Its name is a distorted form of Sit-tan-na-va-yil, a Tamil word which means "the abode of great saints" (Tamil: சித்தன்னவாசல்).
The site's name is an altered form of Sit-tan-na-va-yil, a Tamil term indicating "the location associated with revered sages" (Tamil: சித்தன்னவாசல்).