Vellore Fort

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{{Short description|16th-century fort in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name= Vellore Fort
|location=[[Vellore]]
|image=Vellorefort.jpg
|caption=Vellore Kottai
|coordinates = {{coord|12.9208333|79.1283333|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:IN-TN}}
|map_type=Tamil Nadu
|map_size=250
|type=Fort and Temple Complex
|code=
|built= {{start date and age|1566}}
|builder= Vijayanagara Kingdom
|materials= Granite
|height= n/a
|used= Till date
|demolished=
|condition= [[Historic preservation|Preserved as Historic Monument]]
|ownership= [[Archaeological Survey of India]]
|open_to_public= Yes
|controlledby= [[Archaeological Survey of India]]
|garrison=
|current_commander=
|commanders=
|occupants= [[Vijayanagara Empire]], [[ Nawabs of Arcot]], [[Maratha Empire]], [[British India]]
|battles= Battle of Thoppur, [[Carnatic Wars]],
|events= Vellore Mutiny
}}
[[File:Stone carving of Jalagandeeshwara temple.jpg|thumb|Stone carving of the ceiling with intricate details]]

'''Vellore Fort''' is a large 16th-century [[fort]] situated in heart of the [[Vellore]] city, in the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] built by [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara kings]]. The fort was at one time the headquarters of the [[Aravidu Dynasty]] of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry.

The fort's ownership passed from [[Vijayanagara]] kings, to the [[Bijapur sultans]], to the [[Marathas]], to the [[Nawab of the Carnatic|Carnatic Nawabs]] and finally to the [[British Raj|British]], who held the fort until India gained [[Partition of India|independence]]. The Indian government maintains the fort with the Archaeological Department. During British rule, the [[Tipu Sultan]]'s family and the last [[king of Sri Lanka]], [[Sri Vikrama Rajasinha of Sri Lanka|Sri Vikrama Rajasinha]] were held as prisoners in the fort. It is also a witness to the massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of [[Sriranga Raya]]. The fort houses the [[Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore|Jalakanteswarar]] [[Hindu temple]], the Christian [[St. John's Church, Vellore|St. John's Church]] and a Muslim [[mosque]], of which the Jalakanteswarar Temple is famous for its magnificent carvings.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Top Ten Temple Towns of India|publisher=Mark Age Publication|first=S.C.|last=Karkar|location=Kolkota|isbn=978-81-87952-12-1|year=2009|page=47}}</ref> The first significant military [[rebellion]] against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/08/06/stories/2006080600360400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202074724/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/08/06/stories/2006080600360400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2006|title= When the Vellore sepoys rebelled|access-date=2013-10-10|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=6 August 2006}}</ref>

Vellore Fort is one of the most popular tourist destinations for both domestic and international visitors to Tamil Nadu.{{cn|date=November 2019}}

==History==

===Part of Vijayanagara Empire===
Vellore Fort was built by Chinna Bommi Reddy and Thimma Reddy Nayak, subordinate chieftains under [[Sadasiva Raya]] of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] in the year of 1566 AD.<ref>{{cite web | title = Rediscovering the tomb of our last king | publisher = Sunday Times | date = March 2012 | url = http://sundaytimes.lk/120311/Plus/plus_01.html|access-date=2013-10-10}}</ref> Vellore Fort gained strategic prominence following the re-establishment of Vijayanagar rule with [[Chandragiri]] as their 4th capital after the [[Talikota battle]]. The [[Aravidu Dynasty]] that held the title of Rayas in 17th century resided in this fort, using it as a base in the battle of Toppur in the 1620s. This major battle took place for the claiming of the Raya title between two factions of the Raya family. Each faction included their respective subordinates: the [[Nayaks of Tanjore]], the [[Gingee]] and the [[Madurai Nayaks|Madurai]] taking sides to suit their interests.

The Rayas also had long-running battles with their longtime rivals, the [[Bijapur Sultans]], and with the [[Nayaks of Madurai]] and the [[Gingee]] over non-remittance of annual tributes. In the 1640s, during the reign of Sriranga Raya III, the fort was briefly captured by the Bijapur army, but was eventually recaptured with the help of the [[Nayaks of Tanjore]].

During [[Sriranga II|Sriranga Raya]]'s reign in 1614, a coup broke out within the royal family and the reigning Emperor [[Sriranga II|Sriranga Raya]] and his royal family were murdered by the rival factions of the royal family, with the younger son [[Rama Deva Raya]] of the emperor smuggled out from the fort by supporting factions of the emperor. These events led to the Battle of Toppur in 1616, one of the largest South Indian wars of the century.<ref>K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, (Reprinted 2002) {{ISBN|0-19-560686-8}}</ref>

In 1639, Francis Day of the [[British East India Company|East India Company]] obtained a small strip of land in the [[Coromandel Coast]] from the chieftains of the Vellore-Chandragiri regions to do trading, which is in present-day [[Chennai]].

===Under Bijapur (1656–1678)===

In the 1650s, Sriranga allied with the [[Mysore]] and Tanjore Nayaks and marched south to attack [[Gingee]] and [[Madurai]]. His first stop was the capture of Gingee Fort, but [[Thirumalai Nayak]] of Madurai responded by requesting the Sultan of Bijapur to attack [[Vellore]] from the north to divert Sriranga's attention. The Bijapur sultan promptly dispatched a large army and captured Vellore Fort. Subsequently, both the Madurai-Bijapur armies converged on Gingee, defeating the Vellore-Tanjore forces. After a melee, both the forts ended up in the hands of the sultan of Bijapur. The defeat also marked the end of the last direct line of Vijayanagara emperors. Within 20 years after this incident, the [[Marathas]] seized the fort from the Bijapur sultans.

===Under the Marathas (1678–1707)===
{{Further|Sajra and Gojra forts}}

In 1676, the Marathas under [[Shivaji]] marched south to the Tanjore country, which had recently been attacked and captured by [[Chokkanatha Nayak]] of Madurai. That same year, [[Ekoji]], the brother of Shivaji, took control of Tanjore, but was under threat from his immediate neighbours Madurai and [[Bijapur Sultans]], based in Gingee and Vellore respectively. Shivaji's army first captured the [[Gingee Fort]] in 1677, but left the task of attacking Vellore to his assistant and rushed to Deccan as his territories were being attacked by [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Aurangazeb]]. In 1678, after a prolonged fourteen-month siege, the fort passed on to the Marathas. Shivaji's representative strengthened the fort's fortifications and ruled the area in relative peace.

===Under the Mughals (1707–1760)===

In 1707, the year that Aurangazeb died, the Delhi Army under [[Nawab Daud Khan|Daud Khan]] captured Vellore Fort after defeating the Marathas. The struggle for the Delhi throne empowered the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] Muslim governors to declare independence. In 1710 the recently established [[Nawab of Arcot]] under Sadat Ullah Khan followed suit. [[Dost Ali]], the latter's successor in 1733, gifted the fort to one of his sons-in-law.<ref name="Arcot">{{cite web|url=http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/a/arcot.html|title= Rulers of Arcot|access-date=2013-10-10|date=28 April 2002|work=Ug.net}}</ref>

===Under control of the British (1799–1947)===

[[File:European Burying-Ground at Vellore (MacLeod, p.142, 1871) - Copy.jpg|thumb|200px|European Burying-Ground at Vellore (MacLeod, p.142, 1871)<ref name=MacLeod />]]
Following the decline of Madurai Nayaks, and coinciding with the emergence of the British on the Madras coast, conflict developed between the Nawab and his sons-in-law. The Nawab was supported by the British and the rival claimants by the [[France|French]]; resulting in the [[Carnatic Wars]]. The British took possession of Vellore Fort with relative ease and used the fort as a major [[garrison]] until Indian independence.

In 1780, the fort was [[Siege of Vellore|besieged]] by [[Hyder Ali]] during the [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]], but the British garrison held out for over two years before the siege was lifted.

[[File:Mather-brown-lord-cornwallis-receiving-the-sons-of-tipu-as-hostages-1792.jpg|175px|thumb|left|General Lord Cornwallis receiving Tipu Sultan's sons as hostages in 1792, both of whom were kept captive in Vellore.]]

====Vellore Mutiny (1806)====
{{Main|Vellore Mutiny}}
[[File:Tomb of Tippoo Family, Vellore (MacLeod, p.141, 1871) - Copy.jpg|thumb|200px|Tomb of Tippoo family, Vellore (MacLeod, p.141, 1871)<ref name=MacLeod>{{cite book|last1=MacLeod|first1=Norman|title=Peeps at the Far East: A Familiar Account of a Visit to India|date=1871|publisher=Strahan & Co.|location=London|url=http://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QadleVqcjfjXdbL76hLpHAlKGquS182cWZd25oDvHR0IWujwaV1l7F_v1EzHArXZcnWj3BCM-XsUlMsYj7__NZpsDu5ZTBjIEa-Je4nUviK_cS0zTCcmeWuZVce-2hlBmT0VXBzakDA55LhS7Ks7poEMlLrKnXJcMpjQup_ghtwNoJh69hUdujOZGqcU2xTzda2aMzjOgJdRtY_0_PdT9-GwCL2TmJUKyQ8Txmh1vXVRqmh8Za66nRaLrcfn3r-fz3ojiUlW_9Jn7R8VCgYAeiOWENYfQYyhGtgO9GCRXWMIQNfZiPo|access-date=2 November 2015}}</ref>]]
The fort was the scene of the Vellore Sepoy Mutiny, popularly called the Vellore Mutiny.<ref name=cycle>{{cite news|title=Day-trip down history lane|publisher=[[The Hindu]]|work=Metro Plus|date=16 April 2018|last=Moulana|first=Ramanujar|page=4|location=Chennai}}</ref> In 1806 Vellore Fort was used by the British to station two infantry regiments of the [[Madras Army]] plus four companies of an English regiment. The British [[commander-in-chief]] of the Madras Army had prescribed a new round hat for the Madras [[sepoys]] to replace their turbans, plus ordering the removal of beards, caste markings and jewelry. These measures were intended merely to improve the appearance of the Madras soldiers on parade but the sepoys considered them to be an offensive meddling with their religious beliefs. The situation was worsened by the fact that the hat included a leather [[cockade]], made from cow hide.

On 10 July 1806, before sunrise, the Indian sepoys stationed in the fort attacked the European [[barracks]] there, and by late morning had killed about 15 officers and 100 British soldiers and ransacked their houses. Some of the rebelling soldiers also urged the sons of [[Tipu Sultan]] to lead them. The news quickly reached the [[colonel]] commanding the [[cavalry]] [[cantonment]] in [[Arcot]], who reached the fort within nine hours with several squadrons of British and Indian cavalry, accompanied by [[Horse artillery|horse-artillery]]. The mutineers, numbering more than 800, were scattered with heavy losses. By noon the mutiny was put down. The events lead to a court of inquiry by the British, who decided to shift the Tipu Sultan's family from Vellore to faraway [[Calcutta]], in isolation.

The news of the [[Vellore Mutiny|Vellore Rebellion]] sent shockwaves to [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The governor, [[Lord William Bentinck]], and Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, [[John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden|Sir John Cradock]] both were recalled on this count. The Vellore Mutiny was the first significant military rebellion experienced in India by the British, although it has been largely overshadowed by the Bengal mutiny of 1857.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5168550.stm|title= Tamils dispute India mutiny date|access-date=2013-10-10|date=28 April 2002|work=BBC}}</ref>
[[File:Vellore Fort and Jalakandeswarar temple (12).jpg|thumb|center|1000px|Vellore Fort and Jalakandeswarar temple Panorama]]

==Architecture==
It is mentioned that "there is no such fort on the face of earth like the one in Vellore. It had a deep wet ditch (moat) where once 10,000 crocodiles swarmed, waiting to grab every intruder into this impregnable fort. It has huge double walls with bastions projecting irregularly, where two carts can be driven abreast".<ref name="tribune">{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020428/spectrum/main3.htm |title=The town with the "healing touch"|access-date=2013-10-10|date=28 April 2002|work=The Tribune India}}</ref> The fort was constructed in [[granite]] from the nearby quarries in Arcot and Chittoor districts. It spreads over an area of {{convert|133|acre|km2}} and is located at an altitude of {{convert|220|m|ft|abbr=on}} within a broken mountain range. The fort is surrounded by a [[moat]] which was once used as an additional line of defence in the case of an invasion. It was supposed to have included an escape tunnel leading to Virinjipuram about {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} away, which could be used by the king and other royals in the event of an attack. This report was however later disputed by researchers of the ASI who found no evidence of the existence of such a passage. The fort is considered to be amongst the best examples of military architecture in Southern India and is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry.<ref name="nic"/>

The fort houses a temple, a mosque, a church and many other buildings that are now used as public offices including Tamil Nadu's oldest police training centre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu Police Recruit Schools|url=http://www.tnpa.tn.gov.in/Location_PRS.html|website=Tamil Nadu Police Academy}}</ref> The [[Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore|Jalagandeeswarar Temple]], dedicated to Jalagandeeswar,(the original name of the deity was "Jwarakandeeswarar") is noted for its sculptures, and speaks volumes of the exquisite craftsmanship of the highly skilled artisans of that period. The sculpture in the porch on the left of the entrance is a masterpiece appreciated by the connoisseurs of art and architecture. The temple was long used as an arsenal, and remained without a deity, although several years ago it was sanctified with an idol of Lord Shiva.<ref name="nic">{{cite web|url=http://www.vellore.tn.nic.in/monuments.htm|title= Historic monuments in Vellore district|access-date=2013-10-10|work=Vellore District Administration}}</ref>

[[File:"Sri Jalagandeeswarar Temple, Feb 2012.jpg|thumb|Sri [[Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore|Jalagandeeswarar Temple]], Feb 2012]]
[[File:Statues in vellore fort gallery.JPG|thumb|Statues in Vellore Fort gallery]]
[[File:Swords in vellore fort gallery.JPG|thumb|Swords]]

The mosque inside the fort was constructed during the last [[Arcot]] [[Nawab]]'s period. Presently, [[Muslims]] are not allowed to pray inside the fort mosque despite protest by several thousand people living in [[Vellore]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milligazette.com/news/5083-muslims-for-permission-for-namaz-in-vellore-fort-mosque|title=Muslims for permission for Namaz in Vellore Fort Mosque|work=The Milli Gazette|access-date=2013-10-10|date=11 December 2012}}</ref> Vellore's inhabitants believe that the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) is being discriminatory by excluding Muslims from the mosque while Hindus and Christians are not stopped from entering temple and church respectively.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Pray, Open The Mosque|url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main39.asp?filename=Ne070608openthemosque.asp|journal=Tehelka|volume=5|issue=22|date=7 June 2008|access-date=2013-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930125810/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main39.asp?filename=Ne070608openthemosque.asp|archive-date=30 September 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=Hindu-2008>{{cite news|title=TMMK volunteers arrested for defying ban|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/tmmk-volunteers-arrested-for-defying-ban/article1255656.ece|access-date=18 August 2015|work=The Hindu|date=10 May 2008}}</ref> However, some refute the claims of the Muslims, as in the late 1980s, Muslims including the late Abdul Samad had given a commitment that the Muslims did not want to worship inside the fort structure, in support of re-opening of the [[Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore|Jalagandeeswarar Temple]]. The local jamaath leadership was also against this move, and blamed fringe political organisations of whipping up communal dis-harmony.<ref name=Haran>{{cite news|last1=Haran|first1=B R|title=Vellore: Let communal amity prevail|url=https://islamicterrorism.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/vellore-fort-mosque-controversy-a-historical-perspective/|access-date=18 August 2015|publisher=News Today|date=11 May 2008}}</ref>
The church inside the fort was constructed during the early British period (Robert Clive, East Indian Company). Muthu Mandapam is a memorial built around the tombstone of [[Sri Vikrama Rajasinha of Sri Lanka|Sri Vikrama Rajasinha]], the last ruler of [[Sri Lanka]].

==St. John's Church, Vellore Fort==
{{main|St. John's Church, Vellore}}
[[St. John's Church, Vellore]] located inside the Vellore Fort was raised in 1846 by the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Government of Madras]] for the officers and men of the [[East India Company]] military station. The church is named after [[John the Evangelist|St. John the Evangelist]]. However, the church was never officially consecrated and hence not officially named as St. John's Church.<ref name=PennyI>{{cite book|last1=Penny|first1=Frank|title=The Church in Madras: being the History of the Ecclesiastical and Missionary Action of the East India Company in the Presidency of Madras in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries: Volume I|date=1904|publisher=Smith, Elder & Co.|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/thechurchinmadra01pennuoft|access-date=18 August 2015}}</ref> St. John's Church is the oldest standing church in the [[Diocese of Vellore of the Church of South India|Vellore Diocese]].<ref name=Ely>{{cite web|title=Church Buildings in Vellore Diocese|url=http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools/vellore/Buildings.html|website=Diocese of Ely|publisher=The Church of England|access-date=18 August 2015|date=2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923235859/http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools/vellore/Buildings.html|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Royal prisoners==
Vellore Fort has housed several royal captives over its history. After the fall of [[Srirangapatnam]] in 1799 and the death of Tipu Sultan, his family, including his sons, daughters, wife and mother (who was the wife of [[Hyder Ali]]), was detained in the fort. After the [[1806 Sepoy Mutiny]], the British transferred Tipu's sons and daughters to [[Calcutta]]. The tombs of Bakshi Begum (died 1806), widow of Hyder Ali and Padshah Begum, Tipu's wife & sons, who died in 1834 are located within a kilometre of the eastern side of the fort.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.europeana.eu/resolve/record/92037/BD800FB1D68CE96C693A7D889805EFACC540BB2B|title=One of the tombs of Tipu Sultan's family, possibly that of his widow, Padshah Begum, Vellore 2718|author=Photographer: Unknown|access-date=2013-05-17 |publisher=Europeana}}</ref>

Vellore Fort also became the final destination for the last ruling monarch of [[Sri Lanka]], [[Sri Vikrama Rajasinha]] (1798–1815). The king and his family were kept as prisoners of war at this fort for 17 years with his family. His grave can be found in the fort along with the last raya kings of Vijayanagara Empire.<ref>{{cite web | title = Rediscovering the tomb of our last king | work= Sunday Times | date = 11 March 2012 | url = http://sundaytimes.lk/120311/Plus/plus_01.html|access-date=2013-10-10}}</ref><ref name=Hatchard>{{cite book|title=The Christian Observer, Conducted by Members of the Established Church, For the Year 1830|date=1830|publisher=J Hatchard and Son|location=London|page=457|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2cYWAQAAIAAJ&q=vellore+fort+church&pg=PA457|access-date=20 August 2015}}</ref>

==Culture==
The fort is situated in the centre of Vellore town opposite to the Old Bus stand. Vellore is on the Chennai-Bangalore highway and is {{convert|120|km|abbr=on}} from [[Chennai]] and {{convert|210|km|abbr=on}} from [[Bangalore]]. The nearest rail station is [[Vellore]]-[[Katpadi Junction]], where all super fast trains stop. The nearest airports are [[Vellore Airport]], [[Tirupati Airport]], [[Chennai International Airport]] and [[Bengaluru International Airport]]. In 1981 the [[India Post|Post and Telegraph Department of India]] released a stamp commemorating the fort, and in July 2006 a stamp marking the 200th  anniversary of the Mutiny was released by the [[Tamil Nadu]] [[Chief Minister]].<ref name="post">{{cite web|url=http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Paper/Unwatermarked%20Gummed%20coated%20stamp%20paper/VELLORE|title= Vellore Fort History by Indian Postal Department|access-date=2013-10-10|work=Indian Postal Department}}</ref> This 16th-century fort was opened up to tourists and is now maintained by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]]. Government Museum is a multi-purpose [[museum]] maintained by the Department of Museum Government of Tamil Nadu. Its treasures include ancient- and present-day curiosities relating to subjects such as [[anthropology]], [[botany]], [[geology]], [[numismatics]], pre-history, and [[zoology]]. Historical monuments of the erstwhile composite North Arcot district are gracefully depicted in the gallery. This museum is kept open on all days between 9.00 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m and 5.00 p.m. except on holidays, and admission fee is only INR 5/-.

==Gallery==
{{gallery
|lines=3
|Image:39Vellore Fort.jpg|Vellore Fort in 1913
|Image:Vellore Fort Moat.jpg|Vellore Fort moat
|Image:Clear picture of moat at rayavellore fort.JPG|View of moat at Vellore Fort
|Image:Vellore_Fort_Tamil_Nadu.jpg|View from the Vellore Fort
|Image:Vellore vijayanagara kings fort.jpg

}}

== See also ==
*[[Vellore]]
*[[Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore]]
*[[St. John's Church, Vellore]]
*[[Sajra and Gojra Forts, Vellore]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* [[Velcheru Narayana Rao|Rao, Velcheru Narayana]], and David Shulman, Sanjay Subrahmanyam. ''Symbols of substance: court and state in Nayaka period Tamil Nadu'' (Delhi; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998); xix, 349 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps; {{convert|22|cm|abbr=on}}; Oxford India paperbacks; Includes bibliographical references and index; {{ISBN|0-19-564399-2}}.
* Sathianathaier, R. ''History of the Nayaks of Madura'' [microform] by R. Sathyanatha Aiyar; edited for the University, with introduction and notes by S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar (Madras: Oxford University Press, 1924); see also (London: H. Milford, [[Oxford University Press]], 1924); xvi, 403 p.; 21 cm.; SAMP early 20th-century Indian books project item 10819.
* Vriddhagirisan. V. ''Nayaks of Tanjore'', {{ISBN|8120609964}}, Reprint Annamalainagar 1942 edn. 1995
*Alladi Jagannatha Sashtri, B.A. & L.T.: ''A Family History Of Venkatagiri Rajas'' (Madras : Addison Press, 1922, General Books LLC, 2010) {{ISBN|9781152543713}}
*C. S. Srinivasachari, M. A., Professor of History, Annamalai University, ''History Of Gingee And Its Rulers'' (The University, 1943), ASIN: B0007JBT3G

== External links ==
{{commons category|Vellore Fort}}
* [http://www.vellore.tn.nic.in/histvellore.htm Official Government Site]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/ashvin/sets/72157594195126214/ Photos of Vellore Fort]
* [http://www.webshots.com/search?query=vellore+fort&new=1&source=chromeheader more Photos of Vellore Fort]

{{Forts in Tamil Nadu}}
{{Forts in India}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1566]]
[[Category:Forts in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Vijayanagara Empire]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Vellore]]
[[Category:Archaeological monuments in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:1566 establishments in Asia]]

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