Vellore Fort - Its Prime Attraction Is Completely Made In Granite stones

VELLORE FORT

AT

TAMILNADU

Vellore Fort is a large Fort situated in the heart of the vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu State Of India. The Fort was at one time the Headquarters of the Aravidu Dynasty of the Vijaanagara Empire.

Vellore is popularly known as the Fort City of 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. It has been ruled by the Pallavas, Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire, Rashtrakutas, Carnatic kingdom and the British. 

Vellore has many historic and religious attractions. The famous Sripuram Srilakshmi Golden Temple is situated near Vellore. The Vellore Fort is prime attraction in the town completely made of granite stone. The Fort might have been built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak (1526 to 1595 AD).

The Fort is one of the most perfect specimens of Military architecture in South India. The Jalakandeswarar Temple inside the Fort is a very fine example of Vijayanagar architecture. The other important attractions of Vellore include the Clock Tower, the State Government Museum, the French Bungalow, Science Park, Vainu Bappu Observatory, Amirthi Zoological Park, Big Mosque, St. Johns Church and the Pearl Palace.

Vellore is a popular and one of the oldest cities of South India. It is the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in Tamil Nadu situated on the banks of Palar River. Vellore along with Sripuram is among popular weekend getaways from Chennai for a 2 day tour and it is a major historical site in Tamilnadu. Vellore is also one of the top Tourist places in Tamilnadu.

Vellore has very good connectivity with major towns in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Katpadi Junction on the outskirts of Vellore has frequent train connectivity with cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Coimbatore, etc. Vellore Bus Station is connected with frequent buses to above cities along with nearby towns like Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, Chittoor, Tirupathi, etc.

The best time to visit Vellore is between the months of October to March. It usually takes a full day to visit important places in Vellore.

By Air

Nearest Airport: Chennai - Menmbarkam Airport (131 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Vellore Town Railway Station (0 Kms)

Katpadi Junction (6 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Vellore Central Bus Station (2.5 Kms)

Chandragiri Fort - It Was Built On Huge Rock

CHANDRAGIRI FORT

AT

TIRUPATI

Chandragiri Fort is Under the control of Archaeological Survey Of India, and it is situated in Chandragiri near Tirupati  of Chitoor District in Andra pradesh state of India.

Chandragiri Fort was built on huge rock by Vijayanagar Rulers in 1000 AD. Surrounded by eight ruined temples, the fort complex has Raja Mahal, Rani Mahal and other ruined structures. The Archaeological Museum houses in three storied Raja Mahal and displays good collection of artifacts and sculptures relating to Chola and Vijayanagar period.

The Chandragiri Fort is located at Chandragiri which was once upon a time the Capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire and is linked with the Aravidu dynasty. The Chandragiri Fort dates back to 1000 AD. Overtime, more and more improvements were made to it to make it more beautiful and elegant to look. 

The fort is strategically located over the top of a small 183m hill. The southern side of the hill is enclosed by strong walls, surrounded by a ditch so as to prevent any intruder from entering into the fort. The remains of the lower fort contain the two Mahals, the lower portion of which is built in stone and the upper in brick. The main building known as the 'Raj (Chandragiri) Mahal' is majestic in appearance and with the modern colorful lighting system introduced, the Mahal is a delight to the eyes and gives a nice view to the eyes during night. The modern town of Chandragiri lies to the east of the hill on which the fort stands.

The Raja Mahal palace is now an Archaeological museum, which houses a great collection of metal and stone sculptures dating back to 2nd BC. The museum can be categorised into Bronze Gallery, stone Gallery, Model Gallery and Yaganti Gallery.

Bronze Gallery host articrafts that wer made out of Pancha loha, a mixture of Copper, brass white lead, silver and golder metals. The gallery hosts a collection of utensils, coins, temple ware, dating back to 10th centure A.D. The highlights of the bronze collection are the bells, harathi plates, idols of Lord Vishnu, Navaneetha Krishna, Sita and Ram, Lord Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhudevi, Veerbadra incarnation of Lord Shiva with four hands. There is also a lion leg which is made out of Bronze.

Sound & LightShow is conducted here:

1st Show (Telugu): Nov-Feb: 6.30 pm to 7.15 pm; Mar-Oct: 7.00 pm to 7.45 pm

2nd Show (English): Nov-Feb: 7.30 pm to 8.15pm; Mar-Oct: 8.00pm to 8.45 pm

Ticket Cost: Adult: Rs.20/- Child: Rs.10/-

By Air

Nearest airport is Tirupati with 57 km.

By Train

Nearest railway station is Chittoor. 

By Bus

Buses and private vehicles are available from other cities to Chittoor.