Vellore city is the administrative headquarters of Vellore district, and has land area of 33.944 sq km with the elevation of 709ft located on the banks of Palar River. The city is known by the name of Second Madras because of its location (very near to Chennai). To boost the economic power of the country, central government has started ‘Smart Cities Mission’ all over the country and Vellore is one of 27 cities chosen to take part in the initiative, resulting the mega polis has become largest exporter of finished leather goods in the whole country which account for more than 37% of India’s leather exports and leather-related products. Apart from the leather exports, the city’s economy has made base on processing, shoe manufacturing, automobile assembly, precision tool milling, explosive materials production, and the service industry and is indeed one of the best places to experience state’s rich & culture heritage.
When to visit?
Vellore has Tropical Savanna Climate popularly known as semi-arid climate. Like any other tourist spot in the country, the ideal time to visit this place is winters i.e. in between October to March, when the weather is pleasant and comfortable to roam around.
Tourist Attractions:
- Vellore Fort
- Jalakandeswarar Temple
- Palamathi Hills
- St John’s Church
- Vellore Arulmigu Balamurugan Temple, Ratnagiri
- Sri Lakshmi Narayani Temple
- Sripuram Golden Temple
How to reach?
By Road:
The National Highways that passes or terminates at Vellore is NH 48 (to Chennai & Delhi via Kanchipuram, Pune, Mumbai, Vadodara, jaipur, Bangalore), NH 38 (to Thoothukudi via Madurai), NH 40 (to Hyderabad via Kadapa, Kurnool, Chittor). The city of Vellore is well-connected with the major cities of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Karnataka by various state bus and overnight private buses. The bus fair is decided by the state and is usually not fixed.
By Railways:
There are two major railway stations in Vellore; Vellore Katpadi Junction and Vellore Cantonment. The Vellore Katpadi Junction is the busiest station in South India and connects Chennai, Bangalore, Kanyakumari, Hosur, Tirupathi, Mangalore and almost every possible part of South India. This station is meant for running express and fast passenger trains. The later one is Vellore Cantonment. This rail head forms its network from Vellore to South of Tamil Nadu. This railway network is mainly meant for loading trains/ goods trains. But now it facilitates the slow passenger trains to Chennai, Tirupathi, and Viluppuram. On an average the train ticket price is Rs 500 per person.
By Air:
The city has its own airport known as Vellore Airport which is now under Airports Authority of India and is being used for land trainer aircrafts and helicopters to facilitate regular flying by trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club. The closest in-service airport is Tirupathi International Airport located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh located at approx 100kms from the city area. The airport is accessible to cities like Vishakhapatnam, Udaipur, and New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and more. From airport, you can take local transport like bus, auto or even cabs to desired destination. The average flight charge is Rs. 1765 each person. Within the state there is Chennai Airport and Bangalore Airport to your way.