Vellore

Vellore (Template:Lang-ta pronounced [veːluːr] ^ⓘis a City governing Vellore city municipal corporation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In the August of 2008, it was made a municipal corporation.

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

History

Vellore fort

Vellore has a blend of heritage and culture reflecting the ancient Dravidian civilization. It was the seat of the Pallavas, Cholas, Nayak, Marathas, Arcot Nawabs and Bijapur Sultan Kingdoms. Vellore was once the capital city of the Vijayanagar empire during 1606-1672. The fort in Vellore was described as the best and strongest fortress during the Carnatic War in the 17th Century. The monuments found in the district give a vivid picture of the evolution of the city through the ages.

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

Etymology

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

Vellore Sepoy Revolt

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

Geography

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

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

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

vellore city is administrated by mayor Mrs.p.karthiyayini,Msc.,Ph.d,vellore city municipal corporation consists of 60 wards.coporation is divided into 4 zones namely katpadi,sathuvachari,old coporation(velapadi) and shenbakkam.

Demographics

Vellore City consists of Sathuvachari, Dharapadavedu, Shenbakkam, Allapuram, Thorapadi. Kazhinjur, Gandhi Nagar, Katpadi, Palavansathu, Virupakshipuram, Konavattam, Virudampet, Kangeyanallur, Idaynsathu, Ariyur, Alumelrangapuram and Chitheri Total area spans across 20 km approximately. Total area is 87.915 km² according the G.O.(Rt).No. 221 Dated 28.09.2010 issued by Tamilnadu goverment. The population of Vellore Corporation based on that GO as of 2001 was 4,23,425. GO order page

According to 2011 census Vellore population is 4,81,966 2011 Census Data in which they have missed out three places. The census bureau has listed the city population as UA population. This has been analysed in details here Vellore city pop screwed up. So if properly calculated with the missed places the population of Vellore will be 5,02,000 and the population of Vellore UA will be more than 7.5 Lakh.

Tamil is the official and most widely spoken language.Other languages spoken include Telugu, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada. Most of the people in Vellore can converse in English and in Hindi.

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

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

Climate

Climate data for Vellore (1951–1980)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	35.3 (95.5)	39.8 (103.6)	42.8 (109.0)	44.4 (111.9)	45.0 (113.0)	44.3 (111.7)	40.9 (105.6)	39.4 (102.9)	39.6 (103.3)	39.2 (102.6)	35.8 (96.4)	35.0 (95.0)	45.0 (113.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29.2 (84.6)	32.0 (89.6)	35.0 (95.0)	37.1 (98.8)	38.5 (101.3)	36.3 (97.3)	34.6 (94.3)	34.0 (93.2)	34.0 (93.2)	33.0 (91.4)	29.5 (85.1)	28.3 (82.9)	33.5 (92.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	18.2 (64.8)	19.2 (66.6)	21.3 (70.3)	24.8 (76.6)	26.3 (79.3)	26.0 (78.8)	25.1 (77.2)	24.6 (76.3)	24.1 (75.4)	22.9 (73.2)	20.8 (69.4)	19.2 (66.6)	22.7 (72.9)
Record low °C (°F)	10.2 (50.4)	12.0 (53.6)	12.1 (53.8)	13.8 (56.8)	18.1 (64.6)	19.6 (67.3)	18.8 (65.8)	18.7 (65.7)	18.7 (65.7)	15.6 (60.1)	12.1 (53.8)	11.0 (51.8)	10.2 (50.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	9.0 (0.35)	7.1 (0.28)	5.9 (0.23)	21.8 (0.86)	83.9 (3.30)	71.0 (2.80)	117.0 (4.61)	124.9 (4.92)	149.6 (5.89)	176.9 (6.96)	155.2 (6.11)	78.6 (3.09)	1,000.9 (39.41)
Average precipitation days	0.8	0.5	0.4	1.3	4.7	5.3	6.6	7.8	7.6	9.4	7.7	3.9	56
Source: India Meteorological Department,

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

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

Economy

Strategic Location

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

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

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

Leather industry

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

Major Industries

BHEL

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

Chemical Industries(Ranipet Sipcot)

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

Manufacturing Industries

MRF Arakkonam

Arakonam near Vellore is the home of major companies like MRF while TVS Lucas has its major manufacturing facilities in Sholingur (40 km from Vellore).

Brakes India Sholingur

One for the Brakes India Unit, the Foundry Division is located at Vellore-Sholingur. It provides a major source of employment for people in and around Vellore

TEL (Government Explosives Company)

Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL) is located in Vellore at Katpadi. This is India's only Government Explosives Company with more than Thousand employees. This company is headed by senior IAS officer. The geographical location of the factory is very green. On the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

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

Precision Engineering

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

Medical Tourism

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

Agriculture

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

Proposed/Future developments

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

Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai Industrial Corridor

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

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

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

Retail Business

Major business districts of the city include Officer's line (Now its Called as ANNA SALAI from 2011) , Main bazaar ( kirubananda variyar salai ) Bangalore Road, Scudder Road, Arni Road and Katpadi Road. Hundreds of boarding and lodging houses are located in and around Scudder road.

Education

Main article: List of educational institutions in Vellore

Vellore is considered to be one of the best destinations for world class medical and technological education in India. Vellore has a State Government University, a Private Technological University, one Government and one Private Medical School, various other Engineering colleges.

Research centres

Vellore research centre

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

Agricultural research station

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

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

Universities

Thiruvalluvar University

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

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)

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

Panorama of city with mixture of one- to two-story buildings

Aerial View of VIT Vellore Campus.

Medical Colleges

College Name	Address
Christian Medical College and Hospital	Ida Scudder Road, Vellore – 632004
Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital	Cuddalore – Chitoor Highway, Adukkamparai, Vellore – 632011
Narayani College of Nursing	Thirumalaikodi, Vellore – 632055
St. John College of Nursing	Vellore – 632001
College of Nursing, Christian Medical College	Bagayam, Vellore – 632002
College of Occupational Therapy, Christian Medical College	Vellore – 632001
College of Physiotherapy, Christian Medical College	Vellore – 632001

Main building of the Christian Medical College Hospital

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

The CMC Hospital has a functioning quality management programme and is one of the first Asian hospitals to have been ISO certified.

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

Engineering

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

Business

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

Arts and science

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

Law

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

Agriculture

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

Arabic

There are numerous Arabic colleges in Vellore such as the Madrasa Al-Baqiyathus Salihath (Template:Lang-ar), popularly known as Baaqiyaath, which is the second oldest Arabic college in India after Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.

Schools

The following are some of the famous schools in Vellore:

Professional Societies

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

Correctional Institutes & Training Schools

Police recruit school

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

Warders Training Centre

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

Academy of Prisons & Correctional Administration

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

Vellore Central Jail

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

Women's prison

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

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

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

Tourism

Vellore Fort

Main article: Vellore Fort

The Fort was built around 1566 by Chinna Bommi Nayak and Thimma Reddy Nayak, subordinate Chieftains under Sadasiva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Vijayanagara kings called it "Raya Vellore" to differentiate it from "Uppu Vellore" in the Godavari region. The name Vellore is also spelt "Belur." The present day Chennai region and Tirupathi were under the domain of the Fort. During British rule the Tippu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, were held as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian church, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter of which is famous for its carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806 and it is also a witness to the tragic massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya

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

State Government Museum

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

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

Kavalur Observatory

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

Clock tower

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

Church of South India

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

Amirthi Forest

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

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

Amirthi Forest

Villapakkam

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

Sripuram Golden Temple

Main article: Sripuram

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

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

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

French Bungalow

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

Significant places of worship

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

Jalakandeswarar Temple

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

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

Ratnagiri Temple

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

Main article: Ratnagiri Murugan Temple

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

Sripuram

Golden Temple

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

Please visit official website http://www.sripuram.org/ for more information.

Kangeyanallur

Swami Thiru Muruga Kirupanandha Variyar, popularly known as and reverently called Variyar Swamigal, was born at Kangeyanallur which is a small village on the northern bank of the Palar river. This village lies at a distance of 5 km between Vellore and Katpadi in the Vellore District. This province is referred to as Thondai Nadu in Sangam literature.123.

Vallimalai

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

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

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

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

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

Aanaikulathamman Koil

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

Google Maps Aanaikulathamman

Cathedral

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

Balamathi

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

• View from the Balamathi hills
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  View from the Balamathi hills
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  Panoramic view

Virinchipuram

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

Mettukulam

This temple is located 12 km away from the city

Mahamuthumariamman Temple

Transportation

By Road

National Highways

Three important National Highways passing through Vellore are:

• NH46
• NH234
• National Highway 4 (India)

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

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

By train

Main article: Katpadi Junction

Main article: Vellore Cantonment

Vellore city has three main railway stations. The largest is Katpadi Junction, 5 km north of Vellore city bus terminus. This is a major junction which sits on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line. Lines go to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati and Villupuram.

The second-largest station, Vellore Cantonment, sits on the Villupuram-Tirupati broad gauge line, 10 km from Katpadi Junction. Currently EMU and passenger trains to Tirupati, Chennai and Arakonnam depart from here. The 150 km broad gauge line was extended to Villupuram in January 2010, and it connects Vellore and South Tamil Nadu; however, as of October 2010 it is not serviced by passenger trains. An EMU from Vellore Cantonment to Chennai Central was introduced on Dec 22, 2008.

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

Major stations in Vellore

School Name
Auxilium Girls Hr. Sec. School
Ida Scudder
DON BOSCO Hr Sec School Katpadi
Voorhees Higher Secondary School(Official website: http://voorheesschool.com/ )
Sri Venkateswara Higher Secondary School (owned and run by TTD, Tirupati)
N.Krishnasamy Mudaliar Higher Secondary School
Sunbeam Matriculation (Website : http://www.sunbeamschool.org/)
Shrishti School (Website : http://www.shrishti.org/)
Don Bosco
St. mary's Hr Sec School
Government Girl's Hr Sec school
Madras Matriculation School
Holy Cross Matriculation Hr Sec School
Seventh Day Adventist Matriculation School
Vellore Vallal N. Krishnasamy Mudaliar CBSE School
Kodaiedi A Kuppusamy Mudaliar Municipal Higher Secondary School
Desia Matriculation Hr Sec School
Bharat Matriculation hr Sec School
Government Muslim Higher Secondary School
St. Joseph's matriculation Hr Sec School
St. Paul's Matriculation Hr Sec School, Sathuvachari
Vani Vidyalaya matriculation Hr Sec. School
Sri Ramakrishna BHEL Higher Secondary School
S.V.M. Hr. Secondary School, Serkadu.
Rishi Matriculation, Thiruvalam.
Takshila Schools (Website : http://www.takshilaschools.in/Schools/TakshilaSchool/contact.aspx)

Sl no	Station Name	Address	Station Code
1	Katpadi Junction	NH-234, Chittor Hi-Road, Katpadi, Vellore - 632007	KPD
2	Vellore Cantonment	Infantry Road, Near Vellore Corporation Office, Vellore - 632001	VLR
3	Vellore Town	Bangalore Road, Konavattam, Vellore - 632008	VT
4	Latteri	NH-234, Gudiyatam Road, Latteri, Vellore - 632202	LTI
5	Tiruvalam	Vellore - 632515	THL
6	Sevur	Vellore - 632102	SVUR
7	Walajah Road	Vellore - 632513	WJR
8	Mukundarayapuram	Vellore - 632405	MCN
9	Gudiyattam,	Vellore-632803	GYM

Buses

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

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

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

By Air

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

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

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

Auto and Taxi

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

Media and Communication

Newspapers

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

Telephones

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

Mobile Operators in Vellore Circle

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

Entertainment

List of Cinema Halls in Vellore

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

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

Politics

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

External links

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

History / Reference

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