History
Inscriptions at the largest Shiva temple in Melattur indicate that the village might have existed as early as the times of Vikrama Chola who lived in 12th century AD. Earlier known as Nritta Vinoda Valanadu, the village was rechristened as Unnathapuri in honor of Unnathapureswarar, the presiding deity of the temple and the form in which Lord Shiva was worshipped in Melattur.
When the Vijayanagar Empire fell at the Battle of Talikota in 1542, there were a prominent exodus of artistes and prominent Hindu citizens to the south. Achyuthappa Nayak of Thanjavur, a vassal of the Vijayanagar kings granted the village of Unnathapuri near Thanjavur to 501 families of Kuchipudi dancers who were a part of the exodus. The village was subsequently renamed as Achyutapuram and eventually as Melattur with the passage of time. The Kuchipudi dancers preserved their ancestral tradition and gave regular performances. This eventually gave rise to the Bhagavatha Melas as well as the unique style of Bharatanatyam which evolved here.
During the reign of the Maratha king Tukkoji, an exodus of people from Atthigiri (Kanchipuram) migrated south and settled in Melattur. They built the Varadaraja Perumal temple at the north-western corner of the Agraharam and introduced Vaishnavism in the village and surrounding areas.
Virabhadra, the famous scholar who introduced thillana in the art of Bharatanatyam hailed from Melattur
Read more about this topic: Melattur, Tamil Nadu
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