Street Talk: Legendary spot where Shiva changed his dance posture

MADURAI: Velliambala Street is a small stretch from South Chithirai Street near Meenakshi temple but it has got lot of historical and mythical significance since Velliambalam — another name for abode of Shiva in Madurai — is believed to have altered his dancing position here after a Pandya king requested him.
According to Thiruvilayadalpuranam, which narrates celestial acts of Lord Shiva, it was 24th chapter where he switched to standing on left leg in his usual Nataraja posture from the right.As per Thirivilayadalpuranam, Rajasekara Pandya who ruled Madurai mastered all 63 of 64 skills but was reluctant to learn to dance since Madurai is considered Velliambalam, where Shiva danced as requested by sages, Pathanjali and Viyagrathapathar.
After he learnt that his Chola counterpart had mastered all art forms, including dance, he learnt dance but soon realized it was painful to dance continuously. He felt bad for Shiva who has been dancing on one leg of the Nataraja posture and requested him to switch to the other leg during one Sivarathri festival. Much to his delight, when he opened his eyes after praying, he found that deity's dance posture had changed.
Today, Velliambala Street has a hall more than 400 years old hosting Ayiravaisiya Hr Sec School run by the Kasukara Chettiyar community. N Pandurangan, retired librarian from the community, said the hall was mentioned in Thirumalai Nayak's period in 1656 indicating that it existed even before that period. When present day Meenakshi temple was constructed by Nayak Kings, Peria Gurusamy Chettiar and Chinna Gurusamy Chettiar from the community provided land for temple and allowed the workers to use their hall.
Later in 1904, the community started a thinnai pallikoodam (primary school), which is one of the oldest schools in Madurai, in that hall. It was turned into a modern primary school in 1955 and higher secondary school in 1967, said J Ramamurthy, one of the school management board members.