26 Best Heritage Sites & Historical Places near near Chennai

Situated on the banks of the Palar River, Vellore is one of the oldest cities of South India, and among the popular places of heritage in Tamilnadu. It is located at a distance of 142 km from Chennai, and 214 km from Bangalore.

Vellore is popularly known as the Fort City of Tamil Nadu. Now a very calm and understated place, it was once a battleground and has seen many wars. The name Vellore also means a City of Spears. Vellore is one of the popular places to visit near Bangalore, and among the top attractions, you must include in Tamilnadu tour packages.

Vellore has many historic and religious attractions that one must visit as part of Vellore packages. Vellore Fort, Jalakandeswarar Temple, Clock Tower, the State Government Museum, the French Bungalow, Science Park, Vainu Bappu Observatory, Amirthi Zoological Park, Big Mosque, St. Johns Church, and Sripuram are the prominent places to visit in Vellore.

Distance from Chennai: 142 Kms

At a distance of 15 km from Jammalamadugu, 94 km from Kadapa, 155 km from Kurnool, 233 km from Tirupati, 280 km from Bangalore, 386 km from Hyderabad and 391 km from Chennai, Gandikota is a small village in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Situated on the banks of Pennar River, it is one of the popular historical places to visit in Andhra Pradesh and among the weekend gateways from Hyderabad as well as from Bangalore.

Gandikota is a small village spread in and around the historical Gandikota Fort. According to history, Gandikota area was first identified and made Sand fort in 1123 CE by Kapa Raja of nearby Bommanapalle village and a subordinate of Ahavamalla Someswara I, the Western Chalukyan king of Kalyana. The village transformed into major fort after the emergence of the Kamma kings, who ruled Gandikota more than 200 years. The fort fell into hands of Qutub Shahis of Golconda in 1650 CE. The medieval fort of Gandikota is named after the adjoining gorge which means gandi in Telugu. It is also believed that Vemana, the Telugu poet lived in Gandikota area for a short period.

Known to few ardent travelers, Gandikota is not the usual tourist hub as it is neither a world heritage site, nor is it marketed well by state tourism agencies. This untouched and unexplored place is worth a visit for history buffs as well as nature lovers. A frozen in time village in the middle of centuries old structures such as forts and temples is known for its spectacular gorge formed ...

Distance from Chennai: 349 Kms

At a distance of 33 km from Guntur, 38 km from Vijayawada, 111 km from Machilipatnam, 162 km from Khammam, 178 km from Nalgonda, 178 km from Bhadrachalam, 194 km from Rajahmundry, 270 km from Nellore, 274 km from Hyderabad, 403 km from Vishakhapatnam, 450 km from Anantapur, Amaravati is a popular historical town situated on the southern bank of Krishna River in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is the new capital of Andhra Pradesh state and one of the popular pilgrimage sites for Hindus as well as Buddhists.

The town gets its name from Amareshwara or Amaravati temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The town has been mentioned in the Indian epics as Dhanyakataka and Andhranagari. It was also served as the capital of the Satavahanas, who ruled Andhra Pradesh from the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Later it was ruled by several major dynasties like Andhra Ikshvakus, the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Kakatiyas, the Delhi Sultanate, Musunuri Nayaks, Bahmani Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire, Sultanate of Golconda and Mughal Empire successively before the founding of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. It was ceded to France in 1750 but was captured by England in 1759. It was briefly captured by Hyder Ali, but remained under British rule for the majority of time since the 1780s. Amaravati is currently the de-facto capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, following its bifurcation from Telangana in 2014.

Amaravathi has gathered attention from all over the world because of the ...

Distance from Chennai: 448 Kms

At a distance of 42 km Chidambaram, 76 km from Thanjavur, 110 km from Trichy & 268 km from Chennai, Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a historical town situated near Chidambaram. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Tamilnadu, and among the must visit places during Chidambaram tour.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram became the capital of Cholas during the reign of Rajendra Chola I in 1025 CE and served as the Chola capital for around 250 years. This historical town is home to the renowned Brihadeeswarar Temple. It was built by Rajendra Chola I, the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola. This temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.

Rajendra Chola I has established this temple after his great victories in Northern India. He was originally called Madurantakan and assumed the title of Rajendra during his coronation and continued to rule along with his father Rajaraja-I for a while. Gangai Konda Cholapuram is regarded as the reproduction of the Brihadisvara Temple that was built by Rajaraja Chola, father of Rajendra Chola. The temple is renowned for having the biggest Shivalingam in the Southern part of India.

Among the top Chidambaram tourist places, the temple was located at the center of the Gangai Konda Cholapuram and occupies around 6 acres of ...

Distance from Chennai: 268 Kms

At a distance of 650 m from Virinjipuram Bus Stop and 13 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, Sri Margabandeswarar Temple is a 13th century temple situated on Bangalore - Chennai National Highway. The temple has rich sculptures and artistic pillars. The temple was built by Cholas Kings in 13th Century while Bomma Nayakars, who built Vellore Jalagandeswarar temple, made several extensions to the temple including beautiful kalyana mandapa.

The main deity of this temple is Swayambu Lingam known as Margabandeeswarar. The Siva Lingam is slightly leaning to North East direction. The Goddess of the temple is Maragadambal. Other deities seen in the temple are Ganapathy, Subramanya, Chandra Mouleeswara, Pancha Mukha Lingam, Saptha Matrukas, Lakshmi, Saraswathy & Durga. In this temple Lord Brahma is worshiped as Virinjan. He worshipped Lord Shiva at this place and hence it got the name Virinjipuram.

The rays of sun fall on the presiding deity during the Panguni month (March/April). The roof above the sanctum sanctorum is decorated with Rudraksha. The temple is a very good example of Dravidian temple architecture. This is the birth place of renowned Vedic scholar and Shiva devotee Sri Appaya Dikshithar.

The Simha teerth, the tank with the lion faced sculpture located inside the temple complex is a nicely built. The temple ...

Distance from Chennai: 150 Kms

At a distance of 2 km from Gingee Bus Stand, 71 km from Puducherry, 85 km from Kanchipuram, and 93 km from Vellore, Gingee Fort or Senji Fort is an ancient hill-fort sitated in the Villupuram district of Tamilnadu. It is one of the largest surviving forts in Tamilnadu, and among the popular historical places to visit near Chennai.

The fort was historically considered most impregnable and it was called the 'Troy of the East' by the British. Originally the site had a small fort built by the Chola dynasty during the 9th century. Gingee Fort, also known as Shinji or Jinji, was modified by Kurumbar while fighting the Cholas and again by the Vijayanagara Empire during the 13th century. As per one account, the fort was built during the 15-16th century by the Gingee Nayaks, the lieutenants of the Vijayanagara Empire and who later became independent kings. The fort passed to the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji in 1677 AD, the Mughals, Carnatic Nawabs, French, and the British in 1761. It is one of the must visit places as part of Vellore holiday packages for history buffs.

The Gingee Fort complex is spread on three hillocks, Krishnagiri to the north, Rajagiri to the west, and Chandrayandurg to the southeast. The three hills together constitute the fort complex, each having a separate and self-contained ...

Distance from Chennai: 154 Kms

At a distance of 46 km from Thiruvannamalai, Tirumalai is a small village located near Polur in Tamilnadu. It is one of the places of heritage in Tamilnadu, and among the must-include places in Tiruvannamalai tour.

Tirumalai, also known as Arhasugiri, is renowned for its exquisite temple complex featuring 2 Jain temples, 3 Jain caves, and a 16-foot-high sculpture of Tirthankara Neminatha from the 12th century CE, which stands as the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu. This site has been a significant Jain center since ancient times, with a belief that 8,000 Jain monks who accompanied Bhadrabahu performed penance and attained nirvana here. Additionally, the footprints of four revered saints - Vrishabhsenacharya, Samanatabhadracharya, Varadattachrya munivar, and Sri Vadeepa Simhasuri, can be found here.

Perched on the hill is a 16-foot-high idol of Tirthankar Neminath in the Kayotsarga posture, also known as ‘Shikhamani Nadar’. Historical inscriptions reveal that this statue was sponsored by Kundavai. Nearby, there is a small temple housing an ancient idol of Tirthankar Parshwanath in the Kayotsarga posture as the primary deity. Visitors can also witness the footprints of Digambar Jain Acharya 108 Sri Shanthisagar Muni Maharaj on the hill.

At the foot of the hill, there are a few Jain caves dating back to the 10th century. As per the inscription dating back to 1024 CE present here, they are loosely known ...

Distance from Chennai: 162 Kms

At a distance of 5 km from Gooty Railway Station, 52 km from Anantapur, 97 km from Kurnool, 311 km from Hyderabad, 425 km from Vijayawada and 265 km from Bangalore, Gooty Fort or Gutti Fort is a hill fort located at Gooty in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Gooty was center of power struggle and witnessed several wars in the medieval period. Sri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire has enhanced the fortifications and added several sections in the fort. Bahmani Sultans have also occupied the fort for some time. After the fall of Vijayanagara Empire, this place came under the rule of Qutb Shahis of Golconda and Hyderabad Nizams. Later, it came under the rule of Hyder Ali in 1773, then Tipu Sultan and over a period of time it fell into the hands of Hyderabad Nizams. The fort was briefly occupied by Maratha forced under the command of Morari Rao. This place was gifted to British by Nizam for the maintenance and became part of Ceded region under Madras Presidency.

Previously this place was known as Gowthampuri and later renamed as Gooty. The earliest inscriptions on the walls of this fort date back to the 7th century. As per the inscriptions, the place was called as Gadha meaning Fort while an inscription of Bukkaraya mentions this place as King of Forts.

Gooty Fort is one of the oldest hill forts of Andhra Pradesh. It fort was made of granite rocks and the domes were constructed with fine stone, mortar ...

Distance from Chennai: 415 Kms

At a distance of 4 km from Tadipatri Railway Station, 58 km from Anantapur, 107 km from Kadapa, 357 km from Hyderabad, 413 km from Vijayawada and 269 km Bangalore, Bugga Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple is located on the banks of Penna River at Tadipatri in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva in the form of Ramalingeswara Swamy.

The temple got this name by a perennial underground stream from which water always keeps flowing (Bugga in Telugu) into the sanctum sanctorum at the spot where the Lingam is consecrated. Sri Bugga Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple was built by Ramalinga Nayudu, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Kings, in 16th century. The records indicate that a sculptor Yellanchari was brought from Benaras to construct the temple. According to legend, the temple has been established at the site, where sage Parasurama lived and performed meditation.

The architecture of the temple shows a mixture of Chalukyan, Chola and Vijayanagar art. The temple has main entrances on South and West. The Vijayanagar kings have built the western, northern and southern gopurams of the temple. The north gopuram although unfinished has the most elaborate sculpture, with intricate carvings. The entire Shiva Purana is carved on the walls of the temple in miniature carvings with elaborate details. Episodes from Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are also carved on the walls. This temple has a mini stone chariot similar to the famous chariot ...

Distance from Chennai: 364 Kms

At a distance of 15 km from Tirupati, 33 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, 147 km from Chennai, 238 km from Bangalore & 574 km from Hyderabad, Chandragiri is an ancient town and the seat of Yadavaraya Kings from 11th to 13th centuries and fourth capital of Vijayanagar Dynasty. Chandragiri along with Tirupati is one of the ideal Chennai weekend getaways and a major heritage / historical site in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the prime Tourist places in Tirupati town.

Chandragiri near Tirupati is famous for the historical fort, built in the 11th century. Chandragiri was under the rule of Yadavaraya Dynasty for about three centuries and came into control of Vijayanagar rulers in 1367. It came into prominence during Saluva Narasimha Rayalu. Chandragiri was the 4th capital of Vijayanagar Empire and they shifted their capital here when Golconda sultans attacked Penukonda. In 1646, the fort was annexed to the Golconda territory and subsequently came under Mysore rule before controlled by British.

The Fort is built on a huge rock at an altitude of 183 meters. The southern side of the hill is enclosed by strong walls, surrounded by a ditch to prevent any intruder from entering into the fort. The Chandragiri Fort has eight ruined temples inside the fortification ...

Distance from Chennai: 147 Kms

At a distance of 3 km from Penukonda Railway Station, 79 km from Anantapur, 436 km from Hyderabad, 550 km from Vijayawada and 142 km Bangalore, Penukonda Fort is a medieval fort situated at Penukonda in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Penukonda was once served as the 2nd capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom after the fall of Hampi and was earlier called as Ghanagiri or Ghanadri. According to the inscriptions, the Penukonda state was gifted by the King Bukka-I to his son Virupanna. This fort was built at the time of Virupanna. This fort was one of the best defenses of the Vijayanagara kingdom. With the decline of Vijayanagara kingdom, the Sultan of Golconda captured this fort. Later Mysore Kingdom captured this fort briefly until British overtook after the fall of Tipu Sultan.

Built on a gigantic hill, the huge and imposing fort offers a spectacular view of the town below. The basement of the walls, bastions and gateways in the fort was made of stone, mortar and lime. The first inner section of the fort residential building designed amenities for royal family members. The central hall of the fort follows Hindu and Muslim architecture. Dome of this hall has been designed in Hindu style of construction, whereas the floor has the signature style construction of Islamic architecture.

The fort bounds with natural fortification of surround hills and moats dug up around the outer wall. There are seven citadels within ...

Distance from Chennai: 388 Kms

At a distance of 24 km from Vijayawada Railway Station & 262 km from Hyderabad, Kondapalli Fort, also known as Kondapalli Kota, is located at Kondapalli Village in the Krishna district close to Vijayawada.

This 14th century Fort is believed to have been built by the Reddy King of Kondaveedu, Prolaya Vema Reddy. Spread over an area of 18 sq.km, this Fort is said to have served as a recreational palace for the king. The Fort was also used as a business centre. Later, the fort went into the hands of Gajapati rulers of Orissa. In the year 1520 AD the King, Sri Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagara Empire has captured the Kondapalli fort in Kalinga wars. Later, the fort came into the hands of Qutubshahi Kings in the 16th century. During the colonial rule, the British soldiers were given training in this fort.

Situated on a hill, the fort has an impressive three storied rock tower protected by three levels of entries. The main entrance gate is known as the Dargah Darwaza, which has been made out of a single slab of granite. Another entrance gate of the fort is known as the Golconda Darwaza. The major attraction of the fort is the Tanisha Mahal or Palace, which is located on a crest between two hills. Near the fort there is a Dargah of a Persian Saint, Gareeb Sahib. One can still find several other ruined structures within the premises of the fort. There is a Gajasala, where elephants were kept, Queen's palace, Virupaksha Temple, Dining hall, a reservoir and prisons.

Kondapalli ...

Distance from Chennai: 452 Kms

At a distance of 45 Kms from Yaganti, 70 Kms from Nandyal, 82 Kms from Ahobilam, 95 from Mahanandi, 109 Kms from Kurnool & 318 Kms from Hyderabad, Belum Caves are the second largest caves in India and the longest caves in India.

Situated between Nandyal and Tadipatri in Kurnool district, the caves are 3229 meters long. These caves have long passages, spacious chambers, fresh water galleries and siphons. The deepest point of caves is at 120 feet from entrance level. The caves were formed due to erosion in limestone deposit in the area by Chitravati River, millions of years ago. Now Chitravati River flows almost 30 km south of caves.

There is a big Buddha statue near the caves. This place was used as Meditation Hall by Buddhist monks in ancient days. AP Tourism has developed pathways and bridges for easy access of the caves. A resort is run by AP Tourism near the entrance of the caves.

This place is very close to Kolimigundla village (around 2 Kms) on Nandyal - Tadipatri route, connected by frequent buses.

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM. Entry Fee: Rs. 50

Distance from Chennai: 382 Kms

At a distance of 23 km from Nagarjuna Sagar Bus Station & 14 km from Boat Launch Station, Nagarjuna Konda is a small island in Nagarjuna Sagar Lake which houses the excavated remains of the Buddhist civilization of 2nd century. This is one of the major historical sites to visit around Hyderabad and among the top Nagarjuna Sagar places to visit.

It is one of India's richest Buddhist sites and now it lies in the backwaters of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. Nagarjuna Konda was once the capital of Ikshvaku Kingdom and was called Vijayapuri. It was named after Acharya Nagarjuna, a renowned Buddhist scholar, philosopher who lived here in the 2nd century AD and composed the initial sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. The revered Buddhist monk was heading the community of Buddhist priests for nearly 60 years in the 2nd century. He found the Madhyamika School which studied and developed the teaching of Mahayana Buddhism.

Discovered in 1926, the remains of the Buddhist settlements and university are preserved in the museum on Nagarjuna Konda. The site was once the location of many Buddhist universities and monasteries, attracting students from as far as China, Gandhara, Bengal and Sri Lanka. Some of the Buddhist archaeological sites were submerged after the construction of Nagarjunasagar Sam. Few of them were excavated later and transferred to higher land on the hill which is the ...

Distance from Chennai: 477 Kms

At a distance of 30 km from Kolar and 98.5 km from Bangalore City Junction, Avani is a small village in Kolar district of Karnataka. Avani is renowned for housing varied ancient temples. It is one of top historical places to visit as part of your Bangalore tour and among the popular sightseeing spots around Bangalore. It is also a popular location for rock climbing.

The village of Avani received a prominent place mainly due to the legends associated with it. According to mythology, goddess Sita gave birth to her twin children Lava-Kusha at Avani. It is also said that the war between Lord Rama and his sons Lava and Kusha took place in this village. As per the local belief, sage Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana was residing here during the period of Ramayana.

Another legend has it that when Sri Narasimha Bharati IV of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham was on his sancharas', he camped here for a few days. During his stay in Avani, he discovered an idol of Goddess Sharada. The idol was in standing posture flanked by Adi Shankaracharya with Sri Chakra. He established a new Mutt, which is presently known as Avani Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sharada Peetham.

Avani also houses a Sita temple situated on a hill. This temple is one of the few temples dedicated to Sita Devi in India. This temple has the idols ...

Distance from Chennai: 251 Kms

At a distance of 32 km from Guntur, 58 km from Amaravati and 73 km from Vijayawada, Kondaveedu Fort is an ancient hill fortress located at Kondaveedu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the historical forts in Andhra Pradesh and among the famous Amaravati Tourist Places.

Kondaveedu Fort was constructed during the time of Telugu Chodas, strengthened by Kakatiyas and occupied by Prolaya Vema Reddy who shifted his capital from Addanki to Kondaveedu in 1323 AD. Later it was taken over by Gajpathis of Orissa and ravaged by the Bahmani Sultans in 1458. The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya captured it in 1516. The Golconda Sultans fought for the fort in 1531, 1536 and 1579, and Sultan Quli Qutb Shah finally captured it in 1579, renaming it as Murtuzanagar. Later it was recaptured by the Mughal army of Aurangzeb in 1687 and the fort came under the control of the French colonists in 1752 when it was extensively fortified. It passed on to the English imperialists who got control of the fort in 1788 but abandoned it in the early 19th century in favour of Guntur.

There are two other forts nearby. All the three forts on top of the narrow hill range are now in ruins. At an altitude of about 1700 feet, the earliest one date back to 12th century and was considered then as one of the strongest forts in the region. It comprises huge ramparts, warehouses, granaries, and wells. There are two entry gates into the forts, called the 'Kolepalli Darwaza' and the ...

Distance from Chennai: 400 Kms