Yellamma (Saundatti)

Yellamma, also known as Renuka, is the presiding deity of the Saundatti temple in Karnataka and is revered as a major folk goddess across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. She is identified with Renuka, the mother of Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata (Vana Parva) and the Skanda Purana, Renuka was the wife of the sage Jamadagni.

After a series of events, she was beheaded by her son Parashurama at his father's command, but later restored to life through a boon. The Yellamma tradition holds that she became a goddess worshipped for fertility, protection, and healing. Iconographically, Yellamma is depicted seated on a lion, holding a trishula, sword, and lotus, with a third eye and a motherly yet fierce expression, often adorned in red clothing and kumkum.

Her symbols include the lion, trishula, coconut, kumkum, neem, and sword. The goddess is closely associated with the Jogati tradition, where female devotees (Jogatis) dedicate themselves to her service, a practice mentioned in regional folk texts like the Yellamma Purana. Major festivals include the Yellamma Jatra and the Saundatti Fair, drawing thousands of pilgrims.

In Hindu cosmology, Yellamma represents the fierce and protective aspect of the Divine Mother, embodying both fertility and destruction of evil. Her worship incorporates elements from both Vedic and folk traditions, with mantras such as 'Om Yellamma Namaḥ' and the Renuka Stotram recited in her honor.

Seated on lion. Holds trishula, sword, and lotus. Crowned, three-eyed. Motherly yet fierce expression. Often depicted with red clothing and kumkum.