1. Ratnagiri Murugan Temple

One day Chennai to Vellore trip by private cab starts with the major landmark of the town, the renowned Ratnagiri Murugan Temple. Enshrining Lord Muruga, the temple was built in the 14th century.

Devotees can worship Lord Muruga in two inspiring forms. He appears as Lord Thirukkolam with his consorts Valli and Deivanai and in the other form as Swami Balamurugan Adimai.

Get delighted to watch the remarkable idol of Bala Murugan beautifully set on a chariot made of granite. Admire the magnificent tower above the sanctum sanctorum called the Garbhagriha made of granite and built in Chola architectural style. Lord Ganesha appears at two places one on the top of the hill and another at the bottom of the hill.

Prominent poet Arunagirinathar have praised about the presiding deity as Rathinagiri Vazh Murukan llaya Varamalar Perumal which means Murugan, the God of Devas resides in Ratnagiri. The wall surrounding the shrine has small idols of Ganesha, Dakshinamurthy, Murugan, Brahma, Durga and Chandikeshwara

Must see \ Things to do:Wonderful pillars of the temple

2. Vellore Fort

Venture out to an architectural treasure with the next sightseeing spot of our one day Chennai to Vellore tour, the famous Vellore Fort. The ancient fort was more popular as Raya Vellore in the past.

Built in the 16th century during Vijayanagara Empire by the subsidiary chieftains of Sadasiva Raya called the Chinna Bommi Nayak and Thimma Reddy Nayak, it encompasses a church, a museum and a splendid temple.

It had been the headquarters for the Aravidu Dynasty. A historical place, Vellore Fort was under the control of the Bijapur Sultans who took it over from the Vijayanagar Kings.

Later it moved to the hands of the Marathas and the Carnatic Nawabs who had owned the fort before the control went to the British in 1760. Tipu Sultan’s family and the last king of Sri Lanka Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held as prisoners in the fort. A deep wide moat surrounds the fort which was used as a line of defence with more than 10000 crocodiles against the invaders.

The fort also houses government offices and served as the base for the Battle of Toppur. In 1806 Indian sepoys had fired against the British in this fort. A mosque was constructed inside the fort during the last Arcot Nawab period.

In 1846 the Government of Madras had established a church called St. John’s Church for the officers and men of East India Company military station. It is the oldest standing church in Vellore Diocese.

Outer wall rises to a height of 30 feet and circumference of the fort is approximately 2600 meters. Tombs of Bakshi Begum, Padshah Begum, Tipu’s son and the tomb of the last ruling monarch of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha can be found inside the fort.

Must see \ Things to do: Observe the cemetery for the British soldiers who were killed in the Sepoy Mutiny

3. Vellore Museum

Head off to see an exclusive collection of artefacts at Vellore Museum, the next stopover of the one day Chennai to Vellore local sightseeing tour. Take a stroll through the eight galleries of the government museum that features about 2896 exhibits.

History buffs would find it interesting to see the stones and sculptures that dates back to Pallava and Chola eras. The museum was moved from the Lutchaswamy Town Hall to the Vellore Fort in 1999.

It features Paintings, Zoology, Bronze, Coins, Stone Sculpture and District Galleries. Other exhibits include stone and iron cannonballs and gun powder flasks.

Must see \ Things to do:Ivory chess board used by Vikrama Rajasinha

4. Jalakandeswarar Temple

Stop by the jaw-dropping site of Jalakandeswarar Temple with the exciting one day Vellore trip by private cab. A true example of Vijayanagara style of architecture, the sacred shrine was built during the rule of Vijayanagara King Sadashiva Deva Maharaya.This spectacular spiritual complex is dedicated to Lord Shiva as linga called Jalakandeswarar.

Legends state that there was an ant hill at the location where today we have the sanctum sanctorum which was surrounded by water. Vijayanagar chieftain Chinna Bomma Nayak had a dream that he should build a temple at this location.

Hence he had demolished the ant hill and placed a lingam there which was surrounded by water. As such the presiding deity got the name as Jalakandeswarar.

Visitors would be captivated with the distinct skills of the craftsmen who created the exemplary monoliths, sculptures, skilfully carved pillars and marvellous wooden gates.

Tourists would be amazed with the magnificent sculptures on ceilings and its pillars. It houses an ancient well called the Ganga Gouri Theertham, the water of which is used for the abhishekam of the presiding deity. The archaeological site of greater historical value has a majestic seven storied 30 meter high gopuram.

Must see \ Things to do: Kalyana mandapam with the glorious 2 faced sculpture that of a bull and an elephant

5. Sripuram Golden Temple

Take in the elegance of the famous Sripuram Golden Temple the last stopover of the one day Chennai to Vellore Trip. A spiritual site located over 55000 square feet has been built using 1.5 tonnes of gold with an expenditure of Rs. 600 Crore.

A principal pilgrimage destination, the golden temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi Narayani or Mahalakshmi. Set amidst wonderful surroundings the sacred temple has its pillars and other statues covered in gold. Situated at the foothills of a small range of green hills in a place called Malaikodi it attracts thousands of devotees.

It is believed that the temple built by the Narayani Peedam has more gold than the Golden Temple of Amritsar. Brilliantly carved sculptures and sumptuously decorated pillars are a notable feature of this spiritual site.

Must see \ Things to do:Worship Goddess Mahalakshmi