Historical

Vellore Fort, built by the Nayakar chieftains of the Vijayanagar Empire is completely built of granite blocks. It was built in the 16th century and frequently exchanged hands between various strong empires. But still it holds an aura about its personality that is inferior to none. The fort is now promoted by the state government as a historical tourist destination. This is the main attraction of the Vellore city and sees the maximum number of foot falls to any attraction in the city.

Set in 1803, this prison is an important landmark in the history of not just Vellore but that of entire India. A number of Indian luminaries like Thiru. Rajaji, Thiru C.N. Annadurai, Thiru. K. Kamaraj, as well as former presidents of India such as Thiru. V. V. Giri, Thiru and R. Venkataraman have served their prison terms here.

An impressive fort constructed by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1974, this houses the famous Sri Devi jakkammal Temple, the hereditary Goddess of Kattabomman.

This temple is 83m height and this is the oldest rock in the world dating around 3.800 million years. This makes it earlier than the Himalayas. The rise of it is a thrill and is an actual attraction with the temple at the pinnacle. 344 steps lead to the peak of the temple. This fort was significant as it contributed the British Empire to lay its foundations in India. The Uchipillaiyar Koil is at the peak of the rock and is completely dedicated to Lord Vinayaka. A tank is sited at the rock fort foot. During the float festivals this tank is flocked by people. Robert Clive lived adjacent to the tank. The rock fort is believed to be 2 billion years old and materials such as quartz and feldspar used in manufacturing glass and ceramic are found in this formation of the rock.

Gingee Fort, known also as Chenji Fort, is an ancient fort and one of the few surviving forts in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This fort is located in the district of Villupuram. The fort was called as the "Troy of the East" by the British. Chatrapati Shivaji was impressed by the strength of the fortified region and he ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India".

The original fort was small and was built by the Chola dynasty during 9th century. Later it was modified in 13th century by the Vijayanagar emperors. It was made as an unbreakable fort to safeguard the small town of Gingee. It was Shivaji who made the present fort in complete form in 1677 AD.

Panchalamkurichi Fort, an ancient fort, is located at Salikulam nearby the holy town of Thiruchendur. This fort has a long history of battles and is associated with the growth and ruins of many Kingdoms ruled over this region. It was the nerve centre of the uprising and fall of many rulers including Veera Pandya Kattabomman.

Any person touring Thanjavur should surely include Sangeetha Mahal in their list of must see places. The Hall of Music or Sangeetha Mahal is located on the first floor of the Tanjore palace. This is the place where the musicians and dancers performed in front of the Chola and Nayak rulers and is an excellent piece of skilled craftsmanship that speaks volumes about the ancient builders and architects.

Dutch Fort (Danish Fort) is a 17th century marvel at Tranquebar, located at a driving distance from Nagapattinam. Danish Fort was constructed in 1620 and still stands as a marvelous specimen of Danish architecture. In fact it is considered as the masterpiece of Danish architectural design and style in India.

Legend has it that Kavi Chakravarthy Kamban, the great Tamil poet and writer of the Ramayana in Tamil, spent a large part of his life in this place. Kamban Mani Mandapam was built in his honor and programs on Tamil literature are held here every year.

The Thirumayam fort complex is part of a heritage area and includes a famous temple and two rock cut shrines within its complex. It was erected by Sethupathi Vijaya Raghunatha Thevar, who ruled Ramanathapuram during the 17th century. The fort complex consists of the main fort and five smaller forts around it.