History

Balkampet Yellamma temple is a Hindu goddess temple located at Balkampet in Hyderabad. Yearly in ashadamasam kalayanavostam is done. It is very famous among Bonaalu and on Sundays.

The story says Raja Renuka’s daughter, Renuka was married to the son of Satyawati, Jamadugni and had 5 sons, Parshurama was one of them. One day, Renuka forgot to do one of her regular household duties and this angered Jamadugni. She was asked to flee and the saints advised Renuka as part of her penance to perform pujas for Shivalinga and feed few Brahmins.

Yet, Jamadugni remained extremely anger and ordered that his sons to punish their mother. All of the sons except Parshurama refused. Jamadugni burnt all his sons except Parshurama into ashes. Parushurama was in search for his mother with an axe who was hiding in a village. He beheaded her when he found her and also the poor woman who helped in hiding her was also beheaded by Parshurama.

Jamadugni was happy by his son’s obedience and granted him a blessing. Parushurama asked to bring back the lives of his mother, his brothers and the woman of the village. But in the restoration process, the head of Renuka got restored on the village woman’s head and vice versa. Jamadugni accepted the lady with Renuka’s body and the other form came to be known as Yellamma, meaning mother to all. From then, she was worshipped by all people of Telangana.