The Vellore Fort in the heart of the city of Vellore in Tamil Nadu is a huge structure built in the 16th century. Built by the Vijayanagara Kings, this fort was once the headquarters of the Aravaidu Dynasty in the Vijayanagara Empire. Known for its splendid ramparts, and robust masonry, this fort also saw the reign of the Bijapur Sultans, the Maratha rule and the Carnatic Nawabs until it went finally to the British. Presently, the Fort is maintained by the Archaeological Department in supervision of the Indian government.

History

Having seen, both good and bad times, this fort was also the prison for Tipu Sultan and Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of Sri Lanka. Housing a church, a mosque and a temple, famed mainly for their exquisite carvings. The Vellore Fort also stood witness to the ravaging of the Sriranga Raya's Vijayanagara family. Built by Chinna Bommi Reddy and Thimma Reddy, the chieftains of Sadasiva Raya in 1556, the Fort acquired strategic importance with re-establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire as Chandragiri was instated as the 4th capital, following the Talikota battle.

The Aravaidu Dynasty ruling in the 17th century resided at the Vellore Fort and used this place as the primary base in the Toppur battle in 1620s. This fort was captured by the Bijapur Sultans in 1640s during the rule of Sriranga Rata III. The Vijayanagara Empire regained control of the Vellore Fort with the help from the Tanjore Nayaks.
The unique architecture of this place endowed it with a deep ditch where deadly crocodiles swarmed around waiting to engulf anyone trying to breach the security of the place. Made of granite, the moat was once used for stronger defence tactics. Covering an area of 133 acres, the Vellore Fort is located in 220 m in a distorted mountain range. The Fort also includes a specially designed escape tunnel that takes you straight to Virinjipuram approx 12 km from Vellore Fort. The Jalagandeeswar Temple, renowned for its sculptures clearly voices the expertise of the skilled craftsmen of that era. The porch to the left of the entrance houses an exquisite piece of art that the art lovers will surely appreciate.

Visitor's Information

The fort has the Muthhu Mandapam, a memorial, built around the tomb of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. There's a government museum inside the fort, displaying botany, geology, pre-historical, zoological, anthropology and numismatic objects. November, December, January, February and March are the most convenient times to visit Vellore Fort.

How to Reach

There are three prime railway stations in the city, namely the Katpadi Junction, Vellore Cantolment and the Vellore Town Station. These stations keep the city well connected to Chennai and other parts of India. The Katpadi Junction is just 5 km from the Vellore bus terminals.

Vellore bus service links different parts of the city and makes it easier for you to reach the Vellore Fort. The new bus terminus location is Chelliamman Temple. The old terminus close to the fort presently functions as a vital centre monitoring the buses journeying between the Vellore city and its suburban areas. The other bus terminals in the city are at Chittor, Katpadi and Bagayam.

The closest international airports to facilitate travelling by air are the Chennai International Airport and the Bengaluru International Airport, while the Tirupati Airport is the nearest domestic airport connecting the Vellore city to all major Indian cities and states.