Triplicane

Triplicane, also known as Thiruvallikeni, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Chennai, India. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal coast and about 0.5km from Fort St George. The average elevation of the neighbourhood is 14 metres above sea level.Along with Mylapore and the surrounding regions, Triplicane is historically much older than the city of Chennai itself, with a mention in records as early as the Pallava period. Primarily a residential region, it is home to some of the tourist attractions of the city, such as the Marina Beach, Parthasarathy Temple and Triplicane Big Mosque, and several commercial establishments. Triplicane is equally famous for its rich traditional culture, which is prominent in and around the streets (known as "mada veedhi" in Tamil) of Parthasarthy Temple.EtymologyThe name Triplicane is the anglicized version of Thiruvallikeni, which derives from Thiru-Alli-Keni (Sacred Lily Pond, in Tamil), denoting the pond in front of the Parthasarathy temple, which was amidst a big Tulasi forest. The place is also referred as Brindaranyam in Brahmanda Purana, owing to the presence of the tulasi (brinda) plants in the area. It is also referred to as 'Brindaranya kshetra' and 'Southern Brindavana'.