besides grounds for hockey, basketball, kabaddi, badminton and tennis. It would also have a swimming pool and gymnasium.


Urban Area


Utility services

Electricity supply to Vellore is regulated and distributed by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (abbreviated as TNEB) is a power generation and distribution company owned by Government of Tamil Nadu, India. It was created as a regulated monopoly under section 131 of the Electricity Act (2003) as a successor o ...
(TNEB). The city and its suburbs form the Vellore Electricity Distribution Circle. A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. The 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 are 16,371 connections to 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 wells. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 36-39 According to the municipal data for 2011, about 83 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from Vellore every day by door-to-door collection. The source segregation and dumping are carried out by the sanitary department of the Vellore municipal corporation. The municipal corporation covered 16 wards for waste collection as of 2001. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 47 There is no underground drainage system and the sewage system for sullage disposal is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 45 The municipal corporation maintained of storm water drains in 2011. As of 2011, 24 government and private hospitals and one veterinary hospital take care of the citizens' health care needs. 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. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 55 The municipal corporation operates the Netaji Daily Market that caters to the needs of the city and the rural areas around it. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 65


See also

*
List of areas of Vellore This article provides you the list of major areas in and around the Indian city of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Neighbourhoods of Vellore Areas within corporation limits as follows, * Thottapalayam * Gandhi Nagar * Sathuvachari * Thorapadi * Konavatta ...
*
List of people from Vellore {{Use Indian English, date=February 2019 The following people were born or based their life in Vellore. Education * V. L. Ethiraj, Founder, Ethiraj College for Women * G. Viswanathan, Founder and chancellor, VIT University * V. M. Muralidhar ...


Notes


References


Sources

* *


External links


Vellore Official Government Site


* * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Vellore district Smart cities in India