Vellore 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. Vellore is the home to Christian Medical College & Hospital and the Vellore Institute of Technology. The Vellore region is the largest exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Leather exports from Vellore account for more than 37% of India’s leather exports and leather-related products.
History: The recorded history of Vellore dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscription in the Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. Many dynasties and rulers dominated Vellore throughout its history, including the Pallava dynasty, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Vijayanagar, the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Sambuvaraya chieftains, the Nawabs of the Carnatic, and the administration of the British. In the 18th century, Vellore was involved in the Carnatic Wars between Britain and France. It was situated close to several decisive battles, including those at Ambur (1749), Arcot (1751), and Vandavasi (1760). Vellore Fort is important to Vellore’s history. The fort is a good example of Tamil Nadu military architecture, while the Jalakandeswarar Temple within the fort represents Vijayanagara architecture. The Vellore Fort became the site of the first Sepoy mutiny of India in 1806.
The central prison in Vellore, established in 1830, had imprisoned notable figures like C. Rajagopalachari and Ramaswamy Venkataraman. Other landmarks include the Aruganthampoodi mausoleums, located close to the section of National Highway 48 between Vellore and Arcot, where the family members of Tipu Sultan were buried; and the Muthu Mandapam, a memorial on the banks of Palar River built by the Tamil Nadu Government to honour 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.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transportation:
Airport: Chennai Internation Airport is located at a distance of 127 km from Vellore and is the prominent and nearest airport that connects to major cities across India.
Rail: Vellore has three main railway stations: Vellore Katpadi Junction, Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town. The largest is Vellore Katpadi Junction. It is a major railway junction on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line running to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati, New Delhi, Howrah, Kanyakumari.
Road: Vellore is connected to Chennai via NH 48. It is also connected to other major cities in Tamil Nadu and across India. State run bus service is available to many nearby cities within the state and to the neighbouring states.
Local: 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). Vehicles are available for hire to travel within the city and outskirts. Auto rickshaws are also available for travel within the city.
Tourist Interest:
Vellore Fort: This ancient fort is an immensely important monument in the Indian history, it is the site for the first Sepoy mutiny in India. The site has the Jalakandeshwara temple, St John church and a mosque within its premises. It also houses separate mahals known as the Tipu Mahal and Hyder Mahal. There is a museum also within the fort.
The other places of interest are the Sripuram Golden Temple, Virinjipuram Temple and a few others within the city limits and Gingee Fort and Arcot in the outskirts of the city.