It is a long and narrow thoroughfare that cuts across George Town, one of the older parts of Madras city. Who Govindappa Naicken was, nobody knows. But among the oldest educational establishments of the city is the Govinda Naicker School and it functions close by at the Pachaiyappa’s Hall. As for the street, in keeping with the Government diktat to remove all caste names, it is simply Govindappa Street. Today it is dominated by shops and small businesses and on an average day it is almost impossible to navigate through, with trucks and lorries, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers and cars jostling for space. It has been declared one-way but that makes no difference and if you are not the variety that walks, a cycle-rickshaw may be your best bet.