Context :

Aims : To estimate distances to dense molecular cores that harbour Very Low Luminosity Objects ( VeLLO ) detected by Spitzer Space Telescope and to confirm their VeLLO nature .

Methods : The cloud distances are estimated using near-IR photometric method .
We use a technique that provides spectral classification of stars lying towards the fields containing the clouds into main sequence and giants .
In this technique , the observed ( J - H ) and ( H - K _ { s } ) colours are dereddened simultaneously using trial values of A _ { V } and a normal interstellar extinction law .
The best fit of the dereddened colours to the intrinsic colours giving a minimum value of \chi ^ { 2 } then yields the corresponding spectral type and A _ { V } for the star .
The main sequence stars , thus classified , are then utilized in an A _ { V } versus distance plot to bracket the cloud distances .
The typical error in the estimation of distances to the clouds are found to be \sim 18 \% .

Results : We estimated distances to seven cloud cores , IRAM04191 , L1521F , BHR111 , L328 , L673-7 , L1014 , and L1148 using the above method .
These clouds contain VeLLO candidates .
The estimated distances to the cores are found to be 127 \pm 25 pc ( IRAM04191 ) , 136 \pm 36 pc ( L1521F ) , 355 \pm 65 pc ( BHR111 ) , 217 \pm 30 pc ( L328 ) , 240 \pm 45 pc ( L673-7 ) , 258 \pm 50 pc ( L1014 ) , and 301 \pm 55 pc ( L1148 ) .
We re-evaluated the internal luminosities of the VeLLOs discovered in these seven clouds using the distances estimated from this work .
Except for L1014 - IRS ( L _ { int } = 0.15 L _ { \odot } ) , all other VeLLO candidates are found to be consistent with the definition of a VeLLO ( L _ { int } \leq 0.1 L _ { \odot } ) .
In addition to the cores that harbour VeLLO candidates , we also obtained distances to the clouds L323 , L675 , L676 , CB 188 , L1122 , L1152 , L1155 , L1157 and L1158 which are located in the directions of the above seven cores .
Towards L1521F and L1148 we found evidence of the presence of multiple dust layers .

Conclusions :