Renuka.

Reṇukā/Renuga/Renu is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in Karnataka, Maharashtra and southern Indian states of, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. ancient Renuka Yellamma Devi temple at Savadatti is one among the prominent shakthi peeta's in Karnataka, Renuka's temple at Mahur in Maharashtra is considered one of the shakti peethas. 

Renuka/Renu or Yellamma or Ekvira or Ellai amman or Ellai amma (Marathi:श्री. रेणुका/ येल्लुआई (Shree Renuka/ Yelluai), 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 Maharashtra and the south Indian states of 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.Goddess Renuka is known for her chastity.Once her husband Jamadagni felt thirsty and asked water to his wife but Renuka devi could not find water anywhere due to the drought so she with the help of her chastity went to kailash with her mortal body and asked Lord Shankara to give ganga to quench her husband thirst.

King Reṇu (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 Reṇu, 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 Saundatti area of Belagavi 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. There is another temple in Tamilnadu near vellore (padaiveedu) where the goddess is in the form of suyambu ( the idol itself originated from the land).

Renuka gave birth to five sons: Vasu, Viswa Vasu, Brihudyanu, Brutwakanwa and Rambhadra. Rambhadra was the youngest and most beloved, gaining the favour of Lord Shiva and Parvati. With penance after his father's death, he was bestowed with an Axe (Parshu) and henceforth called as Parashurama, (the sixth incarnation of Vishnu). One day when Renuka went to the pond, she saw Gandharva a heavenly being's reflection in the pond who was flying over the pond with his wife. She just thought that the gandrava is beautiful for a moment. she lost her concentration and devotion to her husband for a moment as she started thinking about another man. 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 which she had collected. Disappointed by this, she returned to the ashram in worry.Jamadagni saw all these events through his yogic power. Jamadagni became furious and angrily ordered her to go away.

After being cursed by her husband, Renuka went east and sat in the forest to meditate. In her penance, she met with the saints Eknath and Joginath; she prayed to them and asked to gain the mercy of her husband. They first consoled her, then instructed her to follow their advice exactly as told. They told her to purify herself, first bathing in a nearby lake, and then to worship a Shivalinga, which they had given to her. Next, she should go to 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, 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.

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 worshiped by all the people henceforth." After blessing her this way, they disappeared. Renuka followed their instructions with devotion and worshipped the Shivalinga with full care and reverence. On the fourth day, she went to see her husband.

amadagni was still furious with Renuka and ordered his elder four sons to kill Renuka Devi but all of them refuse to kill their mother. Jamadagni,cursed his four sons to become stone for disobeying his order. Jamadagni called his fifth son Parashurama who was meditating on Lord Shiva and ordered him to behead Renuka devi. Parashurama immediately obeyed his father's words and beheaded his mother with his axe. Though Parashurama is devoted to his mother he didn't wish to disrespect his father's words because father's words are superior than vedic mantras .Jamadangi was very much pleased by Parashurama's devotion towards him.

He then offered a boon to Parushurama, who asked for his mother and brothers to be brought back to life. To everybody's astonishment, Renuka's spirit multiplied and moved to different regions. Renuka was back as a whole too. This miracle inspired her sons and others to become her followers, and worship her.