Steeped in mythologies and eulogised by the Azhwars in their sacred hymns in Tamil glorified as Divya Prabandhams, the Parthasarathy Temple at Tiruvallikkeni or Triplicane, as the Britishers called it, happens to be the oldest temple in the city.

The existence of the Tiruvallikeni village is seen in records dating back to the Pallava period and earlier. The village's name itself is derived from Lily pond in front of the temple, where it is said that Goddess Vedavalli, consort of Lord Ranganatha, one of the five main deities, was born in a Lily flower. The pond itself was amidst a Tulasi forest (densed with Basil trees). Thus the temple forms the core of the area's history.