The Wallajah Big Mosque, also called the Triplicane Big Mosque, in Chennai has been restored for public use after months of renovation work undertaken by the Prince of Arcot Endowments.
It was built in 1795 by Muhammad Ali Wallajah, Nawab of the Carnatic and an ancestor of the Prince of Arcot. The structure is made wholly of granite, with no wood or steel, and reflects the Mughal style with two minarets. The grave of Qaid-e-Millat M. Muhammad Ismail Sahib lies in front of the mosque.
Wallajah, who sided with the British East India Company against Chanda Sahib in the Carnatic Wars, was formally recognised as Nawab by Mughal emperor Shah Alam II on 26 August 1765.