| Vellore District | |
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[[File: |250px|border|alt=|Map of Tamil Nadu showing location of Vellore District]]
in Tamil Nadu |
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| Coordinates | 12°54′40″N 79°8′10″E / 12.91111°N 79.13611°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Vellore |
| Subdistrict | Vellore, Katpadi, Vaniyambadi, Arakkonam, Arcot, Gudiyatham, Tirupattur and Wallajah |
| ' | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Vellore |
| Largest city | Vellore |
| Collector & District Magistrate | C. Rajendran IAS |
| Legislature (seats) | elected (12) |
| Parliamentary constituency | Vellore, Arakkonam and Thiruvannamalai |
| Population • Density • Metro |
3,477,317[1] (2001[update]) • 572 /km2 (1,481 /sq mi) • 1,307,998 (2001[update]) |
| Sex ratio | M-50.06%/F-49.94% ♂/♀ |
| Literacy • Male • Female |
73.06% • 81.98% • 62.78% |
| Official languages | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Coastline |
6,077 km2 (2,346 sq mi) • 0 km (0 mi) |
| Climate • Precipitation Temperature • Summer • Winter |
• 917 mm (36.1 in) • 39.5 °C (103 °F) • 15.6 °C (60 °F) |
| Website | Official website of District Collectorate, Vellore |
Vellore district is one of the 31 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Vellore City is the headquarters of this district. It had a population of 3,477,317 as of 2001. It is 37.62% urbanised. [1] The district has a literacy of 73.06%, slightly below the state average.
Contents |
History
Vellore had been under the control of Cholas of Uraiyur, Pallavas, Rashtrakutas of Malkhed, Sambuvarayar, the rulers of Vijayanagaram, Mamathas, the Nawabs of the Carnatic and the British. The Vellore fort, which was probably built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak (1526 to 1595 A.D.), was considered to be a strong fort during the Carnatic war in the 17th Century. The district finds an important place in the Indian freedom struggle. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1806 that took place inside the Vellore fort was seen as a prelude to the Revolt of 1857.
After the Indian independence in 1947, Vellore became a part of the erstwhile Madras state. The modern Vellore District was formerly part of North Arcot District, which was established by the British in the 19th century. On 30 September 1989 the district was split into Tiruvannamalai-Sambuvarayar (present-day Tiruvannamalai) and North Arcot Ambedkar districts. North Arcot Ambedkar District was later renamed Vellore District in 1996.
Geography and Climate
Vellore district has an area of 6077 km². Vellore district lies between 12° 15’ to 13° 15’ North latitudes and 78° 20’ to 79° 50’ East longitudes in Tamilnadu State. The district is bound on the northeast by Tiruvallur District, on the southeast by Kanchipuram District, on the south by Tiruvannamalai District, on the southwest by Krishnagiri District, and on the northwest and north by Andhra Pradesh state. Major towns in the district include Ambur, Arakkonam, Arcot, Yelagiri Hills, Gudiyattam, Karigiri, Melvisharam, Ranipet, Sholinghur, Tiruppattur, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, and Walajapet. Kaveripakkam is a panchayat town in Vellore with the second largest lake in Tamil Nadu. The average maximum temperature experienced in the plains is 39.5 degree celsuis and the average minimum temperature experienced is 15.6 degree celsius. The region experiences an average annual rainfall of 795 mm, out of which North East Monsoon contributes to 535 mm and the South West Monsoon contributed to 442 mm.
Demographics
As per the Census of 2001, the district had a population of 34,77,317 (3.47 million). Hinduism is the major religion in the district, followed by more than 86% of the population. Other minority religions followed in the state are Islam and Christianity, with other religions having much smaller following. Tamil is the principal and the administrative language of the district. Sizeable Telugu speaking minorities are also present given that the district shares its border with Andhra Pradesh. Urdu is spoken by the Muslims present in the district, especially in areas like Ambur, Wallajahpet, Vaniyambadi and Arcot. Given below is the demographic details of the district based on religious groups.
| Religion | Population | Literacy Rate | Sex Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 30 16,962 (86.76%) | 62.88% | 995 |
| Muslims | 3,50,771 (10.09%) | 62.88% | 996 |
| Christians | 1,02,477 (2.95%) | 78.60% | 1070 |
| Others | 7,107 (0.2%) | 73.23% | 823 |
Administration and Politics
| Assembly Constituency |
Political Party |
Elected Representative |
|---|---|---|
| Anaicut | AIADMK | Pandurangan K |
| Arni | DMK | Sivanandam R |
| Chengam (SC) | INC | Polur Varadhan M |
| Gudiyatham | CPI(M) | Latha G |
| Kalasapakkam | AIADMK | Krishnamurthy-Agri S.S |
| Katpadi | DMK | Duraimurugan |
| Natrampalli | DMK | Sooriyakumar N.K.R |
| Pernambut (SC) | DMK | Chinnasamy A |
| Thandarambattu | DMK | Velu E.V |
| Tirupattur | PMK | Raja T.K |
| Vaniyambadi | DMK | Abdul Basith H |
| Vellore | INC | Gnanasekaran C |
| Source: Indian Elections / Election Commission of India.[2][3] | ||
Vellore is one of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu and is administered by the Vellore District Collectorate. The present collector of Vellore district (as of August 2009) is Mr. C. Rajendran I.A.S. The police force present in the district has a strength of 1,733 personnel, of which the local police has comprise of 1,162 personnel and the armed reserve police comprise of 534 personnel.
Vellore district has 12 State Legislature constituencies and comes under 3 Lok Sabha Constituencies. The table at left lists the State assembly contituencies in the state and the 2006 Tamil Nadu State Assembly Election results. The three Lok Sabha constituencies under which the district falls are Vellore, Arakkonam and Thiruvannamalai. The elected representatives (Member of Parliament) from these contituencies are Abdul Rahman (DMK) from Vellore, Jagathrakshakan (DMK) from Arakkonam and Venugopal D (DMK) from Thiruvannamalai.
Transportation
Two National Highways - NH 4 (Mumbai - Chennai) and NH 46 (Krishnagiri - Ranipet) connect parts of the district to other parts of the country. NH 46 passes through Vaniyambadi, Ambur, Vellore and Arcot before joining NH 4 at Ranipet. Both these highways are important connecting roads for vehicles especially travelling between Chennai and Bangalore. Both these highways run for a length of 226 km in the district. Other important roadways present are State Highways of 629 km and district roads of 1947 km. Railway network in Vellore comes under the Southern Railways, with Katpadi and Jolarpettai forming the major railway junctions in the district. There are a total of 28 railway stations and a total of 152 km of rail tracks. There aren't any airports in Vellore, the nearest international / domestic airport at Chennai.
Agriculture
The district is primarily agrarian with majority of its population involved in agriculture. The chief food grains cultivated are Paddy, Cholam, Ragi and Redgram. Vellore is also one of the top producers of Sugarcane in the state. Oil seeds that are cultivated are Groundnut, Coconut, Sunflower and Gingelly.
Industries
The major industries present here include Leather, Heavy Engineering, and Chemical. The region around Vaniyambadi and Ambur are known for their leather / shoe industries. Tirupattur is a major Sandalwood market in the region. BHEL, present at Ranipet, is a major heavy engineering unit of Tamil Nadu. There are three industrial parks namely SIDCO at Katpadi, SIPCOT at Ranipet and SIDCO at Arakkonam.
Educational and Healthcare
A total of 162 Higher Secondary Schools, 167 High Schools, 444 Middle Schools, 1678 Primary Schools and 324 Primary Schools. Vellore has two universities in . There are a total of 4 Medical Colleges, 11 engineering colleges, 21 Arts and Science colleges, 1 Agricultural college and 1 Nursing college, apart from 39 teacher training institutes. The most prominent colleges are Vellore Institute of Technology, ranked as one of the best private engineering colleges in India, and Voorhees college, Vellore, Marudhar Kesari Jain College for Women, Vaniyambadi and Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur. The Christian Medical College Hospital present in Vellore is one of the leading medical colleges of India. It is also one of the largest private hospitals in the state and is much sought after facility from all across India. The The district has a total of 13 hospitals and 67 primary health centers.
Tourism
Though Vellore doesn't boast of a plethora of tourist spots, there are few places which are sought after by tourists from across the district as well as from other parts of Tamil Nadu. The Vellore Fort is the primary tourist attraction in the district headquarter Vellore. Near the towns of Vaniyambadi and Tirupattur is the Yelagiri hill station, fondly referred to as 'Poor Man's Ooty', attributed to it being less expensive to visit and stay. The hill station is much unspoiled and retains its laid-back atmosphere, unlike many other hill stations of India. Near Yelagiri is a seasonal waterfall named Jallagamparai, which receives water during the rainy season. The latest tourist attraction in the district is the Sripuram Golden Temple at Malaikodi. The salient Feature of Sripuram is the Lakshmi Narayani temple or Mahalakshmi temple whose 'Vimanam’ and ‘Ardha Mandapam’ have been coated with gold both in the interior and exterior.
References
- ^ Collectorate staff (2001). "KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT STATISTICAL HANDBOOK 2007-2008" (PDF). District Collectorate, Vellore. http://www.vellore.tn.nic.in/stathandbook2007-2008.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
- ^ "Election results". Indian Elections. http://www.indian-elections.com/assembly-elections/tamil-nadu/election-result-06.html.
- ^ "Parties Statistics". Election Commission of India. http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp.
External links
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