Vellore, Tamil Nādu, India

🇮🇳 Vellore is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the north-eastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separated into four zones that are further subdivided into 60 wards, covering an area of 87.915 km². It is located about 137.20 km (85 mi) west of Chennai, and about 213.20 km (132 mi) east of Bangalore. Vellore is located on the Mumbai–Chennai arm of the Golden Quadrilateral. Vellore is governed under a mayor and the Vellore Municipal Corporation. It is a part of both the Lok Sabha and state assembly constituencies of Vellore.

Vellore is the home to Christian Medical College & Hospital, the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and Sripuram Golden Temple.

The Vellore region is the largest exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Leather exports from Vellore account for more than 37% of India's leather exports and leather-related products.

Vellore is one of 27 cities chosen by the Government of India to take part in the country's Smart Cities Mission.

Etymology According to a legend, many babul trees (known locally as velan trees) surrounded this region, which led to the name 'Vellore'.

Vellore is also known as the Second Madras because of its importance and location relative to Chennai (Madras).

History The recorded history of Vellore dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscription in the Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai.

Vellore is strategically located and well-connected by rail and bus routes to major towns in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Many dynasties and rulers dominated Vellore throughout its history, including the Pallava dynasty, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Sambuvaraya chieftains, Vijayanagar, the Nawabs of the Carnatic, and the administration of the British. In the 18th century, Vellore was involved in the Carnatic Wars between Britain and France. It was situated close to several decisive battles, including those at Ambur (1749), Arcot (1751), and Vandavasi (1760).

Vellore Fort is important to Vellore's history. Due to a lack of historical records, it is not known exactly when the fort was constructed, but estimates based on stone inscriptions suggests that the fort was most likely built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak between 1526 and 1595. The fort is a good example of Tamil Nadu military architecture, while the Jalakandeswarar Temple within the fort represents Vijayanagara architecture.

Christian Medical College & Hospital, founded in 1900 by the American medical missionary Dr. Ida S. Scudder, is another Vellore landmark. The hospital has grown into a medical institution of international repute.

The central prison in Vellore, established in 1830, had imprisoned notable figures like C. Rajagopalachari and Ramaswamy Venkataraman. Other landmarks include the Aruganthampoodi mausoleums, located close to the section of National Highway 48 between Vellore and Arcot, where the family members of Tipu Sultan were buried; and the Muthu Mandapam, a memorial on the banks of Palar River built by the Tamil Nadu Government to honor Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka, who ruled from 1798 to 1815 and was imprisoned in Vellore Fort for 17 years until his death.

Vellore Fort The fort of Vellore was built around 1566 CE by the chieftains of Sadashiv Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. In the mid-17th century the fort was owned by various parties. The Aravidus, the last dynasty that ruled Vijayanagara lost Vellore to the Bijapur Sultan before being captured by the Marathas after a siege that lasted four and a half months in 1676. The fort came under the charge of Dost Ali, the Nawab of Carnatic, before passing on to the British in 1760. Vellore Fort withstood Hyder Ali's siege from 1780 to 1782, and would later become the base for Lord Cornwallis’ march on Bangalore to defeat Tipu Sultan.

When Tipu Sultan was killed at Sringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798-79 CE), his kingdom was handed back to the Hindu Wodeyar kings of Mysore and the British exiled Tipu's surviving sons, daughters, their families, and their entire entourage to Vellore Fort. They stayed in the palaces in the fort and participated in the Mutiny of 1806.

Vellore mutiny In 1805, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army of the British East India Company, General Sir John Cradock, began an ambitious reform of the army's disciplinary system. New, standardized regulations were approved for the Madras Army, which dictated how sepoys should wear their uniforms and appear on duty. Under these regulations, Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while on duty, and Muslims were required to shave their beards and trim their moustaches. One change that was especially problematic was a new headdress associated with Indian converts to Christianity, which included a leather cockade. This caused an uproar, as leather was a cultural taboo for the upper caste sepoys of the Madras Army. As a result, many sepoys believed that their British officers were conspiring to convert them to Christianity.

In May 1806, a few soldiers protested against these changes and were sent to Fort St. George in Chennai, where they were publicly lashed and discharged from the army. With the levels of resentment towards the British already high, the sons of the deceased Tipu Sultan exacerbated the conflict by assisting the mutineers who revolted on 10 July. Under the pretense of attending the wedding of one of Tipu Sultan's daughters, mutineers gathered in Vellore Fort where the wedding was held and revolted. Raising the flag of the Kingdom of Mysore, they declared Tipu Sultan's son Fateh Hyder king. The mutineers inflicted about 200 casualties before their revolt was put down by reinforcements under the command of Sir Hugh Robert Rollo Gillespie; many of the mutineers were captured and summarily executed or court-martialed.

As a result of the uprising, the dress codes were retracted, and Cradock was dismissed. Although the mutiny took place before larger revolts in the 1850s, it was indicative of the simmering dissent in the Indian soldiery. The Vellore mutiny is considered to be the first large-scale Indian mutiny against the British, and a prelude to the much larger Sepoy Mutiny in 1857.

Economic, social and cultural changes in the 20th century The economic condition of the district in the earlier stages was not sound with the absence of major industries. Industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Ranipet, Tamil Nadu Explosives Ltd., and Vellore Katpadi were established as the result of governmental policy. There has been notable growth of small scale industries and tanneries in the district, which not only generated employment opportunities, but also contributed economic growth to farmers. Uzhavar Sandhai helped the rural poor improve the economy. Women-driven self help groups played an important role in building rural economy and teaching rural women to be self-reliant. Vellore also changed socially as time went by. Increased social awareness and upward social growth marked the successful foundation of its districts. Literacy improved in part of the Arivoli Movement.

During the first half of the 19th century, the town came under British rule.

Geography Vellore is at 12.92°N 79.13°E, 220m above sea level. The city has a tropical savanna climate. It is in the Vellore district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, 135 km (84 mi) west of the state capital Chennai and 30 km (19 mi) kms South of its twin city Chittoor, across the Andhra Pradesh border.Vellore lies in the Eastern Ghats region and Palar river basin. The topography is almost flat with slope from west to east.

Economy According to the Indian Census of 2001, the urban workforce employment rate of Vellore is 43.64%. Vellore, being the headquarters of the district, has registered growth in its tertiary sector activities with a corresponding decrease in the primary sector. Most employment is provided by the leather industry, agricultural trading, and industries in and around the city. Approximately 83.35% of the workforce is employed in tertiary sector comprising transport, services and commerce. The secondary sector activities like manufacturing and household industries employs 13.52% of the workforce. Male worker employment (43.64%) is higher than female work employment (24.39%).

Vellore is known as the leather hub of India. Hundreds of leather and tannery facilities are around Vellore and nearby towns, such as Ranipet, Ambur and Vaniyambadi. The Vellore district is the top exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Vellore leather accounts for more than 37% of the country's export of leather and leather-related products (such as finished leathers, shoes, garments and gloves). Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is one of the nine major government owned enterprises in the nation. The Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of BHEL in Ranipet is the industrial hub of Vellore. Chemical plants in the Ranipet-SIPCOT economic zone are a major source of income to Vellore residents. EID Parry is a sanitary-ware manufacturing company with 38% of the world's market share in bathroom accessories. Tirumalai Chemicals and Greaves are among the international brands that have manufacturing units in the city. Automobile and mechanical companies of global Brands, including SAME Deutz-Fahr, TVS–Brakes India, Mitsubishi, Greaves Cotton and MRF have their manufacturing units in the area. Brakes India Sholingur's foundry division is located at Vellore-Sholingur and is a major employer in the area. Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company, Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL), is in Vellore at Katpadi. This is India's only government explosives company with more than a thousand employees. The company is headed by a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. Kramski Stamping and Molding India Pvt Ltd, a German precision metal and plastic integrated-component manufacturing company with automotive, telecommunications, electronics and medical applications is located in Erayankadu, near Vellore. Major businesses in the city centre are on Officer's Line, Town Hall Road, Long Bazaar and Bangalore, Scudder, Arni, Gandhi and Katpadi Roads. Many boarding and lodging houses are in and around Scudder and Gandhi Roads. Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of 14 Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) in India. Trichy, Vellore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem in Tamil Nadu.

Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), on Ida Scudder Road in the heart of the city, is Vellore's largest private employer and has a large floating population from other parts of India and abroad. Lodging, hospitals and allied businesses are among the major sources of income generated in the central part of the city. The Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital (VMCH) are located at Adukamparai in Vellore. With hospitals such as Apollo KH Hospital in Melvisharam and Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre in Sripuram, coupled with colleges such as CMC & VIT and other engineering and science colleges, the health care industry is growing rapidly.

'Naruvi Hospitals' is being built at a cost of 3300 million INR, a joint venture between vellore based 'Pearl Human Care' and Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System. Sri Narayani Aayurvedic Centre, was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik on August, 2019.

Other rural industries than agriculture include weaving and beedi and matchstick rolling. The Indian Army has a number of recruits from the Vellore district (especially from Kammavanpet known as "the military village") and military spending is a major source of income.

Tourist Industry Vellore Fort is the most prominent landmark in the city. During British rule, Tipu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Rajasinha, were held as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter known for its carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it witnessed the massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya. The fortifications consist 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 pipes from the Suryagunta reservoir.

Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. The fort houses the Tipu Mahal where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British; the graves of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. It is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. Vellore Fort has been declared a Monument of National Importance and is a famous tourist attraction.

The State Government Museum is inside the fort and opened to the public in 1985. It consists of art, archaeology, prehistory, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology, and zoology exhibits. Historical monuments of the North Arcot District are contained in the gallery. Special exhibits include a double bronze sword from Vellore Taluk dating to 400 BCE, stone sculptures from the late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, ivory chess boards and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Raja Singha. Educational activities at the museum include an art camp for school students and the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students.

Transport: Rail Vellore has three main railway stations: Vellore Katpadi Junction, Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town. The largest is Vellore Katpadi Junction (5 km north of CMC hospital). It is a major railway junction on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line running to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati, New Delhi, Howrah, Kanyakumari. There are direct rail links to Vijayawada Junction, Tirupati, Jhansi, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Dehradun, Agartala, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Bhopal Junction, Mumbai, Mangalore, Tiruchchirapalli, Mayiladuthurai, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, BilaspurKorba, Patna, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Kanniyakumari, Shirdi, Kanpur, Gaya, Dhanbad, Jammu Tawi, Madurai, Bhilai, Gwalior, Chennai Central, Howrah Station, New Delhi Railway Station, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Silchar, Madhupur, Nagarcoil, Kozhikode, Kollam, Bhagalpur, Jaipur, Dibrugarh, Varanasi, Pune, Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and other major cities. More than 150 trains cross the Vellore-Katpadi Junction daily. Nearly 250 to 265 trains halt this junction. This is the major and busiest junction in South India and 1st Important railway station in Vellore district.

Vellore Cantonment is in Suriyakulam on the Viluppuram-Tirupati broad gauge line, 8 km from Katpadi Junction. EMU and passenger trains to Tirupati, Chennai and Arakonnam depart from here. The 150-km broad gauge line was extended to Villupuram in January 2010. It connects Vellore and South Tamil Nadu; however, as of January 2019 it is serviced by slow passenger trains. The line was opened for goods trains in June 2010. An EMU from Vellore Cantonment to Chennai Central was introduced on December 22, 2008. Vellore Town Station is in Konavattam on the line connecting Katpadi Junction with Viluppuram Junction via Tiruvannamalai.

Transport: Air The Vellore Airport was established in 1934 and is located in Abdullapuram, 11 km away from the city centre. It had been used to land trainer aircraft and helicopters. It was reactivated as a part of the Airports Authority of India idle airports activation programme in July 2006 to facilitate regular flying by trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club whose operations were restricted with the increase in scheduled aircraft movement at Chennai Airport. Vellore airport is in the process of being revived under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). UDAN, runway and terminal building works are under progress, all the required infrastructure works scheduled to be ready by June 2019 for operations.