Triplicane

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?Triplicane Chennai • Tamil Nadu • India
Image:Chennai area locator map.svg Image:India Tamil Nadu locator map.svg Image:Locator Dot.svg Triplicane
Coordinates: 13°03′19″N 80°16′51″E / 13.0553, 80.2807
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
District(s)	Chennai District
Subdistrict	Triplicane
Parliamentary constituency	Chennai Central
Planning Agency	CMDA
Civic agency	Chennai Corporation
Zone	Mylapore-Triplicane
Website: Chennai District website

Coordinates: 13°03′19″N 80°16′51″E / 13.0553, 80.2807

Image:Triplicane Pond.jpg

The eponymous Triplicane Pond

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.

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.

[edit] Food guide

There are many restaurants and cafes in Triplicane. Triplicane restaurants serve a variety of foods - Tamil Nadu styles (Chennai, Chettinad, Karaikudi), Bengali, Gujarati, North Indian and Keralite. Amongst the oldest restaurants is Ratna Cafe - their idli-sambar dish is a local favorite. Murugan Idli Shop has also opened an outlet in Triplicane. There are many Andhra "messes" that serve bachelors with low cost wholesome food with unlimited rice and pappu (lentils). Andhra "messes" are single family businesses with no sales tax information - they migrate as a single family, rent a house, modify the hall to accommodate 20 seats, order rice in wholesale from Andhra Pradesh and that's it. Mess is ready.