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.
Sripuram – Golden Temple
At a distance of 10 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, 70 Kms from Kanchipuram, 55 kms from Kanipakam, 146 Kms from Chennai, 120 Kms from Tirupati and 212 Kms from Bangalore, Sripuram Golden Temple dedicated to goddess Mahalakshmi is one of the famous temples in Tamilnadu and it was built using 1500 kilograms of gold.
Constructed in the year of 2007, Sripuram is the biggest structure made out of gold. The Vimana and Ardha Mandapa have been coated with gold both in the interior and exterior. The temple is built in 100 acres area of land and constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam, headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. One and half tonnes of gold has been used for the construction of the temple with a cost of 600 crore.
Jalakandeswarar Temple – Vellore Fort
At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, Jalakandeswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is located inside the Vellore Fort. The temple is named Jalakandeswarar, as it is located at a lower height than the temple moat.
The temple has two courtyards and has a main shrine with a closed path around it and a number of sub-shrines. Inside the Garbha griha, main deity Jalakandeswarar is seen in the form of Shivalinga. Goddess Sri Akilandeswari Amman is seen in separate sanctum in the inner enclosure of the temple. To the outer walls of Amman sanctum one can get the darshan of Vinayaka, Madeswari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. There is also a Nandi statue in front, facing Sri Jalakandeswarar sanctum.
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. The best time to visit the park is from October to March.
Assumption Church / 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.
