Boy · Tamil
Karikalan
கரிகாலன்Say it kuh-ri-KAA-lun
- Meaning
- Karikala, a renowned Chola king; explained as 'charred leg' Tamil Lexicon, p. 747
- Say it
- kuh-ri-KAA-lun
- Written
- கரிகாலன்
- Other spellings
- Karikaalan
Karikalan
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Karikalan meaning
Karikalan (கரிகாலன்) is a Tamil boy's name.
Karikala, a renowned Chola king; explained as 'charred leg'
Karikalan (கரிகாலன்) is the name of Karikala, the most celebrated of the early Chola kings, praised by several Sangam poets. The Tamil Lexicon explains the name by the story that his legs were charred in a fire when he was a boy, from kari, "charred", and kāl, "leg"; some historians read it instead as "death to elephants". Tradition credits him with the Kallanai, the ancient stone dam across the Kaveri. Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan revived the name through a later prince, Aditha Karikalan.
Source: Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (1924–36), p. 747 · entry karikālaṉ¹ (கரிகாலன்) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Tamil Lexicon, karikālaṉ (கரிகாலன்), p. 747 · Wikipedia, Karikala · Wikipedia, Aditha Karikalan
Famous namesakes
- Karikala Chola, king of the Sangam age
- Aditha Karikalan, tenth-century Chola crown prince
Spellings
Karikalan · Karikaalan