Tourist City in Vellore

Vellore, a historical city having shadows of a glorious past, is located on the River Palar in Tamil Nadu. Now a very calm and understated place, it was once a battleground and has seen many wars. The name Vellore also means a ‘City of spears’. Vellore has an enriching legacy reflecting the early Dravidian culture.

The famous Vellore Fort is considered to be the most powerful fortress and was built in the 16th century by the then Nayakar chieftains belonging to the Vijayanagar Empire. It is completely made of granite blocks; and the fort is now a historical tourist hotspot. With a typical tropical climate, the best time to visit Vellore is between the months of October to March.

The city also has to its credit one of the best hospitals in India, the Christian Medical College and Hospital. It is situated in the heart of the city and it is also one of the main private employers in the city. The other main attractions of Vellore are the Jalakanteshwara Temple, Muthu Mandapam or the Pearl Palace and the Government Museum.

Jalakanteshwara Temple is in the fort complex and the temple walls are full of carvings of Nandi and gopuras. Muthu Mandapam or the Pearl Palace is a memorial built by the River Palar. The Government Museum is an exclusive museum that has in its collection objects pertaining to anthropology, art, archaeology, pre-history, botany and geology.

Vellore district is known to be one of the top exporters of prepared leather goods in the country. The Vellore Research Centre is also the country's first stem cell research centre. Kavalur observatory, located in Kavalur, in Vellore district has been chosen for studies as it is closest to the Earth's equator. The largest telescope in Asia is located here. The Amirthi Zoological Park is situated near the Javadu hills near the Amirthi River which is about 25 km away from Vellore.

The Golden Temple of Vellore, located at Sripuram near Thirumalaikodi that has been constructed by the Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam on 100 acres of land. It is said that about 1500 kg of gold was used to build it. The outer trail of the temple is outlined in the shape of a star and it is about 1.8 km in length.

Some of the famous churches in Vellore are the Assumption Cathedral and the 150 year old St. John’s Church. The large mosque based in the heart of the city is known to have the largest Arabic College in India.