Tourism in Vellore
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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 ...
, Government Museum, Science Park, Vainu Bappu Observatory, Amirthi Zoological Park, Religious Places like Jalakandeswarar Temple, Srilakshmi Golden Temple, Big Mosque &
St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...
and
Yelagiri Yelagiri () is a hill station located in the newly formed Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu, India, situated off the Vaniyambadi- Tirupattur road. Located at an altitude of 1,110.6 metres above Mean Sea Level and spread across 30 km2, the ...
Hill station are the among top tourist attractions in and around
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 ...
.


Attractions


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 ...

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 a large 16th-century
fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
situated in heart 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 ...
city, in the
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
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 ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
built by Vijayanagara Kings. The Fort was at one point of time the headquarters of the
Aravidu Dynasty The Aravidu Dynasty was the fourth and last Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire in South India. Its founder was Tirumala Deva Raya, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the last ruler of the previous dynasty. Rama Raya's deat ...
of
Vijayanagara Empire 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 Mahar ...
. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. The Fort's ownership passed from
Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bell ...
Kings, to the
Bijapur Sultans The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's ...
, to
Marathas The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
, to the Carnatic Nawabs and finally to 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, ...
, who held the fort until India gained
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
. The Indian government maintains the Fort with the Archaeological Department. During British rule, the
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, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held in as prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
, a Muslim
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and a
Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...
, the latter of which is famous for its magnificent carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it is also a witness to the massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of
Sriranga Raya Sriranga II (a.k.a. Sriranga Chika Raya) (r. 1614 CE) was nominated in 1614 by King Venkata II to succeed him as king of the Vijayanagara Empire in Southern India. Sriranga was supported by a faction headed by Yachama Naidu of Recherla Velama ...
.


Gallery


Government Museum

Government museum is located inside the Vellore fort in lakshmanswami town hall. It is a multipurpose museum having a great collection of different types of artifacts like archeology, history, geology and botany also. The museum is open all days except government holidays. Museum has 2896 exhibits, both displayed and reserved. Museum has 8 galleries which are District Gallery, Stone sculpture Gallery, Pre-History-Philately Gallery, Paintings Gallery,
Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
Gallery, Bronze Gallery,
Coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
Gallery and
Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
Gallery.


Science Park

Vellore Science Park (also known as Vellore District Science Centre) located in
sathuvachari Sathuvachari is an area and Zone-II headquarters of Vellore Municipal Corporation. It is located in the east of Vellore city. It is situated in the bank of Palaar River. Demographics India census, Sathuvachari had a population of above 1 ...
east 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 ...
City. This science centre is among the four centres in Tamil Nadu developed by Tamil Nadu Science and Technology centre. It has number of galleries including on environment; leather and physical science. Objective of the science park is to enable children learn science through play method. Science Park here had made it possible for the students and general public to view comet ISON with its telescopic facility on 28 November 2013. Science Park also conducts summer camps for students teaching them on physics, chemistry, maths, biology, environmental sciences, yoga, psychology and also practical experiments. Proposal of 3D theatre at
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 ...
Science Park was initiated in March 2013. If plans go expected, Vellore will be the only city other than
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 ...
in
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 ...
to have this facility. It would be an added attraction for students which would make watching various scientific phenomena come alive, almost real and the movies will be sourced from National Museum of Natural History, USA, would deal with concepts of cloning, life cycles, dinosaur, exploration of life, space mission, astronomy, solar system, mystic animals, and the lives of scientists.


Vainu Bappu Observatory

The Vainu Bappu Observatory, or VBO for short, is an
astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxi ...
observatory owned and operated by
Indian Institute of Astrophysics The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), with its headquarters in Bengaluru,is an autonomous Research Institute wholly financed by the department of Science and Technology, Government of India. IIA conducts research primarily in the areas of ...
. It is located in the
Javadi Hills The Javadhu Hills (also Jawadhi, Jawadhu Hills) ( Rainfall clouds producing Hills For North Tamilnadu) ( Ooty of Vellore and Tirupattur ) are an extension of the Eastern Ghats spread across parts of Tirupattur (earlier part of Vellore District) ...
Kavalur, near
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 ...
&
Yelagiri Yelagiri () is a hill station located in the newly formed Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu, India, situated off the Vaniyambadi- Tirupattur road. Located at an altitude of 1,110.6 metres above Mean Sea Level and spread across 30 km2, the ...
and its around 70 km from
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 ...
City. Vainu Bappu Observatory (also known as Kavalur Astronomical observatory) is home to the Vainu Bappu Telescope, the largest telescope in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. It has a diameter of 2.3 meters and was first used in 1986. Along with the Vainu Bappu telescope, the observatory has two other telescopes.


Amirthi Zoological Park

Amirthi Forest & Zoological Park is situated under the Javadi hills of Tellai across the Amirthi river which is 25 km from
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 ...
. The area of the park is 25 hectares and one can find beautiful water falls. Half of this jungle is cleared to serve as a tourist spot while the other half is developed as a wildlife sanctuary. Animals at the park include spotted deer, mongoose, hedgehog, foxes, reason monkeys, red headed parrots, love birds, tortoises, peacock, crocodiles, wild cats, eagles, ducks, pigeons, wild parrots, rabbits, and pythons.


Religious Places


Jalakandeswarar Temple

The 16th century Jalagandeeswarar Temple, dedicated to Jalagandeeswar, is noted for its sculptures, and speaks volumes of the exquisite craftsmanship of the highly skilled artisans of that period. The sculpture in the porch on the left of the entrance is a masterpiece appreciated by the connoisseurs of art and architecture. The temple was long used as an arsenal, and remained without a deity, although several years ago it was sanctified with an idol of Lord Shiva.


Mosques & Churches

Assumption Cathedral and the 150-year-old
St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...
inside the fort are among the churches in Vellore. The Big Mosque, in the heart of the city, houses the largest Arabic college in India.


Srilakshmi Golden Temple

The golden temple of ''Sripuram'' (
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
: ஸ்ரீபுரம்) is a spiritual park situated at the foot of a small range of green hills in a place known as "Malaikodi" in the city 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 ...
. The temple is located between
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 ...
- Odugathur state highway and at the southern end of the city of Vellore, at Tirumalaikodi. The temple is located on 100 acres of land and has been constructed by Vellore-based ''Sri Narayani Peedam'', headed by spiritual leader ''Sri Sakthi Amma'' also known as ''Narayani Amma''. The temple with
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
covering, has intricate work done by artisans specializing in temple art using gold. Sripuram design represents a star-shaped path (Sri chakra), positioned in the middle of the lush green landscape, with a length of over 1.8 km. One has to walk along the star path to reach the temple in the middle, which has messages laid out along the path to the temple from ''Sri Sakthi Amma'', Gita, Bible and Quran. When one enters the Sripuram, their focus is just on the magnificent temple. But when they leave, they cannot do so without taking some messages and gaining some wisdom.


Vallimalai Sri Thenvenkatachalapathy temple

"Sri ThenVenkatachalapathy Temple" is a Vedic temple in the down of the
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, ...
hill town near thiruvalam in
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 ...
of Tamil Nadu, India. It was located in
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 ...
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 ...
. Vallimai is present 25 km from Vellore and 12 km from thiruvalam. According to history when vishnu was in deep meditation lakshmi came like deer and she plays in front of him. At that time vishnu's meditation was dispersed and he saw that deer. Due to his holy glory a beautiful daughter was born both of them left their daughter for the sake of their devotee king. After that king found the child in Vaḷḷikiḻaṅku field so, she called as valli. In the idol is Swayambumurthi now he is growing on..... also the special in that temple was for of devotees got child after praying in this temple.


Sri Danvantri Arogya Peedam, God of Medicine

"Sri Danvantri Arogya Peedam" located near Walajapet (30 km from CMC Vellore), Lord Sri Danvantri is worshipped as god of medicine and here 24 hours prayer performed for global welfare and regular homams are performed for Logashemam (Global welfare), along with Lord Danvantri 75 unique deities (Lord Dattatreya, Lord Swarna Akarshana Bhairava, Lord Kuberan, 468 Siddhas) had been installed here, also Lord Danvantri has been sanctified in the garbagraha on the double-decker structure. For a few feet beneath the actual peedam upon which Idol rests, there is a deep hole lined with granite stones. A copper pipe, about seven inches diameter, has been placed at the centre of the hole and the 54 crore mantras have been tightly packed around this pipe. This copper pipe serves as carrier of the vibrations that are constantly reverberating from the strength of the mantras and spreads the energy. Danvantri Arogya Peedam, being a universal place of healing and Lord Danvantri Himself being the Doctor of Medicines, God of Health and Doctor of Doctors, there are no limitations or contradictions based on the perspective of religion, caste and creed. The purpose of placing the mantras beneath the peedam and idol is that the collective powers of each of these personal faiths brings forth an effect of profuse magnitude and strength.


Gallery


Yelagiri Hills

Yelagiri Yelagiri () is a hill station located in the newly formed Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu, India, situated off the Vaniyambadi- Tirupattur road. Located at an altitude of 1,110.6 metres above Mean Sea Level and spread across 30 km2, the ...
is a hill station in
Tirupattur district Tirupattur district, or Tirupathur district, is one of the 38 districts in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The district was formed in 2019 by the division of Vellore district into three smaller districts. Its creation alongside Ranipet ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, situated off the
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 ...
-
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 ...
road. Located at an altitude of 1,410.6 metres above Mean Sea Level and spread across 30 km2, the Yelagiri village (also spelled Elagiri at times) is surrounded by orchards, rose-gardens, and green valleys. The Yelagiri hill station is not as developed as other hill stations in
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 ...
. However, the district administration has now taken up the task of developing Yelagiri Hills into a tourist destination by promoting adventure sports such as
paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...
and rock climbing. Places of attraction in yelagiri are artificial lake, Jalagamparai Waterfalls, YMCA Camp centre and YASA (Yelagiri Adventure Sports Association) which runs paragliding and other adventure sports.


Gallery


Parks

Several parks are there in the city such as Fort Park & Periyar park. Periyar Park has one km long walking path, roller-skating ring, battery-operated mini motorcycles and birds such as ducks, parrots, love birds, ostrich and guinea fowls are being grown in the park.


Shopping

Major shopping regions in the city are Anna Salai, Main Bazaar, Long Bazaar, Filter Bed Road, Ida Scudder Road, Katpadi Road and Gandhi road. Several large textiles showroom such as Chennai Silks, Pachaiyappas Silks,
Max Fashion Max Fashion is a UAE fashion brand under the banner of the UAE based Landmark Group. That was opened by Micky Jagtiani The brand was first launched in May 2004, in the Middle East in UAEbr> History Max Fashion was first established in 2004 ...
, Pantaloons,
Reliance Retail Reliance Retail is an Indian retail company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Founded in 2006, it is the largest retailer in India in terms of revenue. Its retail outlets offer foods, groceries, apparel, footwear, toys, home improvement ...
, Planet Fashion and also several branded showrooms such as Blackberrys, Puma, UCB, Adidas, Levis, Derby, Peter England, Raymonds, Fabindia, Johnplayers, Crocodile and many others available along the Anna Salai. Several Branded jewellery showrooms such as TataGold Plus,
Joyalukkas Joy Alukkas (29 October 1956) is an Indian businessman from Kerala. He is the chairman and managing director of Joyalukkas Jewellery. Early life Joy Alukkas was born in Thrissur, Kerala, on 29 October 1956. His father, Varghese Alukkas, was ...
,
Kalyan Jewellers Kalyan Jewellers is an Indian chain of jewellery showrooms. The company open its initial public offering on March 16, 2021, and was publicly listed on March 26, 2021. History Kalyan Jewellers was founded by T. S. Kalyanaraman, who opened ...
, Khazana Nathella, Jewel one, Khazana, Champalal and many others are available along Anna Salai.


Entertainment

City has many theatres like Big Cinemas Lakshmi, Alankar, Thirumalai, Apsara, Vishnu, Aascar, PVR Velocity and Blue Cinema which opened recently.


See also

*
Sajra and Gojra Forts, Vellore Sajra and Gojra forts are hill forts built on top of Naammam Malai hill to the east of Vellore City in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Sajra and Gojra literally means "smart" and "cute" respectively. History In 1678, during the siege of Vel ...


References

{{reflist
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 ...
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