Top Tourist Attractions in Viluppuram, TamilNadu
Viluppuram, sometimes known as Villupuram or Vizhuppuram, is the administrative centre of the Vizhuppuram district. Cuddalore is 45 kilometres north of Tiruvannamalai and 61 kilometres south of Tiruvannamalai. National Highway 45 goes through the city, which acts as a significant railway junction.
Best Places to Visit in Viluppuram
- Mangala Buddha Vihar
- Melmalaiyanur Angala Parameswari Temple
- Auroville
- Gingee Fort
- Fortification Walls
- Kalyana Mahal
- Venugopala swamy Temple
- Ranganatha temple
- Sad – at – Ullah Khan Mosque
- Thiruvaamathoor
- Sri Ramanatha Eswarar Temple, Esalam
- Melmalaiyanur Angalaparmeshwari
- Singavaram
- Venkataramana Temple
- Krishnagiri
- Mandagapattu
- Mel Chittamur
- Mailam
- Thiruvakkarai
- Thiruvennainallur
- Marakanam Beach
Samiyarpettai beach
Samiyarpettai is a settlement on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal on the Indian east coast, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Pondicherry and 210 kilometres (130 miles) south of Chennai. Samiyarpettai, a seaside village in Tamil Nadu, India, with a population of 1729 people and is located halfway between Cuddalore and Chidambaram, east of Pudhuchattiram. It is the largest of the nearby seaside settlements. The majority of the inhabitants here make their income from fishing. Many additional males, like those from neighbouring coastal settlements, have migrated to other countries to find employment. The settlement is surrounded by coconut palms, and brooks stream alongside it. It is also home to the well-known Temple “Shri Pinnai Vazhi Amman Shrine.” It is one of the largest temples on the Cuddalore shoreline. Samiyarpettai beach has recently gained popularity as a popular vacation destination.
Pichavaram
Pichavaram is located near Chidambaram in the Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, South India. Chidambaram is the nearest railway station, and it is also accessible by road. The world’s second biggest mangrove forest is the Pichavaram Mangrove Forest in Chidambaram. The Pichavaram mangrove forest is sandwiched between two major estuaries: the Vellar estuary to the north and the Coleroon estuary to the south. The Killai backwater and Pichavaram mangroves are formed by the Vellar-Coleroon estuary complex. The Vellar and Coleroon river systems link the backwaters, which provide ample opportunity for water activities like as rowing, kayaking, and canoeing. The Pichavaram forest provides not just waterscape and backwater excursions, but also a very unusual sight] — mangrove forest trees that are firmly rooted in a few feet of water. Boating may be done on over 400 different waterways.
Silver Beach
Silver Beach is a beach on India’s southeast coast. It is 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from downtown Cuddalore, the administrative centre of the Cuddalore district in the state of Tamil Nadu. Silver Beach, on the other hand, is unaffected by the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life. It is the second-longest beach on the Coromandel Coast and one of Asia’s longest. The 57-kilometer-long stretch of shoreline is seeing serious coastal erosion. Town buses run frequently between Cuddalore town bus terminal and Silver Beach. It is also reachable by Taxis and Autos from many sections of town. South Cuddalore Bay looks to be a distinct island to the south of the beach. Water activities are safe in the backwater that separates the main beach from the island-like structure. Boats are no longer available for rent because the boat house has been shuttered.
A river runs westward through deep mangrove trees abounding with birds. A century-old lighthouse may be seen on the coast. There are a few resorts in the vicinity. The majority of these are supported by the state government in order to promote tourism. Fort St. David, located on Silver Beach, has a lengthy history as one of the three major forts established by the British Empire. Periyar Institution of Arts and Science, an arts college, is located near the ocean. Every year in April or May, Silver Beach has a summer festival. The beach was hit by the Asian tsunami in 2004. After Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, it was the second most seriously damaged area. More than 2,700 people were killed in Silver Beach.
Sri Raghavendra Swami
Raghavendra Swami, a South Indian saint, was born at Bhuvanagiri. The town is very near to Saint Ramalinga Adigalar’s birthplace (town Maruthur). The name Bhuvanagiri is derived from two Tamilized-Sanskrit words: Bhuvanam (World) and Giri (means Mountain or Unmovable). As a result, the term Bhuvanagiri might be translated as “the location (planet) that does not move.” The locals refer to Bhuvanagiri as “Mel Bhuvanagiri” (Western Segment) and “Kezh Bhuvanagiri” (Eastern Segment) (Eastern Segment). Agriculture employs more than 3/4 of the town’s inhabitants, and they rely on it. Rice is the most widely grown crop, followed by black gramme and green gramme.
These crops are grown on a type of land called as NanSei in Tamil (means wetland cultivation). Other minor crops planted in the area include Finger Millet (Ragi in Tamil), Pearl Millet (Kambu in Tamil), Corn (Makkaa cholam in Tamil), Thoor dhal (Thovaram parupu in Tamil), Sesamum (yel in Tamil), and redgram. These crops are grown on a type of land called as PunSei in Tamil. The river Vellaru (a tributary of the Cauvery) supplies irrigation water. Handloom items are very popular in the town (such as lungies, hand kerchiefs, saris, dhotis, etc.). It is also well-known for its silk saris and silk textiles known as “Bhuvanagiri Pattu.”
Devanathaswamy temple
The Devanathaswamy temple (also known as Thiruvanthipuram Kovil) is devoted to the Hindu deity Vishnu and is located in Thiruvanthipuram, a village on the outskirts of Cuddalore in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple, built in the Dravidian style, is mentioned in the Divya Prabandha, an early mediaeval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th century AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam devoted to Vishnu, known as Devanathaswamy, and his consort Lakshmi, known as Hemabhujavalli. The existing temple is said to have been established during the Medieval Cholas, with further development from the Pandyas, Hoysala Empire, and Vijayanagara Empire. Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120), Vikrama Chola (1118–1135), Rajaraja Chola III (1216–1256), Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (1251–1268), Vikrama Pandya, Vira Pandya III, Vijayanagar ruler Achyuta Deva Raya (1529–1542 CE), and Koperunjinga all have inscriptions in the temple.
The Epigraphical Department discovered more than 50 inscriptions from the Medieval Chola period in the shrine. Inscriptions show endowments to the temple from Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120), Vikrama Chola (1118–1135), Rajaraja Chola III (1216–1256), Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (1251–1268), Vikrama Pandya, Vira Pandya III, Achyuta Deva Raya (1529–1542 CE), and Koperunjinga. During Rajaraja Chola III’s reign, Chola land was besieged, and he was imprisoned by Koperunjinga, a Pallava scion. Vira Narasimha II (1220-1234) came to Chola’s aid and eventually slew Ceylon’s King Parakramabahu. During the reign of Koperunjinga, a temple tower was built, and worship practises were identical to those of other temples during the reign of Maravarman Sundara Pandyan. During the Vijayanara Empire, Ramanuja’s descendants were provided special accommodations for worship. The Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu maintains and administers the temple today.
Fort St David
Fort St David, now in ruins, was a British fort near the town of Cuddalore, on India’s Coromandel Coast, about a hundred miles south of Chennai. It is located near Silver Beach and does not require any upkeep. Because the governor of Madras at the time, Elihu Yale, was Welsh, it was named after the patron saint of Wales.
Fort St David, located near the mouth of the River Gadilam, has an interesting history. The territory was under the control of the Gingee Nayaks. The Dutch chose the Cuddalore region in the early 17th century to expand their trade in the Bay of Bengal region and take advantage of local manufacturing of goods. They sought permission from Krishnappa Nayaka of Gingee to build a fort at Devanampatnam, which was granted in 1608 and construction began. The Nayak, however, withdrew after the Portuguese, who were then significant actors in the Coramandal Coast trade, put pressure on Gingee’s overlord monarch, Venkata I of the Vijayanagara Empire, to block Dutch admission. As a result, the fort was left in the hands of the Gingee Nayaks and appointed traders. The port continued to trade with the rest of the world, and it became a major supplier of sandalwood, camphor, cloves, nutmeg, mace, green velvet, porcelain, copper, and brass.
When the Marathas took over Gingee, Shivaji’s son sold the Devanampatnam fort to the highest European bidder. The British won in 1690 by outbidding the Dutch and French. After lengthy negotiations, Elihu Yale, Governor of Madras, purchased the fort and called it Fort Saint David after a Welsh saint. James Macrae was the fort’s governor when he was appointed Governor of the Madras Presidency in 1725. The British defences were significantly upgraded beginning around 1725. In 1746, Fort St David was designated as the British headquarters for southern India, and French forces led by Dupleix were decisively defeated. In 1756, Robert Clive was appointed governor; in 1758, the French conquered it, but surrendered it two years later to Sir Eyre Coote, KB.
Viruthagerreswarar Temple
Viruthagerreswarar Temple – History: When Brahma was contemplating the creation of the earth, he produced water. Lord Vishnu had the misfortune of slaying the wicked Madhukaidavas. The body fragments floated on water generated by Brahma. When he saw this, Brahma begged to Lord Shiva to make the earth out of the hardened compound of the bodies’ water and flesh. Lord Shiva manifested himself as a mountain. Lord Brahma, who was unaware of this, created a variety of mountains. He was sad since they didn’t have enough room to exist. The pranava God arrived and communicated the truth to Brahma by gestures. Brahma adored Lord Shiva, who took the appearance of a mountain. Shiva formed the world by uniting flesh and water in a hardened form. He referred to it as medhini.
He made room for Brahma’s mountains. He informed Brahma that he was the same as the mountain. Brahma’s mountains followed that mountain. As a result, Shiva’s mountain was given the name Pazha malai (old mountain). That Pazhamalai, he said, would be hard to find on the ground, appearing as a Shiva linga above. Those who worshipped it would receive all they desired. The names of rulers can be seen on the stone inscriptions. Kandarathitha chola, his wife Chembianmaadevi, uthama chola, Raja Raja chola, Rajendira chola, Rajaji Raja chola, Vikrama Chola, Raja Raja chola the second, Kulothunga chola the third, Ezhisai Mohanana Kulothunga chola Arasa Narayanan Kachirayan, Koperum singam, Kachirayan alias, Arasa Narayanan,Ezhisai Mohan, Vikrama pandian, Veera pandiyan, Sundara pandiyan, Mavarma Pandiyan, Konerinmai pandiyan, Ariyanna udayar, Pokkana udayar, Kambana udayar, Veeravi
Thillai Kali Temple
Thillai Kali Temple: This is a Hindu temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India. It was erected by Chola King Kopperunjingan, who reigned from 1229 to 1278. This temple is located on the outskirts of Chidambaram. According to legend, Goddess Kaali Devi relocated here after losing the heavenly dancing competition to Lord Siva. It was a debate about who was greater, ‘Sivam’ (Lord Siva) or Shakthi (Parvathi). In order to settle this, they staged a dance performance at front of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, and other deities in Chidambaram. Lord Siva was going to be vanquished as they were dancing.
But Siva, knowing full well, performed “Oorthuva Taandava,” or elevating one leg above his head. One of the postures in the dance is “Oorthuva Taandava.” Due to their modesty and shyness, ladies were unable to perform. Parvathi was unable to play similarly effectively in this stance and conceded loss. She had to leave town to curb her haughtiness and to deliver a lesson that Sivam and Shakthi are both equally vital in our lives. ‘Thillai Kali’ is a goddess who is enraged. Brahma appeased her rage by chanting Veda and praised her. ‘Kali’ became cold as a result of Lord Brahma’s penance. As a result, the Goddess ‘Thillai Amman’ seems to have four faces at this temple.
Bhu Varaha Swamy temple
The Bhu Varaha Swamy temple is a Hindu temple in Srimushnam, Tamil Nadu, South India. The temple, built in the Dravidian style, is dedicated to Varaha (Bhu Varaha Swamy), the boar-avatar of the deity Vishnu, and his spouse Lakshmi as Ambujavalli Thayar. The temple was built by Medieval Cholas in the 10th century and then expanded by Thanjavur Nayak monarch Achuthappa Nayak. The temple is surrounded by a granite wall, which encloses all of the shrines and temple tanks. The temple’s gateway tower is a seven-tieredrajagopuram.
The temple has six daily rituals and three yearly festivals, the most notable of which is the Chariot festival, which takes place during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (April–May). The celebration also represents Hindu-Muslim solidarity in the area, since Muslims give the chariot’s flag and take contributions from the temple to deliver to Allah in the mosques. The Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu maintains and administers the temple.
Veeranam Lake
Veeranam Lake (Veeranarayanapuram Lake) is located 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) southwest of Nattarmangalam in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, South India. Kattumannarkoil is 1 km (0.62 mi) away. The lake, which is approximately 235 kilometres (146 miles) from Chennai, India, is one of the water reservoirs from which water would be provided to Chennai.
The Veeranam project to deliver water to Chennai was proposed in 1967 by then-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai and carried out by his successor, M. Karunanidhi. The project was plagued by pervasive corruption, and funds meant for it were misappropriated, causing the project to stall. J. Jayalalitha completed the project in 2004. It was unable to utilise any water from the lake because it had dried up, so the government came up with the face-saving solution of digging 45 deep borewells around the region and pumping the resulting water 235 kilometres (146 mi) to Chennai via the pipeline. This is the world’s longest man-made lake, measuring 14 kilometres in length.
The credit belongs to ancient humans who did this work with simple hand tools. Veeranam Lake, a 16-kilometer (9.9-mile) long dam in northern Tamil Nadu, was erected in the Tenth Century during the reign of the Greater Cholas, from 907–955 AD[3]. Rajaditya Chola constructed it and named it after his father, Parantaka I Chola. The water for this veeranam lake comes from Kollidam via the Vadavaru River. For the most portion of the year, the lake is dry. The first chapter of Ponniyin Selvan is situated on the shores of Veera Narayana Lake. Kalki describes the lake’s characteristics in detail, as well as how many rivers flow into it. During the spring season, Chola princess KUNDAVI would visit for refreshment on the banks of Veeranam lake, he said.
He also mentions Ramanujacharya deciding on the number of 64 Peetas – 64 simhasanathipathigal based on the number of 64 apertures in the lake. This is Veeraanam Lake, which was previously known as Veeranaaraayanapuram Lake.
Best Time to Visit in Cuddalore
The Annual Summer Festival at Silver Beach is a fantastic time to visit Cuddalore.
How to Reach Viluppuram
Air:
Chennai Airport (147 kilometres) and Puducherry Airport (147 kilometres) are the closest international airports (43km).
Rail:
Viluppuram Railway Junction is one of the most important railway junctions in Tamil Nadu. As a result, in south India, it plays a vital role in transportation.
Road:
The major National Highways NH45A and NH45B go through Viluppuram (South-East upto Nagappattinam). NH45 (North–South) and NH68 (West–East through Ulundurpet), as well as NH66 (North-West via Tindivanm) A main bus stand (New Bus Stand) is located in the city’s heart, near the Master Plan Complex, which houses all of the city’s important offices such as the Collectorate, Court, and other government agencies, and is well connected to all Mofussal Routes as well as the Town Bus Stand (Old Bus Stand) – Local Routes.