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| Vellore | ||
| State | Tamil Nadu | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 484.690 () | |
| height | 216 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Vellore is a city in Tamil Nadu.
background
If you ask locals what they associate with the town of Vellore, there is a high probability that they will refer you to the hospitals. In fact, in Vellore you can meet Indians from all parts of the country and also people from neighboring countries who are treated in Vellore's famous hospitals. The traveler who will hopefully be spared illness, broken bones and similar suffering will come here mainly because of the fort.
getting there
Vellore is about 160 km west of Chennai and is easy to get to.
By plane
The best connection to air traffic is found at Chennai International Airport.
By train
Vellore has two train stations, Vellore Town and Vellore Cantonment.
By bus
The new bus station is on the south side of the Palar River between the two bridges to the north bank. Many buses leave from the old bus station, which is in the eastern neighborhood of the fort further south. Buses and motor rickshaws run between the bus stations.
In the street
By boat
mobility
In addition to buses, shared motor rickshaws are a cheap and exciting alternative. Of course, you can also rent a motor rickshaw for yourself.
Tourist Attractions
Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples
Most visitors will find the Jalakandeswarar Temple from 1566 to be the highlight of the city. You enter it from the south through a large, unpainted gopuram. The stone carvings do not have to fear comparison with those of the most beautiful temples in Kanchipuram. The temple is located in the immediate vicinity of the fort entrance.
At the end of 2014, the old mosque in the immediate vicinity of the museums could not be visited. It was - apparently to protect it from attacks by radical Hindus - fenced in with barbed wire and guarded by police officers, who also did not allow foreign travelers to view it.
Castles, chateaus and palaces
The impressive fort, which is surrounded by wide moats, dates from the 11th century, but its current appearance is much more recent (around the 16th century). You can walk a full loop around the fort's ramparts. Most of the city's sights are located within the fort. If you ask about the fort or if you want to go there, you should rather specify the Jalakandeswarar Temple as the destination, as the fort also refers to a suburb in the east of the city.
Museums
- ASI. Open: daily except Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Government Museum. Both museums are in the fort and show finds from the region.Open: daily except Fri, 2nd Saturday of the month and public holidays 9.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
activities
shop
kitchen
Cheap
- Aryaas, at the Green Circle Roundabout a few hundred meters southeast of the new bus station. The restaurant is well attended and offers very good vegetarian food.
nightlife
accommodation
Cheap
- Chilliamman Guest House. The guest house is right at the east exit of the new bus station in front of the bridge over the Palar river. It's pretty basic, value for money and friendly staff. The hotel has a wedding hall, which means it can get noisy.
Learn
Work
security
health
If you should get sick in India, this is probably the best place to be. There are a number of hospitals and doctors.
Practical advice
The tourist information is located in the fort at the entrance. Here the traveler meets committed, competent, English-speaking employees.
trips
- 30 km northeast of Vellore is the Vallimalai hill. Ancient pilgrimage routes lead to the Vallimalai Kovil on the summit. The route begins at the bus exit point 13 ° 4 '23 "N.79 ° 15 '55 "E. There are some stalls selling pilgrimage supplies and food. The path splits not far up the hill. Both paths meet again above. You should therefore make sure to choose different paths for ascent and descent. The eastern path is easier to find from below. It is therefore advisable to first follow the right path to the signposted Jain caves. Actually, they are not caves, but a cantilevered rock with some Jain reliefs. Sadhus like to stay here. Further up you come to a rocky surface with small old stone pavilions and a pond. A little above the paths reunite and you go up the hill. The path is varied and goes through forest and rock. The upper temple is architecturally uninteresting. It is rather the atmosphere that makes this pilgrim hill attractive. At the temple you take off your shoes and have to climb the last few meters to the summit pavilion barefoot on the bare rock. You will be rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view and perhaps the company of friendly pilgrims. If you go down the other path (at the point where the two paths meet on the right), you will pass the beautiful old Subramanyaswamy Temple. Its interior is mainly under rock ceilings. From here it is not far to the starting point of the hike. Bus number 20 runs from the old (!) Bus station in Vellore in the direction of the Vallimalai hill. An early one leaves at 6:15 a.m. But you have to change to another bus at an intersection, which does not run very often. Taxis are also waiting at the intersection.
- 3 km southeast of the temple hill: Somanatha Temple and Cholesvara Temple are 0.5 km east of Melpadi on the west bank of the river 13 ° 3 '54 "N.79 ° 17 ′ 3 ″ E (The larger temple. The smaller one is south of the road directly west of the bridge over the river). While the larger temple is mostly open, the fenced off small temple usually seems locked. But it can be seen from outside. From the center of Melpadi you can continue to Arcot.
- Arcot. This city 22 km east of Vellore has little to offer other than the sparse remains of the once imposing fort. The best is the Delhi Gate 12 ° 54 '26 "N.79 ° 20 ′ 16 ″ E receive. Less than 1 km south you can only see a few remains of a representative building, a small, old mosque and the maqbara (Muslim mausoleum) from the 18th century.
literature
Web links
- http://vellorecorp.tn.gov.in - Vellore official website
