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Renuka

Reṇukā/Renuga/Renu is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in the Indian state of Maharashtra.”Renu” means “Atom/Mother of Universe” She is also worshipped in the South Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karanataka, and Tamil Nadu. Renuka’s temple at Mahur in Maharashtra is considered one of the shakti peethas. Renuka is also called as “Renu” which means “Atom/Mother of Universe”. It is the avatar of Goddess Parvati/Durga. Hence “Renu” literally called as “Goddess Parvati” which means “Atom/Mother of Universe/Wife of lord Shiva”

Renuka/Renu or Yellamma or Ekvira or Ellai amman or Ellai amma (Marathi:श्री. रेणुका/ येल्लुआई, Kannada: ಶ್ರೀ ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮ ರೇಣುಕಾ, Telugu : శ్రీ రేణుక/ ఎల్లమ్మ, Tamil: ரேணு/Renu) is worshipped as the goddess (devi) of the fallen, in the Hindu pantheon. Yellamma is the patron goddess of the south Indian states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Her devotees revere her as the “Mother of the Universe” or “Jagadamba”.

The legends of Renuka are contained in the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa and in the Bhagavata Purana. Renuka Sagara, Malaprabha River, Saundatti. (Belgaum District), North Karnataka, Karnataka

King Reṇuka (father of Reṇukā) performed a yajna — a ritual performed to maintain peace and good health. He was blessed with a daughter, who originated from the fire of this yajna. Reṇukā was a bright and active child and became the most beloved child of her parents.

When she was eight, Agastya, who was the guru of king Reṇuka, advised him to have his daughter married to Jamadagni when she reached maturity. Jamadagni was the son of Ruchik Muni and Satyavati and had obtained the blessings of the gods by performing severe penance. Renuka and Jamdagni Muni lived in the Ramshrung mountains, near the present day Savadatti area of Belgaum district. Renuka helped the Jamdagni Muni in all of his tasks of performing various rituals and puja. Gradually she became close and dear to Jamdagni. After a while Renuka was blessed with another daughter called Anjana (Anjana Devi). Renuka would wake up early in the morning to bathe in the Malaprabha River 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. (“Renuka” is derived from the Sanskrit for “fine grain of sand”.) Another temple of Renuka is situated at near Zamania, Ghazipur.

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