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VelloreGeneral Info
Vellore, 145 km from Chennai, is a dusty, semi rural bazaar town. For tourists, it is noteworthy only for the Vijaynagar fort and its temple, which are in an excellent state of preservation and worth visiting. The town has a modern church built in an old British cemetery, which contains the tomb of a captain who died in 1799' of excessive fatigue incurred during the glorious campaign which ended in the defeat of Tipoo Sultan'. Here, too is a memorial to the victims of the little known 'Vellore Mutiny' of 1806. The mutiny was instigated by the second son of Tipoo Sultan , who was incacerated in the fort at that time, and was put down by a task force sent from Arcot. Vellore is now best known for its hospital, one of the best in the country. The people who come here from all over India for medical care give this humble town a cosmopolitan feel. There are some facts for Vellore
Vellore Fort The fort is constructed of granite blocks and surrounded by a moat which is supplied by a subterranean drain fed from a tank. It was built in the 16th century by Sinna Bommi Nayak, a vassal chieftain under the Vijayanagar Kings,Sada Sivaraja and Sriranga Maharaja. Later, it became the fortress of Mortaza Ali, the brother in law of Chanda Sahib who claimed the Arcot throne, and was taken by the Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur. In 1676, it passed briefly into the hands of the Marathas until they, in turn, were displaced by the nawab Daud Khan of Delhi, in 1708. The British occupied the fort in 1760, following the fall of Srirangapatnam and the death of Tipu Sultan. It now houses various public departments and private offices, and is open daily. This temple was built about the same time as the fort and, although it doesn't compare with the ruins at Hampi, it is still a gem of late Vijayanagar architecture and has some stunnig carvings in the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the temple was occupied as a garrison and desecrated. Following this, it ceased to be used. It is open daily from 6 am to 1 pm and 3 to 8 pm. Dawn Bakery situated near Gandhi Rd, has freshly baked biscuits and bread. Simla Ice Cream Bar near Ida Scudder St, is one of many 'meals' it's name it's not an ice cream bar but an ecxellent little north Indian vegetarian cafe with a tiny tandoori oven which churns out piping-hot naan. Hotel Anand near Ida Scudder St, is an upmarket vegetarian restaurants with an air-con room. Chinatown opposite Natraj Travels on Gandhi Rd, does passable Chinese meals.
Vellamalai (18 km) The temple of Vellamalai is dedicated to Siva's son, Kartikkaya ( Murga in Tamil). There's a temple at the bottom of the hill but is at the top. Shoes must be removed at the base of the hill. There's a good view of the bleak countryside around Vellamali- the ground is stony and strewn with boulders. The cloth knots you will see tied to trees are requests that wishes be granted. Bus Vellore is well connected with Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai. All the buses originate in Vellore. There are also some buses which passes enroute to Bangalore, Tirupathi, Thanjavur and Ooty. Train Vellore's main railway station is five km north at Karpadi. This is the junction of the broad-gauge line from Bangalore to Chennai and the metre-gauge Tirupathi to Madurai line ( which runs via Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli ).
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