Triplicane (Tamil: திருவல்லிகேணி), situated about a half km from the Bay of Bengal coast and Fort St George, is one of the oldest central business districts of Chennai, South India.
Triplicane owes its name to its Puranic existence as Tiruvallikeni or Tiru-Alli-Keni (Sacred Lily Pond in Tamil) denoting the pond in front of the famous Parthasarathy Temple located there. The place was also referred to as Vrundha-raNyam (beautiful garden) in Puranic scriptures.
Besides the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane is also famous for the various personalities it has produced over the years. Writer Sujatha, and cricketers M.J. Gopalan, Krish Srikkanth and W.V. Raman all hailed from Triplicane. Nobel prize winner Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar attended the Hindu High School (1922-1925) in Triplicane. Subramanya Bharathy, the freedom fighter and poet, lived his last years in a house there; the house has since been bought and renovated by the Government of Tamil Nadu (in 1993), and named Bharathiyar Illam (Home of Bharathiyar). The Chepauk Cricket Ground is in Triplicane as well.
Besides the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane is also famous for the various personalities it has produced over the years. Writer Sujatha, and cricketers M.J. Gopalan, Krish Srikkanth and W.V. Raman all hailed from Triplicane. Nobel prize winner Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar attended the Hindu High School (1922-1925) in Triplicane. Subramanya Bharathy, the freedom fighter and poet, lived his last years in a house there; the house has since been bought and renovated by the Government of Tamil Nadu (in 1993), and named Bharathiyar Illam (Home of Bharathiyar). The Chepauk Cricket Ground is in Triplicane as well.
Triplicane is called the Bachelors Paradise of Chennai. The locality has a large number of mansions - a local synonym for guest houses. Many of these are suitable for students, single professionals and visitors. Walking around the lanes of Triplicane during evening time, one is apt to come across hosts of youngsters conversing in a babel of languages - English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The place is known for its educational book stalls and used bikes. Triplicane's Pycrofts Road is a mini T. Nagar where one can buy all kinds of garments and luggage.
