YELAGIRI - SRIPURAM - VELLORE (FROM CHENNAI)

At a distance of 1 km from Athanavur Bus Stop, Punganoor Lake is a man-made lake located in the center of the Yelagiri Hills. It is one of the most famous artificial lakes in Tamil Nadu, and among the popular tourist places in Yelagiri Hills.

Punganoor Lake covers nearly 60 sq. m of land. There is also a fountain in the middle and boating facilities are available. There is a garden named the 'Mughal Garden' right next to the lake. The Punganur lake is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature as part of Yelagiri tour packages.

The boat club here offers pedal and motorboat rides. The waters of the lake are calm and serene. There's a walking track around the lake circumference, a children's park, a small tree top viewpoint, and few shops. One can take a short walk along the lakeside. Children can enjoy the swings and slides .....

At a distance of 400 m from Punganoor Lake and 1.3 km from Athanavur Bus Stop, the Velavan Temple is a famous temple and is located on one of the highest peaks of the Yelagiri Hills. It is among popular Yelagiri tourist places.

The Velavan Temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan. This beautiful temple was constructed in 1964. The temple is located atop of a hillock and it also serves as a viewing point. From the temple complex one can see the panoramic view of the green valleys of Yelagiri.

At the temple, one can find a huge statue of the mythological character Ghatothgajan in a standing posture. Highlight of the temple is the statue of Lord Murugan and Valli in the form of Kuravan and Kurathi. Lord Ganesha has a separate shrine within the Velavan temple. At the top of the mountain, temple bells are placed.

The yearly festival of this .....

At a distance of 5.4 km from Punganoor Lake and 4.5 km from Athanavur Bus Stop, Nilavoor Lake is one of the popular Yelagiri tourist places and is frequented by boating enthusiasts.

Nilavoor Lake is an artificial lake located in Nilavoor village. It is a small lake more like a pond, with a garden on its banks. The lake is indeed a tranquil and peaceful place to relax in the deep serenity away from the hassles of busy life. One can take a short walk along the lake side and also enjoy a boat ride. The lake offers pedal and motor boat rides.

This small lake offers captivating views of the nearby surroundings and hilly terrains while enjoying boating in the calm water. There is also a Devi Temple belonging to Kadavu Nachiya close to the region around the lake. Recently, the Thambiran Lotus Pond has been constructed at the Nilavoor Lake.

Moksha Vimochana Temple is also located near the Nilavoor .....

At a distance of 1 km from Punganoor Lake and 750 m from Athanavur Bus Stop, The Nature Park is one of the best tourist places to visit in Yelagiri.

Nature Park is located adjacent to Punganoor Lake, spread over an area of 12 acres. Several species of plants suited to the rocky terrain of the region have been planted in the park. The park also has an artificial waterfall. There is bathing facility available in this cascade. The nature park is very well maintained and it is studded with plenty of varieties of trees, well laid out walk ways, beautifully lighted fountain and so on.

The nature park contains a children's park, a musical fountain, an aquarium, a seasonal garden, a bamboo house, a poly house to name a few attractions. It is a perfect place for both kids and elders. The musical fountain has the water dancing to popular songs. The musical fountains show is there at 7 PM every day. .....

At a distance of 10 km from Vellore, 70 km from Kanchipuram, 120 km from Tirupati, 146 km from Chennai, and 212 km from Bangalore, Sripuram Golden Temple is a sacred Hindu temple situated in Tirumalaikodi at Southern Vellore, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the popular pilgrimage sites near Bangalore, and among the must visit places during Vellore trip.

Sripuram Golden Temple is dedicated to the goddess Mahalakshmi. Constructed in the year 2007, The temple is built in 100 acres area of land and constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peetham, headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. The Vimana and Ardha Mandapa have been coated with gold both in the interior and exterior. Sripuram is the biggest structure made out of gold as one and a half tonnes of gold has been used for the construction of the temple with a cost of 600 crores. This is one of the prominent Vellore places to visit.

The .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, the Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the famous heritage sites near Chennai, and among the must include places in Vellore holiday packages.

Vellore Fort was built in the 16th century CE by Channa Bommi Nayaka and Thimma Reddy Nayaka, the Chieftains under the Vijayanagara ruler Sadashiva Raya. This granite fort happens to be one of the best examples of military architecture in South India and among the unique forts in India. The fort was captured in the 17th century by the Adil Shahis, the Muslim rulers from Bijapur. It was then taken by the Marathas, and later by Daud Khan of Delhi in the early 18th century. The British took control of this fort in 1768 and controlled it .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, The Tipu Mahal and Hyder Mahal are the palaces located inside the Vellore Fort. The Tipu Mahal has 180 rooms with a central pillar hall and the Hyder Mahal on the same campus housed over 200 rooms.

It is believed that Tipu resided here with his family during the war against the British. The palaces are closed to public nowadays as they serve as a high security prison. During the British rule, Tipu Sultan's family was detained here and the last king of Sri Lanka in captivity.

On July 10, 1806, before sunrise, the Indian sepoys stationed in the fort attacked the European barracks there, and had killed about 15 Officers and 100 English soldiers and ransacked their houses. Some of the rebelling soldiers also urged the sons of Tipu Sultan to lead the campaign. After this Sepoy Mutiny, the British transferred Tipu's sons and daughters to Calcutta. The Tombs of Bakshi Begum, widow of Hyder Ali and Padshah Begum, Tipu's wife, .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, St John's Church is an ancient church located inside the Vellore Fort. This church is one of the oldest churches in Vellore.

St. Johns Church is a part of the Churches of South India and is one of the biggest churches in South India. The church was started in 1846 by the Reform Church of America (RCA). The church was shifted from the Filterbed Road to its present location in the fort. The British soldiers who lost their life during the Sepoy Mutiny have been buried in the church premises. There are many inscriptions preserved in the church that provide history of the shrine. Regular prayers are still held in this church.

At a distance of 1.5 km from Vellore Town Railway Station, Vellore Fort Mosque is situated inside the Vellore Fort. This mosque is also known as Nawab Chanda Sahib Mosque.

This Mosque was built in 1750 by Nawab Chanda Sahib. It is one of the important attractions in Vellore Fort. The entrance of the Masjid is on the northern side of the Vellore Fort. This mosque has been constructed using Brick and lime and still stands in good shape. This Indo-Saracenic style mosque has a prayer hall and the dimensions of the hall are 40 feet in length and 15 feet in breadth. At the centre of the mosque there is a big dome with minars on the sides. The mosque is decorated with floral designs.

Presently prayers are not conducted inside the mosque.