Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Vellore
0416 / POP 185,895
For a dusty bazaar town, Vellore feels kinda cosmopolitan, thanks to a couple of tertiary
institutions and the Christian Medical College (CMC), one of India's finest hospitals, at-
tracting medical students as well as patients from all over the country. On the main Chen-
nai-Bengaluru road, Vellore is worth a stop mainly for its massive Vijayanagar fort.
Central Vellore is bounded on the north by Ida Scudder Rd (Arcot Rd), home to the
hospital and cheap sleeping and eating options; and on the west by Officer's Line (Anna
Salai), with Vellore Fort on its west side. Buses arrive at the New Bus Stand, 1.5km north.
Sights
Vellore Fort
A circuit of the moat-surrounded ramparts (nearly 2km) of the splendid fort is the most
peaceful experience available in Vellore. The fort was built in the 16th century and passed
through Maratha and Mughal hands before the British occupied it in 1760. These days it
houses, among other things, government offices, two parade grounds (capable of hosting a
dozen simultaneous games of cricket), a church and a police recruiting school. Also inside
is the
Jalakantesvara Temple
( 6am-1pm & 3-8.30pm)
, a gem of late Vijayanagar architecture,
built about 1566. Check out the small, detailed sculptures on the walls of the marriage hall
in the southwest corner. The fort contains two museums: the dusty exhibits in the
Govern-
days, but the
Archaeological Survey Museum
(admission free; 9am-5pm Sat-Thu)
has a good collec-
tion of Pallava, Chola and Nayak stone sculptures, plus exhibits on the 1806 Vellore
Mutiny, the earliest anti-British uprising by Indian troops. Next door, pretty
St John's Church
(1846) is only open for Sunday services.
FORT
Sleeping & Eating
Vellore's cheap hotels are concentrated along Ida Scudder Rd and in the busy, narrow
streets south of there. The cheapest are pretty grim, and the better ones fill up quickly.
