Vellore is a town bisected by the Palar river, one of many tributaries of the life giving Cauvery flowing west to east in south India. Vellore is famous for its historic Fort constructed in the 13th Century, and has the hallmark of grandeur with its double-walled fortress with a massive moat and high gateways that lead to the gigantic Jalakandeswarar temple with its ornate Kalyana Mandapam in the interior. Vellore itself has a place in India's history of independence, since it is here that the first movement to free India was initiated by the Vellore Sepoy Mutiny some 200 years back, on 9th July 1806. The Golden Temple has added a new attraction for travelers. Vellore is proud of VIT University, established in 1984, now the best temple of education among all private institutes of the country.