King Kulashekara of Manavur in south India was a devotee of Shiva. He even built a temple for Shiva. But, he was childless. Pleased with him, Prarvati decided to take birth in his family. A daughter was born to Kulashekara  with eyes like a fish. He named her Meenakshi, meen (meaning fish) and askshi (meaning eyes). She also smelled like a fish. When the baby was shown to a Brahmin, he said that her fish-like features would go away once she met her future husband. When she grew up, she went to Mount Kailash and saw Shiva. Immediately, her fish-like features disappeared. Meenakshi realised that Shiva was her future husband and they decided to get married. At their wedding, the gods came, but they refused to have food until Shiva danced his cosmic dance, the chidambaram .