Chandragutti Renukamba Temple

Chandragutti Renukamba Temple located at Shivamogga district is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Renuka. This is an ancient cave temple. It is located away from the town of Soraba and away from Sirsi and Siddapura towns in the district of Uttara Kannada in Karnataka State of India.

Legend

The king of Chandragutti 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. Later she was married to sage Jamadagni. She used to carry water in the pots created of sand and it is said she never dropped even a single drop of water because she used snakes as pads for the pot. But one day sage Jamadagni in is anger asked his son Parashurama to kill Renukamba because of her mistake. Parashurama took his mother to the cave and cut her head. He then left her torso in the cave and took her head to his father. Sage Jamadagni then offered a boon to his son and Parasurama in turn asked for his mother’s life. Then Renukamba got her life back. This divine incident is believed to have taken place in Chandragutti.