vellore4ever

Parvathamalai

2010-01-24T14:39:00.031+05:30

பர்வதமலை:-
When I am searching in net for trekking I found this hills Parvathamalai it’s near to my native (Vellore) place, then we jumped in. Parvathamalai, a pilgrimage near Polur in Thiruvannamalai district mathimangalam of Tamilnadu was our destination (sengam road). Since it takes 4 to 5 hours to climb up, we left from vellore on sunday morning to reach mathimangalam by noon. at 11 in polur bus stop we are waiting for bus to go parvathamalai (need to go sangam bus and get down in thenmathimangalam)
If we are using thenmathimagalam way we can able to seen this temple its a first teample befor we are start our trip.

Veera achinaya temple in way of parathamalai

parathamalai having three type way to reach the temple one is normal road and steps the final one is climbing the rocks using iron pipe.

Now we started to walk, Parvathamalai is more of a pilgrimage than a trekking spot. We saw pilgrims of all age - from as young as 3-4 years to as old as 70-75 years - climbing up & down the hill en route our trek. There is a temple of Shiva at the top, which the hill is approximately 3500 ft above sea level & is in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamilnadu. There are two routes to reach the peak - one from village Thenmathimagalam which is lengthy but e asier and the other from Kadaladi village which is shorter but steep. We took the Thenmathimagalam climbing up & down.

Thenmathimagalam Local people are working to gatherer for electrical and water facility in Parvathamalai as of now there is no electric and water facility. So far we find only three shops even in that shop we not able to get good water.

From Thenmathimagalam we have seen three temple manchamatha and veera achinaya and aiyanar temple. Initially we start to walk in cement road and steps. After that we have to walk in rocks there’s no good path is available to go. Now we are crossing second level path still we need to cross one more path but its very difficulty to cross In top of the hills we saw fort pillar its build 3000 years ago but as of now we are not able to find any fort structure only few pillar and wall.
now we all most reached the temple but this is the final path and we are ready to go. we have started to walk at 12 o clock , its take more then 3 hours to reach the top of the hills.
Top view of Thenmathimagalam and our journey way.

The final part is the steep climb on rocks, which is not so difficult if you are there on a bright sunny day. But that will be challenging if you have to climb that stretch after Sun has gone done in the west, with a surprise drizzles making the rocks completely slippery.Finally we have reached at 4 o clock in top of the hill

Workshop on Image Processing with IDL

2009-11-10T20:20:00.004+05:30

Workshop on Image Processing with IDL

18 – 20 November 2009

Organized by

TIFAC-CORE in Automotive Infotronics

Co-ordinators

Dr. K. Ganesan, Director (TIFAC-CORE) & Senior Professor (SITE)

Mr. S. Ganesh Babu, Senior Development Engineer (TIFAC-CORE)

TIFAC CORE IN AUTOMOTIVE INFOTRONICS @VIT

State of the art advanced engineering centre for research, consultancy and manpower

training in Automotive Infotronics is established at VIT University, promoted by

TIFAC (Technology Information Forecast and Assessment Council), under the

Mission REACH program.

Offers a full time PG program in Automotive Electronics to provide industry readyengineers.

Educational objective

The purpose of the proposed workshop is to provide opportunities for people working

in various engineering backgrounds to gain knowledge and experience in IDL

Programming and various domains in Image processing like remote sensing, medical

IR and MRI imaging etc. IDL is an object oriented programming having many futures

like handing of huge images (satellite images), vector processing and also having the

property of object oriented programming.

Topics Covered

Introduction to IDL programming.

IDL Procedures and Functions.

Working with Plots and Graphs.

Image Geometry.

Color image representation in IDL.

Morphology and binary image processing.

Image Enhancement in Spatial domain.

Working with Region of Interest (ROI).

Segmentation & Object Recognition

Removing Noises

Frequency and Wavelet Transformation

Target Participants:

Research and Development Engineers

Faculty / Students Resource Persons

Dr. K. Ganesan, Director (TIFAC-CORE) & Sr. Professor (SITE), VIT

Dr. Rao Tatavarti, Director (Academic Research), VIT

Dr. Jothi Mani, Professor, VIT

More Info Log to http://vit.ac.in/tifaccore/workshoponIDLProgramming.pdf

ATM Location @ Vellore

2009-11-10T20:01:00.000+05:30

Axis Bank

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Harish Food Zone
Nearest Bus Stop: Voorhees College

Axis Bank

Arcot Road, Vallalar, Vellore - 632009
Near To: Police Station
Nearest Bus Stop: Vallalar

Axis Bank

Gandhi Road, Vellore - 632004
Nearest Bus Stop: Auxilium Rountana

Bank of Baroda

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Voorhees School
Nearest Bus Stop: Voorhees School

Canara Bank

Arcot Main Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Near To: Aawin

Canara Bank

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Hotel Alangar
Nearest Bus Stop: Old Bus Stand

Central Bank of India

Arcot Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: CMC OPD Gate

City Union Bank

Gandhi Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: CMC OPD Gate

Corporation Bank

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Women Police Station
Nearest Bus Stop: Raja Theater

Dhanalakshmi Bank

Gandhi Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: CMC OPD Gate

HDFC Bank

Corporation Campus, Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Nearest Bus Stop: Raja Theater

HDFC Bank

Katpadi Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Apollo Pharmacy
Nearest Bus Stop: CMC

HDFC Bank

Arcot Road, Phase - III, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Near To: Holy Cross School
Nearest Bus Stop: Gandhi Nagar

HDFC Bank

Gandhi Road, Vellore - 632004
Nearest Bus Stop: Odai Pillaiyar Koil

ICICI Bank

1st East Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore - 632006
Nearest Bus Stop: Silk Mill

ICICI Bank

Bangalore Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Traffic Police Station

ICICI Bank

Arcot Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Nearest Bus Stop: Sathuvachari

India Bank

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Darling Residency
Nearest Bus Stop: Muslim School

India Bank

Thiruvalam Road, Katpadi, Vellore - 632014
Nearest Bus Stop: VIT University

India Bank

TKM Complex, Katpadi Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Apollo Pharmacy
Nearest Bus Stop: CMC

Indian Bank

Katpadi Railway Station
Near To: Katpadi Railway Station
Nearest Bus Stop: Katpadi Railway Station

Indian Overseas Bank

RTO Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Nearest Bus Stop: Sathuvachari

Indian Overseas Bank

Bangalore Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Traffic Police Station

Indus Land Bank

New Bye Pass Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Sri Durga Bhavan
Nearest Bus Stop: New Bus Stand

Karur Vysya Bank

Arcot Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: CMC Main Gate

South Indian Bank

Arcot Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: CMC Main Gate

State Bank of India

1st East Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore - 632006
Nearest Bus Stop: Silk Mill

State Bank of India

Arcot Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Hotel Aavana Inn

State Bank of India

Arcot Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Near To: Collector Office
Nearest Bus Stop: Collector Office

State Bank of India

Officers Line, Vellore - 632001
Near To: Corporation Office
Nearest Bus Stop: Raja Theater

State Bank of Tranvancore

Katpadi Road, Vellore - 632004
Near To: Palace Cafe
Nearest Bus Stop: CMC

Syndicate Bank

Arni Road, Vellore - 632001

Syndicate Bank

RTO Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632009
Nearest Bus Stop: Sathuvachari

Katpadi Train Time

2009-11-10T19:41:00.007+05:30

Train No.	Train Type	Train Name	From	To	Arrival Time
214		Mysore exp	Tirupati	Mysore	0.05
6669	Express	Yercard exp	Chennai	Erode	0.43
2657	Super Fast	Bangalore	Chennai	Bangalore	1.08
6670	Express	Yercard Exp	Erode	Chennai	1.29
213		Mysore	Mysore	Tirupati	1.3
2625	Super Fast	Trivandrum	Trivandrum	New Delhi	1.5
2658	Super Fast	Bangalore	Bangalore	Chennai	2.13
2672	Super Fast	Nilgri exp	Mettupalyam	Chennai	2.28
2602			Mangalore	Chennai	2.55
6042	Express	Alleppy	Alleppy	Chennai	3.33
2674	Super Fast	Cheran Express	Coimbatore	Chennai	3.53
6221	Express	Cheran Exp	Mysore	Chennai	4.1
2624			Trivandrum	Chennai	4.33
3351	Express	Danbad	Dhanbad	Alleppey	5.55
6090	Express	Elagiri	Jolarpettai	Chennai	6
2675	Super Fast	Kovai Exp	Chennai	Coimbatore	7.58
2028	Super Fast	Shatabdi Exp	Bangalore	Chennai	8.58
2639	Super Fast	Brindavan	Chennai	Bangalore	9.08
2608	Super Fast	Lalbagh	Bangalore	Chennai	9.38
2680	Super Fast	Chennai Exp	Coimbatore	Chennai	11.43
2610			Bangalore	Chennai	12.03
6628	Express	West coast	Mangalore	Chennai	12.43
6627	Express	West coast	Chennai	Mangalore	13.2
2609	Super Fast	Bangalore Exp	Chennai	Bangalore	15.23
2296		Sangha Mitra Exp	Patna	Bangalore	16
2679	Super Fast	Intercity	Chennai	Coimbatore	16.13
2607	Super Fast	lalbagh	Chennai	Bangalore	17.23
2640	Super Fast	Brindavan	Bangalore	Chennai	17.53
3352			Alleppy	Dhabad	18.15
2027	Super Fast	Shatabdi Exp	Chennai	Bangalore	19.02
2676	Super Fast	Kovai exp	Coimbatore	Chennai	19.13
6085	Express		Chennai	Jolarpettai	19.15
6089	Express	Elagiri	Chennai	Jolarpettai	20.18
2623	Super Fast	Trivandrum	Chennai	Trivandrum	21.43
2601			Chennai	Mangalore	22.08
2671	Super Fast	Nilagiri	Chennai	Mettupalyam	22.48
6041	Express	Allepphey exp	Chennai	Alleppey	23.05
6222	Express	Mysore exp	Chennai	Mysore	23.38

LIST OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES

2009-10-02T13:19:00.005+05:30

Sl.No	Name of Offices with Postal Address and Pin codes	Phone No.
1.	Assistant Collector, Central Excise, Central Revenue Buildings, Officers Line, Vellore-632 001.	2220243
2.	Aerodrome Officer, Civil Aviation, Big Road, Abdullapuram,Vellore-632 2010	2291201
3.	Pension Pay Master, Defence Accounts 9.Atu Street, Gopalapuram, Vellore-632 006	2243803
4.	Assistant Engineer, Doordharsan LPT Centre, 41.Katpadi Road, Virudhampet, Vellore-632 006	2242474
5.	Field Publicity Officer, 5.Balaji Road, Krishna Nagar, Vellore-632 001.	2274254
6.	District Manager, Food Corporation of India, 19-20 Arcot Road, Kagithapattarai, Vellore-632 012	2245725
7.	Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Revenue Buildings, Officers Line, Vellore-632 001.	2232449
8.	Controller of Explosives, 102,Vellore Road, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore-632 006.	2243462
9.	District Informatics Officer, National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Information Technology, IInd Floor, Collectorate, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632 009.	2253401
10.	District Youth Co-ordinator, Nehru Yuvak Kendra, Ist Street, Phase-III, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009.	2245175
11.	Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Head Post Office Buildings, Officers Line,Vellore-632 001	2220350
12.	Director, (RICA) Regional Institute of Correctional Admn.,Thorapadi, Vellore-632 002	2267907
13.	Station Manager, Katpadi Railway Station, Katpadi,Vellore-632 007	2642628
14.	General Manager,District Telecom, Bharat Nizhar Sanshar, Market Committee Buildings, Officers Line, Vellore-632 001	2225000
15.	Superintendent of Post Offices, Head Post Office Buildings, Arakkonam-639 010	232543
16.	Superintendent of Post Offices, Head Post Office Buildings, Tirupathur-635 601
17.	Station Master, Jolarpet Railway Station, Jolarpet, Tirupathur Taluk-635 851	220542
18.	Station Master, Arakkonam Railway Station, Arakkonam-639 010
19.	Senior Conservation Asssistant, Archaeological Survey of India, Fort, Vellore-632 005.	2220693

LIST OF STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES

2009-10-02T13:05:00.012+05:30

Sl.No	Name of Offices with Postal Address and Pin codes	Phone No.
1.	Joint Director of Agriculture, Bagayam Road, opp to Govt.Ploytechnic,Thorapadi, Vellore-632 002	2267315
2.	Deputy Commissioner, Commercial Taxes, 4,Fort Round Road, Vellore-632 001	2223947
3.	District Employment Office, 19-20 Arcot Road, Kagithapattarai, Vellore-632 012	2220042
4.	Additional Collector/Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Collectorate Building,Vellore-632 009	2253334 2253177
5.	District Social Welfare Officer, 'B' - Block, Collectorate, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2252663
6.	District Sports Officer, Government Nethaji Stadium, Vellore-632 001	2221721
7.	Assistant Director of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, DSSA Board, Fort Round Road, Vellore-632 001	2220432
8.	Chief Educational Officer, Collectorate Building, ‘B’ Block, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252690
9.	Principal, Government Industrial Training Institute, Melmonavoor, Vellore-632 010	2290848
10.	Principal, Muthurangam Govt.Arts College, Otteri Road, Bagayam, Vellore-632 002	2262068
11.	Principal, TPEVR, Govt.Polytechnic, Bagayam, Vellore-632 002	2266266
12.	TPEVR.Govt Institute of Technology, Bagayam,Vellore-632 002	2267762
13.	Principal, Govt.College of Education, Ist West Cross Road, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore-632 006	2243103 (Res) 2249703

14.	Divisional Fire Officer, Infantry Road, Vellore-632 001	2221502
15.	Conservator of Forest, Vellore Circle, 5.Balaji Road, 3^rd Cross, Krishna Nagar, Vellore-632 001	2220857
16.	Assistant Engineer, Govt.Automobile Workshop, Kilmonavoor Village, Vellore-632 010	2290008
17.	Executive Engineer, Govt.Tractor Workshop, Thorapadi, Vellore-632 002	2266684
18.	Divisional Engineer, Highways & Rural Works, ‘B’ Block, Collectorate Building Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252503
19.	Divisional Engineer, Highways Rural Roads Division, 8.Natteri Krishnamachari Street, Krishna Nagar,Vellore-632 001	2262333
20.	National Highways, B-Block, Collectorate, Sathuvachari Vellore-632 006	2252503
21.	Area Commander, Home Guards, 18.Officers Line, Vellore-632 001	2221178
22.	Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, RTO Office Road, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2254868
23.	Regional Deputy Director, District Industrial Centre, Industrial Estate, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore-632 006	2242413
24.	Superintendent, Central Prison, Thorapadi,Vellore-632 002	2220003
25.	Superintendent, Presidency Jail for Women, Bagayam,Vellore-632 002	2266035

26.	District Judge, Court Building, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2253068
27.	Chief Judicial Magistrate cum-Addl.District Judge, Court Building, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2253078
28.	Labour Officer, 6.Post Office Street, Krishna Nagar,Vellore-632 001	2220913
29.	Joint Director of Medical Services, Government Pentland Hospital, Kosapet, Vellore-632 001	2220220
30.	Regional Deputy Director of Municipal Admn., 10.Sarathy Nagar,Kagithapattarai, Vellore-632 012	2220807
31.	Managing Director, Vellore District Co-Op Milk Producers Union, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252292
32.	Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, 31.Filterbed Road,Vellore-632 001	2222150
33.	Regional Deputy Director of Local Funds and Audit, Jambu Bala Buildings, Arcot Road, Vellore-632 012	2234750
34.	Regional Transport Officer, Phase-II, T.N.Housing Board, Vellore-632 009	2252040
35.	Superintending Engineer, Building Division, Officer’s Line (opp to Circuit House) Vellore-632 002	2221316
36.	Superintending Engineer,PWD., Water Resource Organisation Fort, Vellore-632 005	2213950
37.	Superintending Engineer, Tank Modernisation,’B’ Block Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2248305
38.	District Registrar, Fort, Vellore-632 005	2221325
39.	Assistant Director, Regional Forsenic Science, 3-3A Katpadi Road, Vellore-632 004
40.	District Rehabilitation Officer, Battai Street, Velapadi, Vellore-632 001	2222737

41.	Assistant Director of Sericulture, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2255363
42.	Treasury Officer, ‘B’ Block, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2253106
43.	Deputy Director of Heal Services, ‘B’ Block Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252025
44.	District Adi Dravida and Tribal Welfare Officer, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252166
45.	District Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Officer, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2253012
46.	Assistant Commissioner (Excise) Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252349

47.	Assistant Director of Statistics, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252636
48.	Assistant Director of Town Panchayat, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252122
49.	Joint Registrar of Co-op Societies, Collectorate Campus, Sathuvachari, Vellore-632 009	2253086
50.	Librarian, District Library, Opp. Sri Venkateswaran Hr.Sec.School, Vellore-632 001	2220814
51.	District Elementary Education Office, Fort,Vellore-632 005	2223953
52.	District Educational Officer, Kasthamettu Street, Kosapet,Vellore-632 001	2221678
53.	Assistant Director of Handloom and Textiles, 15, 7^th East main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Vellore-632 006	2242057
54.	Assistant Director of Khadi and Village Industries, 22.Chinna Allapuram Main Road, Vellore-632 003	2220392
55.	Deputy Inspector of Factories, Arni Road,Sainathapuram, Vellore-632 001	2261030
56.	Revenue Divisional Officer, Collectorate Building, Sathuvachari,Vellore-632 009	2252395
57.	Revenue Divisional Officer, Ranipet-632 401	272720
58.	Revenue Divisional Officer, Tirupathur-635 601	220088
59.	Tahsildar,Arcot	235568
60.	Tahsildar, Walajah	232519
61.	Tahsildar, Arakkonam-630 010	236360
62.	Tahsildar, Tiruvalam Road,Katpadi-632 007	2244647
63.	Tahsildar, Gudiyatham-632 602	221177
64.	Tahsildar, Vaniyambadi-635 751	232184
65.	Tahsildar, Tirupathur-635 601	220091
Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities - District Collectorate and District Level Officers

DISTRICT PROFILE

2009-10-02T12:51:00.008+05:30

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

North Latitude Between 12⁰ 15’ and 13⁰15’

East Longitude Between 78⁰ 20’ and 79⁰50’

AREA AND POPULATION – (2001 CENSUS) (FINAL)

i. Area (Sq.Km.)	: 5920.18

ii. Population	: 3477317
a. Male Population	: 1741083
b. Female Population	: 1736234
c. Rural Population	: 2169319
d. Urban Population	: 1307998

iii. Density	: 573 per Km.

iv. Literates	: 2203552

a. Males (%)	: 81.98
b. Females (%)	: 62.78
Total (%)	: 72.36

v. Main Workers (2001 Census) :

a. Total Workers	: 1427180
b. Male Workers	: 951805
c. Female Workers	: 475375
d. Rural Workers	: 982222
e. Urban Workers	: 444958
f. Cultivators	: 251394
g. Agricultural Laborers	: 390696
h. Household Industry	: 161990
i. Other Workers	: 623100
j. Marginal Workers	: 254535

vi. Non-Workers	: 2050137

vii. Language spoken in the District	i. Tamil
	ii. Telugu
	iii. Urdu
	iv. Hindi
	v. Kannada
	vi. Sowrastra
	vii. Malayalam

Temples

2009-07-15T13:13:00.016+05:30

Jalakandeswarar Temple:
VelloreJalakandeswarar Temple - Situated inside the Vellore Fort, this temple boasts of a majestic Gopuram (tower). Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of "Jalakandeswarar". The temple is located at sub-ground levels than the temple moat, hence the name Jalakandeswarar. The temple was in closed state for a very long period. The main Deity of the sanctum sanctorium was taken away to a distant location to save Him from being dishonoured by an appraisal. It was brought back to place in 1980 when there was a severe water scarcity. The then Collector was the key man in getting the deity back to location

Ratnagiri Temple:
Ratnagiri Murugan Temple is devoted to Lord Balamurugan and is located at Rathnagiri, Walaja Taluk about 10 km from Vellore. Balamurugan Adimaigal was the person responsible for developing this hilltop temple from the year 1968. Under his guidance, a well equipped hospital and a very good school was founded. All people belong to Kilminal were also responsible for the development of this temple complex.

Under the auspicious of Balamurugan Adimaigal, an emergency medical service unit is available near the Ratnagiri hospital on the Chennai - Bangalore highway. The temple is very well maintained and known for its popularity among CMC visitors and the general public of Tamil Nadu. A 4 hair-pin bend road leads to the temple. A small entry fees for vehicles is charged as the ghat road was recently laid. Another option would be to take nearly 150 odd steps to reach the temple.

Sripuram(Malaikodi):

SriLakshmi Temple in Sripuram, popularly known as Golden Temple is a newly built Spiritual Park / Temple in Thirumalaikodi, Vellore. The whole exterior of the temple is laid with gold sheets and plates. The construction of this temple is reported to have cost Rs.300 crores (Rs.3 billion). The temple is surrounded by a vast lush green landscaped area. The temple can only be accessed by going through a star shaped walkway.

Vallimalai:

Vallimalai temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, which is located on top of the hill which is a part of the Eastern Ghats, about 30 km from Vellore. The temple is known for its majestic views

Balamathi:
Balamathi, a serene and small beautiful village located on top of the hills of Eastern Ghats is a 30 minute drive from Vellore. It is famous for its Balamurugan Temple which is connected to the city by a well laid road with many hair pin bends. Balamathi enjoys pleasant breeze and a substantially low temperature which makes an ideal break away from city's naturally hot weather.

Tourism

2009-07-15T12:18:00.009+05:30

Vellore Fort
A photo of Vellore Fort
The fortification consists of a main rampart broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls are built of massive granite stones surrounded by a broad moat fed with water by subterranean drains from the Suryagunta tank. Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. The fort is one of the most perfect specimens of military architecture in Southern India. One of the interesting features of this fort is that there is a Hindu temple, Christian church and Muslim mosque within its ramparts. The Fort also houses the famous "Tipu Mahal", where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British. The graveyards of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. The Fort is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India. The Vellore Fort has been declared as a "Monument of National Importance". The fort has today become a must see for visitors thronging Vellore.
State Government Museum
This state Government Museum is inside the fort and can be found on map. This Museum was opened to the public in 1985. It consists of objects of art, archaeology, pre-history, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology and zoology. It treasures ancient and present day curios relating to Anthropology, Art and Archaeology, Botany, Geology, Numismatics, Pre-history, Zoology, etc. The historical monuments of the erstwhile composite North Arcot District are gracefully depicted in the Gallery. Special exhibits include Bronze double antenna sword from Vellore Taluk, dating back to 400 BC., Stone sculptures from Late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, Ivory chess board and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Raja Singha. The educational activities of this Museum include Art camp for school students, Study of inscriptions and iconography for college students etc.
Kavalur Observatory:
Kavalur observatory(The Vainu Bappu Observatory) is located in Kavalur in the Javadi Hills (a part of Eastern Ghats) in Alangayam, Vellore District. The observatory is at an altitude of 725 m above mean sea level (longitude 78° 49.6' E ; latitude 12° 34.6' N). Apart from being reasonably away from city lights and industrial areas, the location has been chosen in order to be closer to the earth's equator for covering both northern and southern hemispheres with equal ease. In addition, its longitudinal position is such that it is the only major astronomical facility between Australia and South Africa for observing the southern objects.The Largest Telescope in Asiawith a diameter of 2.3M is located here.

Yelagiri
Yelagiri hills, is an idyllic place for a short holiday. Green hills and picture post-card scenery greets you here. It is a quaint hill station and is the most pristine and unpolluted among the hill stations in Tamil Nadu. Yelagiri Hills is a backward area with few glaring developments like cottages and farm houses, yet a place that has maintained its 'remote' label.

Amirthi Forest :

Amirthi zoological park is situated under the Javvadu/Javadi Hills of Tellai across Amirthi river which is 25 km away from Vellore. This zoological park was started in October 1967. The area of the park is 25 hectares and one can find beautiful waterfalls. There are also different kinds of birds and animals. Play equipments like swings, seesaw etc., are available for children. Numerous kinds of herbal plants and trees and sandalwood trees grow here. There are 2 rest houses and five members can stay in one dormitory. There is a meditating hall where one can have full concentration and be in serenity.
The inflow of tourists is more only during the holidays. This zoological park has been recognized recently and so the state Government has taken initiative to develop this area. The entrance fees is only Rs.2/- per head, Rs.3/- for cycles, Rs.5/- for vans and Rs.2/- for motor cycles.
There is a range office at Amirthi headed by the forest ranger. There is also a hill tribe society at Nimmiyambattu near Amirthi. The main aim is to provide employment opportunities to the hill tribals in that area.

What's of interest

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Vellore Fort:

Vellore boasts of a historical Fort that's a few hundred years old - the biggest landmark in the city, also the monument that gives Vellore the name ' Fort Town'.
The Vellore Fort is made of granite blocks and is surrounded by a moat. History says that there used to be alligators in the moat, enough to deter any unwanted intrusion attempts. There are no alligators now, but visitors can now take a boat ride around the fort for a very small fee. The Fort and the area around the it is now under the Archaeological Survey of India, and is a protected monument. Inside the fort are a few Government offices, a Police training unit, a temple, a Church, and a Mosque.

Jalakanteswara Temple:

The Jalakanteswara temple is located inside the Vellore Fort , and is an exquisite piece of Indian Art. The temple is constructed of carved stone. Interestingly enough, this was one of the seven 'Wonders' of Vellore - a temple without a God!
History has it that a temple dancer was murdered in the temple court. Since the murder desecrated the temple, the idol was removed to a temple a few kilometers away and was there for over 200 years! In recent times, though, the idol has been returned to its initial place.
Inside the temple is a well that is supposed to have a secret passage to the temple in Kancheepuram, about 75km from Vellore. Interestingly, this temple has survived times of being occupied by Muslim rulers like Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan.

St.John's Church:

Also located inside the Vellore Fort is the St.John's Church. This was built in1234 by the British Colonists who had occupied the fort. This bears stark contrast to the architecture of the temple in the fort, in the absolutely Anglican style it is built in. Though renovated, the majority of the original structure has been preserved as also the looks.
CSI Central Church: This islocated opposite the Vellore Fort. It is largest Church in Vellore. It also has a historical Cemetery where many freedom fighters were buried. Also here one will find a memorial to the soldiers who died in the Vellore mutiny of 1806.
Vellore Museum: The Vellore museum is not a very large museum, but is certainly a unique one. Run by the Government, the museum has a good collection of paintings and ancient artifacts that go back all the way to the Cholas and the Pallavas (17th Century AD).
Clock Tower: The clock tower in the Vellore Market was built in 1928 AD and bears a stone inscription that reads "Vellore - From this village 277 men went to the great war 1914-18, of them 14 gave up their lives".
Muthu Mandapam: Located near the Palar river, in a rather inconspicuous place is the Muthu Mandapam. Though built recently (1990), this is built in memory of Vikrama Raja Singhan, the last Tamil ruler of Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Who Build Vellore Fort

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History
The Fort was built around 1566 by Chinna Bommi Nayak and Thimma Reddy Nayak, subordinate Chieftains under Sadasiva Raya of theVijayanagara Empire. The Vijayanagara kings called it "Raya Vellore" to differentiate it from "Uppu Vellore" in the Godavari region. The name Vellore is also spelt "Belur." The present day Chennai region and Tirupathi were under the domain of the Fort.
Under the Vijayanagara Empire (1566–1656)
Vellore Fort gained strategic prominence following the re-establishment of Vijayanagar rule after the Talikota battle in Chandragiri. The Aravidu Dynasty that held the title of Rayas in 17th century resided in this fort, using it as a base in the battle of Toppur in the 1620s. This major battle took place for the claiming of the Raya title between two faction of the Raya family. Each faction was by their respective subordinates; theNayaks of Tanjore, the Gingee and the Madurai taking sides to suit their interests.
The Rayas also had long-running battles with their long time rivals, the Bijapur Sultans, and with the Nayaks of Madurai and the Gingee over non-remittance of annual tributes. In the 1640s, during the reign of Sriranga Raya III, the Fort was briefly captured by the Bijapur army, but was eventually recaptured with the help of the Nayaks of Tanjore.
During Sriranga Raya's reign in 1614 a coup broke out within the royal family and the reigning Emperor Sriranga Raya and his royal family were murdered, with the younger son Rama Deva Raya of the Emperor smuggled out from the fort by several supporters. These events led to the Battle of Toppur in 1616, one of the largest South Indian wars of the century,[citation needed] with all other Nayak rulers of Tamil Country taking part. The war was won by the legal claimants with the minor Rama Deva Raya getting crowned as the Aravidu Vijayanagara Emperor in 1617.
In 1639, Francis Day of the East India Company obtained a small strip of land in the Coromandel Coast from the Chieftains of Vellore-Chandragiri regions to do trading, which is now in present day Chennai.
Capture by Bijapur (1656–1678)
In the 1650s, Sriranga allied with the Mysore and Tanjore Nayaks and marched south to attack Gingee and Madurai. His first stop was the capture of Gingee Fort, but Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai responded by requesting the Sultan of Bijapur to attack Vellore from the North to divert Sriranga's attention. The Bijapur Sultan promptly dispatched a large army and captured Vellore Fort. Subsequently, both the Madurai-Bijapur armies converged on Gingee, defeating the Vellore-Tanjore forces. After a melee, both the Forts ended up in the hands of the Sultan of Bijapur. The defeat also marked the end of the last direct line of Vijayanagara emperors. Within 20 years after this incident, the Marathas seized the fort from the Bijapur Sultans.
Capture by Marathas (1678–1707)
In 1676, the Marathas under Shivaji marched south to the Tanjore country, which had recently been attacked and captured by Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai. That same year, Ekoji, the brother of Shivaji, took control of Tanjore, but was under threat from his immediate neighbours Madurai and Bijapur Sultans, based in Gingee and Vellore respectively. Shivaji's army first captured the Gingee Fort in 1677, but left the task of attacking Vellore to his assistant and rushed to Deccan as his territories were being attacked by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. In 1688, after a prolonged fourteen-month siege, the Fort passed on to the Marathas. Shivaji's representative strengthened the fort's fortifications and ruled the area in relative peace.
Capture by Mughal Army (1707–1760)
In 1707, the year that Aurangazeb died, the Delhi Army under Daud Khan captured Vellore Fort after defeating the Marathas. The struggle for the Delhi throne empowered the Deccan Muslim governors to declare independence. In 1710 the recently established Nawab of Arcot under Sadat Ullah Khan followed suit. Dost Ali, the latter's successor in 1733, gifted the fort to one of his sons-in-law.
Under control of British (1760 –1947)
Following the decline of Madurai Nayaks and coinciding with the emergence of the British on the Madras coast, the Nawab and his sons-in-law broke out into a feud over the title of Nawab. The Nawab was supported by the British and the rival claimants by the French resulting in theCarnatic Wars. The British Nawab's victory in the 1760s in the Battle of Plassey finally sealed the fate of the French in India and launched Britain's dominance of the Indian subcontinent. In addition, the British took possession of Vellore fort with relative ease and used the Fort as a major garrison until the Indian independence.
In 1780, the Fort was attacked by Hyder Ali in his wars against the British, but an English garrison held out against Hyder Ali for over two years.

First Sepoy Mutiny (1806)
Main article: Vellore Mutiny
In 1806, Vellore fort was used by the British to station Infantry Military units of the Madras Regiment. The British Commander in chief of the Madras Army prescribed a new round hat for soldiers, which would replace turbans, and the removal of beards, caste markings and jewellery. The Sepoys considered this offensive, and the situation was worsened by rumours that the hat was made of the hides of cows and pigs.
On July 10, 1806, before sunrise, Indian Sepoys stationed in the fort attacked the European barracks there, and by late morning had killed about 15 Officers and 100 English soldiers and ransacked their houses. Some of the rebelling soldiers also instigated the sons of Tipu Sultan to lead the campaign. The news quickly reached the colonel commanding the Cavalry Cantonment in Arcot, who reached the Fort with heavy battalions. The rebelling Sepoys, numbering more than 800, were mercilessly hounded and killed, and by noon the rebellion was put down. The events lead to a Court inquiry by the British, who decided to shift the Tipu Sultan's family from Vellore to faraway Calcutta, in isolation.
The news of the Vellore Rebellion sent shockwaves to England. The Governor, William Bentinck, and Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, Sir John Cradock both were recalled on this count. This was the first rebellion experienced in the fort by the British.

Vellore History

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Vellore Fort (Tamil:வேலூர் கோட்டை) is a large 16th-century fort situated in Vellore city near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It was built by the Nayakar governors of the Vijayanagara Empire and was constructed with large granite blocks. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry.
The Fort's ownership passed from the Nayaks, to the Bijapur Sultans, to Marathas, to the Carnatic Nawabsand finally to the British, who held the fort until India gained independence. During British rule, the Tippu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held in as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian church, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter of which is famous for its magnificent carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it is also a witness to the tragic massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya.

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