VELLORE, a town and military cantonment in the Carnatic, on the- right bank of the Palar, in lat. 12° 55' 17" N., and long. 79° 10' 17" E., 70 miles IV. from Madras, and 695 feet- above the sea. It is known to tho people as Rai Ellur or Stony Ellore, to distinguish it from Ellore on the sea-coast, which they name Uppu Ellur or Salt Ellore. It has a strongly-built fortress, which is overlooked by hills in the vicinity. It seems to have been built about the beginning of the 16th century by the Vijayanag,ar rulers, but in 1616 it fell to the four confederate 3fuhammadan kings, and in 1677 it and Ginji were captured by Sivaji. During the war of 1782 it was relieved by Sir Eyre Cooto in the face of Hyder's army. After the fall of Seringapatam, the family of Tipu, consisting of 12 sons and 8 daughters, were 'mated in Vonore. On the 10th July 1806, the sepoys of the garrison, incited by Tipu's descendants, mutinied and massacred most of the officers and European soldiers, but wero subdued by Colonel Gillespie with a party of the 19th Dragoons from Arcot, 18 miles distant, and a remnant of the Europeans saved, after which all the family of Tipu were removed to Bengal.
The Palar river runs about half a mile from the fort. Besides its imposing and picturesque fortress, which contains many interesting build ing,s, Vellore possesses a handsome Vishnuvite temple with soine good carving.
VEL3fA, AiIma, Ye1mi, or Velma, in the Northern Teling country, are a dominant agri cultural tribe with military proclivities, who claim to be Rajputs, and of descent from the rajas of Warangal. They take the title of Rayadu. They are soldiers and agriculturists, brave and high spirited, and on points of honour will sacrifice themselves. In 1881 they numbered 348.063.