Vellore,  145 km  from Chennai, is a  semi rural  bazaar town. For tourists, it is noteworthy only for the Vijayanagar  fort  and its temple, which are in an excellent state of preservation and worth visiting. The famous rivers Palar and  Ponnar flows through this City. The town  has a  modern  church  built  in  an  old  British  cemetery, which contains the tomb of a captain who died  in 1799  during  the glorious campaign  which  ended  in the defeat of Tipu Sultan. Here,too,is a a memorial to the victims of the little known 'Vellore Mutiny' of 1806. The mutiny  was  instigated  by the second son of  Tipu Sultan,  who was incarcerated in the fort at the time, and  was put down by a task force sent from Arcot.

     Vellore is now best known for its hospital, one of the best in the country. The people who come here from all over India for medical  care give this humble town a cosmopolitan feel.