Temple Description

The Yellamma Temple, also called the Renuka Temple, is dedicated to Goddess Renuka and is a prominent pilgrimage site located about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from Saudatti in Karnataka, India. Perched on a hilltop formerly known as Siddhachal Parvat and now referred to as “Yellamma Gudda” after the temple, the site is revered for its association with the fertility goddess Yellamma (or Ellama). Historically, the temple was linked to the Devadasi practice, where girls were dedicated to the temple; however, the Government of Karnataka asserts that this practice has been abolished. The hill, part of the Sidhachal or Ramagiri range overlooking the Malaprabha River, contains archaeological remnants from the mid-8th to mid-11th centuries, during the early Rashtrakuta or late Chalukyan periods, and features megalithic tombs that predate these eras.