vellore fort

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, Vellore Fort is the 16th century granite fort surrounded by a deep moat set in the heart of the town. It was built by Bommi and Thimma Reddy in the 16th century during the reign of the Vijayanagar king Krishnadeva Raya. The fort was captured in the 17th century by the Adil Shahis, the Muslim rulers from Bijapur. It was then taken by the Marathas, and later by Daud Khan of Delhi in the early 18th century. The British took control of this fort in 1768 and controlled it until Independence. During British rule, the Tipu Sultan’s family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Rajasinha were held in as prisoners in the fort. The fort is an excellent example of military architecture and has withstood several attacks.  To Know More…

KAIGAL FALLS / DUMUKURALLU WATERFALLS

At a distance of 2.5 km from Kaigal Village, 28 km from Palamaner, 55 km from Kolar, 92 km from Horsley Hills, 142 km from Tirupati, 123 km from Bangalore, 68 from Chittoor, 78 km from Kanipakam, 96 km from Vellore & 225 km from Chennai, Kaigal Water Falls, also known as Dumukurallu Waterfalls is a nice waterfall located on the Palamaner – Kuppam Highway.

The waterfall is natural, perennial and water comes from a big rock at a height of 40 feet, irrespective of seasons. But its force and beauty is increased during the Monsoon season. The name Dumukurallu waterfalls came into prominence because of its sound resembling the fall of stones from above. To Know More…

AMIRTHI ZOOLOGICAL PARK

At a distance of 27 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, Amirthi Zoological Park is situated under the Javadu hills of Tellai across Amirthi River. Established in 1967, the zoo park occupies an area of 25 hectares. It is named after the Amirthi River which flows next to the park.

This park is popular for its waterfalls, swing and animal habitats. Half of this jungle is cleared to serve as a tourist spot while the other half is developed as a wildlife sanctuary. One km trek in the park leads to a full view of Amirthi falls, a small cascading seasonal falls. Visitors can play and swim in the pool formed by the falls here in monsoons. To Know More… 

VAINU BAPPU OBSERVATORY / KAVALUR OBSERVATORY

At a distance of 77 km from Vellore and 54 km from Yelagiri, The Vainu Bappu Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is located at Kavalur in the Javadi hills near Vaniyambadi in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.

The Kavalur Observatory is located in a 100 acre forest land. The observatory houses a number of optical telescopes, including currently India’s largest optical telescope the 2.3m Vainu Bappu telescope, 1.3 meter J.C Bhattacharya telescope, 1m Carl Zeiss Telescope and many other smaller ones. Apart from the Telescopes, there is also a Fabry-Perot Interferometer which is being used to study airglow emissions from the Earth’s thermosphere. The observatory is situated at an altitude of 725m. Several varieties of plants, some wildlife and different birds are spotted in the campus. To Know More

ARCOT

At a distance 26 km from Vellore, Arcot is a town and suburb of Vellore city, located on the southern banks of Palar River. Arcot is a historical town which was the headquarters of Nawab of Carnatic, who ruled the region in 18th century AD. It was earlier known as Thiruvazhundur during the Chola period. Delhi Gate and Arcot Fort are important attractions in the town.

Arcot was ruled by 12 Nawabs. Carnatic Nawabdom was established by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who in 1692 appointed Zulfikar Ali as Nawab of the Carnatic, with his seat at Arcot as an honor for his triumph over the Marathas at this place. In 1740, the Maratha forces invaded Arcot. They attacked the Nawab, Dost Ali in the pass of Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali, and a number of prominent persons lost their lives. In 1751, The English captured the town during Carnatic Wars. In 1801, the town was annexed by the British East India Company and merged into Madras Presidency. To Know More…

GINGEE FORT

At a distance of 2 km from Gingee Bus Stand, 71 km from Puducherry, 85 km from Kanchipuram and 93 km from Vellore, Gingee Fort or Senji Fort in Villupuram District is one of the largest surviving forts in Tamil Nadu. The fort was historically considered most impregnable and it was called the ‘Troy of the East’ by the British. The fort is one of the prominent tourist places to visit near Villupuram & Chennai also among the best weekend getaways from Chennai & Pondicherry for a day trip.

Originally the site had a small fort built by the Chola dynasty during 9th century. Gingee Fort, also known as Chinji or Jinji, was modified by Kurumbar while fighting the Cholas and again by the Vijayanagara Empire during the 13th century. As per one account, the fort was built during the 15-16th century by the Gingee Nayaks, the lieutenants of the Vijayanagara Empire and who later became independent kings. The fort passed to the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji in 1677 AD, the Mughals, Carnatic Nawabs, French and the British in 1761. To Know More…

ASSUMPTION CATHEDRAL

At a distance of 2.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, The Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese, also known as Assumption Church is situated next to the Bishop’s House in Vellore. The major attraction of this Church is a bell tower, which is said to be the highest bell tower in India.

The Society of Jesus spread Christianity in Vellore from 1604. In 1854 Vellore was made a parish and Assumption church was built in the same year. It was under the Madras Archdiocese until it was announced as the cathedral of the new born Diocese of Vellore in 1952.

Our Lady of Assumption church is situated in middle of Vellore town. The old cathedral was demolished and basement for the new cathedral was consecrated on 15 September 2002. Blessed Sacrament chapel, prayer meeting hall, Glass paintings of 18 important events of salvation history and 15 mysteries of Rosary, and 165 feet height Belfry are special features of the new cathedral. The present cathedral has capacity for 3000 people. To Know More…

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH – VELLORE FORT

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, St John’s Church is an ancient church located inside the Vellore Fort. This church is one of the oldest churches in Vellore.

St. Johns Church is a part of the Churches of South India and is one of the biggest churches in South India. The church was started in 1846 by the Reform Church of America (RCA). The church was shifted from the Filterbed Road to its present location in the fort. The British soldiers who lost their life during the Sepoy Mutiny have been buried in the church premises. There are many inscriptions preserved in the church that provide history of the shrine. Regular prayers are still held in this church. To Know More…

Picture & Content Courtesy: www.trawell.in