Triplicane, known in the vernacular as Thiruvallikeni, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Chennai, India. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal coast and about 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. One of the four "Old Towns" in the city, the neighbourhood was the first village obtained by the English to expand the new city of Madras beyond its "White Town" neighbourhood within the Fort St. George. Primarily a residential region, it is home to some of the tourist attractions of the city, such as the Marina Beach, Parthasarathy Temple and several commercial establishments. Triplicane is also known for its traditional culture, which is prominent in and around the streets (known as in Tamil) of Parthasarthy Temple. Etymology The 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'. History Literary mention The early records of the town are rooted to epic rather than history. The city's original name, Thiruvallikeni, finds various mentions in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, which are a collection of hymns by earlier poets that were compiled in the ninth century. One such poet, Thirumangai Alvar, described Thiruvallikeni as a densely canopied forest with peacocks and koels, where the sun's rays could not penetrate. Another poet, Peyalwar, describes Thiruvallikeni as, "by the tossing sea... where corals and pearls washed ashore liken the evening sky and the lamps they light of dusk." Medieval era The evidence from stone inscriptions indicates that Parthasarathy temple was built in the eighth century by a Pallava King. The temple was later expanded by the Pallavas, Cholas, Vijayanagara rulers. It has been recorded that a rivulet, Kaivareni, ran across Triplicane and Mylapore. The legend has it that the rivulet connected two water bodies: the temple tank of Parthasarathy temple and a sacred well, Mani Kairavani, in the flower garden of Adi Kesava Perumal temple of Mylapore.