Renuka, also known as Yellamma, is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in the South Indian states of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

and western state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

. She is also known as the mother of

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will app ...

, the sixth avatar of the god

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

. Originally a Dravidian folk deity, she acquired the status of a mother goddess before eventually being associated with the legend of Parashurama.

Names

Renuka is venerated by a number of different appellations such as Yellamma,

Ekvira Ekvira (also spelled as Ekveera) is a Hindu goddess, regarded to be a form of the goddess Renuka. She is the kuladevi of the Koli people. Every year Kolis pay respect to Ekvira and celebrate the festival in Karla Caves. Temple The Ekvira Aai ...

, Ellai Amman, Padmakshi Renuka, and Ellai Amma Mahar,

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

: ಶ್ರೀ ಯಲ್ಲಮ್ಮ ರೇಣುಕಾ, ( Marathi: श्री. रेणुका / येल्लुआई,

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

: ரேணு/ரேணுகை அம்மன்,

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

: శ్రీ రేణుక/ ఎల్లమ్మ) and is worshipped as the goddess of the fallen in the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

pantheon. Her devotees revere her as the "Mother of the universe" or

Jagadamba Jagadamba () is an epithet used to address a Hindu goddess. It is primarily used in the honor of Adi Shakti as one of her names in Hinduism. Literature Ramcharitmanas In Ramcharitmanas, a version of the Ramayana by Tulsidas, after Angadha m ...

Legends

The legends of Renuka are contained in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

, the

Harivamsa The ''Harivamsa'' ( , literally "the genealogy of Hari") is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 shlokas, mostly in the '' anustubh'' metre. The text is also known as the ''Harivamsa Purana.'' This text is believed to ...

, and in the

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...

There are 4 incarnations of Adi parashakti (

Kamakshi Tripura Sundari (Sanskrit: त्रिपुरा सुन्दरी, IAST: Tripura Sundarī), also known as Rajarajeshwari, Shodashi, Kamakshi, and Lalita is a Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of supreme goddess Mahadevi ...

) is worshipped.

Vishalakshi The Vishalakshi Temple or Vishalakshi Gauri Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vishalakshi (''Viśālākshī'', sa, विशालाक्षी, "she who has large eyes"), (an aspect of the goddess Parvati/Gauri) at Mir Ghat ...

in North, Renukakshi (Padmakshi) in West,

Meenakshi Meenakshi (Sanskrit: ; Tamil: ; sometimes spelled as Minakshi; also known as , and ), is a Hindu goddess and tutelary deity of Madurai who is considered an avatar of the Goddess Parvati also referred to as Durga. She is the divine consort o ...

in South and Bahulakshi in East.

Early life

King Renu (father of Renuka) performed a

yajna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Boo ...

— a ritual performed to maintain peace and good health. He was blessed with a daughter, who originated from the fire of this yajna. Renuka was a bright and active child and became the most beloved child of her parents. When she was eight,

Agastya Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...

, the

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

of King Reṇu, advised him to have his daughter married to

Jamadagni Jamadagni ( sa, जमदग्नि, lit=great fire) is a character in Hindu literature. He is regarded in Hindu tradition to be one of the Saptarishi (Seven Vedic sages) in the seventh, and the current age of Manvantara.Avalon, Arthur ( Sir ...

when she reached maturity. Jamadagni was the son of Ruchika and Satyavati and had obtained the blessings of the gods by performing severe

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of repentance for sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. It also plays a part ...

. Renuka helped the Jamdagni in all of his tasks of performing various rituals and puja. After a while, Renuka was blessed with another daughter called Anjana. Renuka would wake up early in the morning to bathe in the

Malaprabha River The Malaprabha River ( Kannada ಮಲಪ್ರಭಾ ನದಿ) is a tributary of the Krishna River and flows through the state of Karnataka in India. It rises in the Western Ghats at an elevation of in the state's Belgaum district. The r ...

with complete concentration and devotion. Her devotion was so powerful that she was able to create a pot to hold water made only of sand, one fresh pot every day. She would fill this pot on the bank of the river and would use a snake which was nearby, turning it into a rope-like convolution and placing it on her head, so that it supported the pot. Thus, she brought the water to Jamdagni for his rituals of oblation.

Married Life

Renuka gave birth to five sons: Ṛumaṇvān, Suhotra, Vasu, Viśvāvasu, and Rama Bhargava. Rama Bhargava was the youngest and most beloved, gaining the favour of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

and

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

. Rama performed severe penance and was bestowed with an axe (parashu), and was henceforth called as

(the sixth incarnation of

). One day, when Renuka went to the river, she saw a king make love to his wives. She was captivated by the sight, as a result of which she lost her concentration and devotion to her husband for a moment. As she was distracted, she lost her power of collecting water in unbaked pots, which she had gotten from her chastity. She lost the water that she had collected. Disappointed by this, she returned to the

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (<

Shivalinga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional ...

, which they had given to her. Next, she was asked to visit the nearby town and beg for rice from the houses (this ritual, called "Joga Bedodu", is still carried out by women during a particular month in Karnataka/ "Jogawa" in Marathi, "Yellamma Jogu" in Telangana). After collecting the rice, she was to give half to the saints and cook the remaining half, adding

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and ...

, partaking of the cooked rice with full devotion. They said that if she performed this ritual for three days, she would be able to visit her husband on the fourth day. Yellamma temple at Badami

Knowing the anger of Jamadagni, they warned her that she may not be fully pardoned by him and that she would have to experience the most difficult time of her life for a few minutes. "After that," they said, "you will be eternally revered and will be blessed with your husband. You will be worshipped by all the people henceforth." After blessing her thus, they disappeared. Renuka followed their instructions with devotion and worshipped the Shivalinga with reverence. On the fourth day, she went to see her husband.

Decapitation and Resurrection

Jamadagni was still furious with Renuka and ordered his elder four sons to kill his wife, but all of them refused to kill their mother. Jamadagni cursed his four sons and reduced them to ashes for disobeying his order. Then, Jamadagni called his fifth son Parashurama, who was meditating on Shiva, and ordered him to behead Renuka.

immediately obeyed his father's words and beheaded his mother with his axe. Jamadagni was pleased by Parashurama's devotion and obedience towards him. Renuka temple 2

He then offered a boon to Parushurama, who wisely asked for his mother and brothers to be brought back to life. Jamadagni was impressed by Parshuram's pragmatism and brought Renuka and her four sons back to life. Jamadagni felt strong remorse for what he had done to his beloved and compassionate wife. He then vowed not to get angered ever again and gave up '' krodha'' forever.

Renuka's Head

According to a version of the tale, Renuka fled to the locale of a lower-caste community, hoping that her Brahmin son would not consent to follow her and execute her due to his high caste. However, the obedient Parashurama cast aside his discomfort and swung his axe, beheading both his mother and a lower-caste woman who had risen to obstruct his matricide. When Parashurama asked his boon of restoring his mother, Jamadagni offered him a magical pot of water that had to be sprinkled upon the head attached to the body of his mother. In his excitement, Parashurama accidentally fused the head of the lower-caste woman he had slain with the body of his mother, which both his father and he had to accept. The head of the high-caste Renuka was left behind in the community, retained as a shrine for the veneration of Renuka-Yellamma.

Temples and Related places

Sri Ellai Amman, Renukaparameswari, Triplicane, Chennai, India

One of the famous temples of Renuka Yellamma Thalli is located at

Balkampet Balkampet is a developing suburb in Hyderabad, India. It is located close to other bigger suburbs such as Ameerpet, Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Sanathnagar and Fatehnagar. This suburb is known for its hardware business. This suburb is also a religious ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...

where every year in

Ashadha Ashadha or Aashaadha or Aadi ( hi, आसाढ़ ''Āsāṛh'' or ''Āṣāḍh''; as, আহাৰ ''ahar''; or, ଆଷାଢ଼ ''Āṣāḍh''; bn, আষাঢ়; syl, ꠀꠀꠠ ''aáṛ''; ne, असार ''asār''; gu, અષા� ...

month Yellamma Kalyanothsavam is celebrated with thousands of pilgrims performing special rituals to get the blessings of Renuka Yellamma Thalli. The Murti of the goddess, interestingly, is 10 feet deeper than the ground level. There is also a well in the Balkampet Yellamma temple complex and some devotees believe that the water in the well heals all ills. Taking a bath here is supposed to purify one of all disorders and skin diseases. This holy water is called ‘tirtham’. An Akhand Jyoti is also present in the temple that was lit during the renovation. Every year, there is a gathering of 200,000 to 600,000 devotees at the Yellamma Gudi temple (Yellamma Temple) in Saundatti Three other very famous Temples of Renuka Yellamma are located in Mandapaka/Tanuku, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh,

Bidarahalli Bidarahalli is a village located in Mundargi Mundaragi is a municipal town in Gadag district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Mundargi is close to two district headquarters, being from Gadag and from Koppal. It is 99 kilometers from Gaj ...

Gadag Gadag-Betageri is a city municipal council in Gadag district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Gadag District. The original city of Gadag and its sister city Betageri (or ''Betgeri'') have a combined cit ...

, and Chaandragutti,

Shimoga Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...

, Karnataka, India. Many devotees from different regions come to the temple in the month of Kartik and revere Renuka-Yellamma. It is believed that after her marriage with the sage Jamadagni, Renuka lived in this place. Renuka used to wake up early in the morning and bathe in the holy Tungabhadra River. With complete concentration and devotion to fill the pot, which she used to prepare out of the sand on the bank of the river and would hold the snake which was there and turn it into a convolution and place it on the head so that it supported the pot. She bought the pot to Jamdagni for the performance of rituals. There is a famous temple in Kavade Village of

Alibag Alibag, also known as Alibaug (Pronunciation: �libaːɡ, is a coastal town and a municipal council in Raigad District of Maharashtra, India. It is the headquarters of the Raigad district and is south of the city of Mumbai. Alibag is part of t ...

of Renuka Devi named "Padmakshi Renuka Devi", where people also call her "Aai mauli". She is also known as

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this tra ...

Bhairavi Bhairavi ( sa, भैरवी) is a Hindu goddess, described as one of the Mahāvidyas, the ten avatars of the mother goddess. She is the consort of Bhairava. Etymology The name ''Bhairavi'' means "terror" or "awe-inspiring". She is th ...

, Amba,

. Her sister is known as

Jogeshwari Jogeshwari (Pronunciation: ͡ʒoɡeːʃʋəɾiː is a suburb located in the western part of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is notable for its caves - 'Jogeshwari Caves', particularly one containing a shrine of the Hindu Goddess Jogeshwari, L ...

. Her

mount Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

or Vahan is Vmshatki the animal made of 20 Guna. She is a newly formed Shakti peeth and is one of 108 Shakti peeth. Goddess has been described as having very beautiful charm and glory on her face with a loving nature. Another temple Renukambe ellammais atop a hill in Chandragutti,

Soraba Soraba is a Taluk in Shivamogga district in the state of Karnataka in India. Anavatti is the Major Town and commercial centre in Soraba Taluk. Soraba is located at . It has an average elevation of 580 metres (1902 feet). History Th ...

Taluk in

. This temple is an example of ancient architecture and dates back to the Kadamba period. Another temple is in

Mahur, Maharashtra Mahur or Mahurgad is a town and religious place in Nanded district of Maharashtra, India. Mahur is the birthplace of Hindu God Dattatreya. Dattatreya parents Atri Rishi and Sati Anasuya Mata lived here. Brahmadev, Vishnudev and Lord Shiva o ...

, the supposed birthplace of the goddess, which finds mention in ''Devi Gita'', the final chapter of

Devi Bhagawatam The Devi Bhagavata Purana ( sa, देवी भागवतपुराणम्, '), also known as the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana or simply ''Devi Bhagavatam'', is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hindu ...

as, "Matripura in the Sahyadri mountain; here the Devi Renuka dwells ...". One of the temples of Renuka Devi is

Chandwad Chandwad (IPA:Cāndavaḍa) is a town located in the Nashik district in Maharashtra. It is 250 km from Mumbai. The 11th-century Jain Caves, Renuka devi mandir, Chandreshwar temple and Rangmahal are in Chandwad. Chandwad is a tehsil of N ...

Nasik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nash ...

. The temple was constructed by her highness Maharani

Ahilyabai Holkar Ahilya Bai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire, in early-modern India. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty. After the demise of her husband ...

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...

. The second place is Matripura in the Sahyadrî mountains. Another Temple of Devi is at Dhamnand-Posare, Taluka Khed, Maharashtra known as "Devi Yalubai". Another temple becoming famous is Nalgonda, Telangana where Tuesday is main auspicious day.

In Tamil Nadu, Renugambal Amman Temple (it is Kuladaivam for Jambu Maharishi (Jamadagini) gotra Vanniyars), Senguntha Muthaliyars and other communities' people tracing their origin in that locality. The temple is situated in Padavedu, Thiruvannamalai District and it is one of the most important Sakthi Sthalas, another temple is located at Manthangal village, Ranipet district, Tamilnadu. The presiding deity here is called Kondi Amman (worshipped by Pokanati Reddys settled from the Carnatic-Andhra regions)

Renuka Lake in the Renuka Sanctuary in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...

is named after the goddess. According to one legend, the

Haihaya The Heheya Kingdom (also known as Haihaya, Haiheya, Heiheya _sa.html" ;"title="nowiki/> sa">हैहय was a kingdom ruled by the Yadava people, who claimed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. One of the mo ...

King Sahasrarjuna ( Kartavirya Arjuna) wanted the

Kamadhenu Kamadhenu ( sa, कामधेनु, , ), also known as Surabhi (, or , ), is a divine bovine-goddess described in Hinduism as the mother of all cows. She is a miraculous cow of plenty who provides her owner whatever he desires and is often ...

cow from

and Renuka. So for this he killed Jamadagni, and Renuka became sati along with Jamadagni at Mahurgadh, Maharashtra. Another famous temple for Renukambal is situated in Serampattu Village near Cheyyar in the Tiruvannamalai district. Thousands of people gather here during the Pongal festival. Another powerful temple of Renuka Parameshwari is located in Tiruchampalli near Sembanarkoil in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. One more temple of Ellamma is situated at the village of Ragupathi Naicken Palayam of

Erode Erode () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the state, after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruppur and Salem. It is also the administrative headquarters of the ...

Tamilnadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language— ...

. Ragupathi Naicken Palayam can be reached from Erode - Poondurai Road as well as Erode - Vellode Road. Although it is unclear when the temple was constructed, it is understood from the inscription placed at the temple that the temple was renovated by the Late Mr. Duraisamy Naicker in 1923. He is said to belong to the community of Banajiga (or Balija) of

Lingayat Lingayatism or Veera Saivism is a Hindu denomination based on Shaivism. Initially known as ''Veerashaivas'', since the 12th-century adherents of this faith are known as ''Lingayats''. The terms ''Lingayatism'' and '' Veerashaivism'' have bee ...

Society which has origin in Karnataka but settled in Tamilnadu in the 19th century. The temple is maintained by people of the Banajiga community now. Maha Shivratri in the month of Maasi and the Full Moon day of Karthigai are celebrated by the Banajigas in this temple. Goddess Renuka and Lord

Jamdagni Jamadagni ( sa, जमदग्नि, lit=great fire) is a character in Hindu literature. He is regarded in Hindu tradition to be one of the Saptarishi (Seven Vedic sages) in the seventh, and the current age of Manvantara.Avalon, Arthur (Sir J ...

Muni are worshipped in villages around

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

river in Rawain valley of

Uttarkashi Uttarkashi, meaning Varanasi, Kashi of the north, is a town located in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarkashi town is headquarters of the district. Uttarkashi is also known as Somya Kashi. Uttarkashi is a religious place for spir ...

district in Uttaranchal. Many ancient temples in the region are dedicated to the divine couple – the famous being the

temple at Thaan village near the bank of

yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

and Renuka temples in the uphill village of Devadokhri, Banchangaon, and Sarnaul. The region has an age-old tradition of celebrations in commemoration of the local deities, and managing the temple affairs and customs. The priesthood is claimed on the basis of ancestry and merit both, and mainly held by Khanduri, Semwal, and Dimri Brahmins of Uttaranchal. The week-long annual festivities in the month of June are main attraction for devotees around the region.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Hindu goddesses Characters in the Bhagavata Purana Hindu folk deities Characters in the Mahabharata