Vellore Fort

Introduction And History : Vellore is about 145 Kilometers south of Chennai, which is one of the vibrant cities in Tamilnadu. The Fort of Vellore is located in Vellore was built by the Nayakar captains of the Vijayanagara Empire during the 16th Century. During the 17th century it was captured by Muslim rulers from Bijapur, which was then taken by the Marathas and Daud Khan of Delhi during 18th century. After the British held their foot firmly in India, they took control of this fort in 1768 and held it under their control till Indian independence came in 1947. The fort was constructed with large granite blocks, which is known for its grand walls, wide moat and robust masonry. It covers about 133 acres of area, which houses a Temple, a Mosque and a Church, the famous Vellore Christian Hospital, and many other buildings that are now used as public offices.

What To See : There is a big moat around the fort, which was full of crocodiles to prevent the fort from enemies. It is still filled with water and well preserved and called as Jalagandeswara temple. There is a Museum in the fort which contains old sculptures, paintings and handicrafts. The modern CSI Church, located just near to the Fort contains old British cemetery, which has graves of British officers killed in the final campaign against Tipu Sultan. It is better to visit Vellore apart from March to May, as summer at Vellore gets very hot.

Accomodations : Vellore offers economical accommodation options to suite all type of travelers. For a decent accommodation, it costs 200 rupees per day which can go up to 800 rupees for a luxury hotel.

Mode Of Transport : Chennai is the nearest Airport, which is located about 145 Kilometers from Vellore. It is well connected by train with almost all major destinations in Southern India. Katpadi is the nearest railway station, which is located about 7 Kilometers from the city. It is also well connected by road with Chennai and nearby states Karnataka and Andra Pradesh.

Related links :
• Tourist information: http://www.vellorecity.com/
• Official Vellore website: http://www.vellore.tn.nic.in/

See also (Nearby places) :Sripuram Temple, Amirthi Zoological Park, Kavalur Observatory, Yelagiri, Ratnagiri Temple, Sripuram, Vallimalai and Balamathi are the major nearby tourist attractions.