The Yellamma Temple near the town of Saundatti in North Karnataka attracts devotees from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. The hilltop where it sits was formerly known as Siddhachal Parvat, but it is currently called Yellamma Gudda in honour of the temple. The goddess of fertility, also known as Yellamma, Ellama, or Renuka, is the deity of worship in the temple.
The temple, located in the Belagavi district, has a practice of collecting funds through donations which often amount to crores in rupees. The money is used for the maintenance of the temple.
This year, the donation box of the temple collected Rs 11.23 crore for the year 2023-24. The amount is Rs 2.40 crore more than the donations collected last year. This year, the temple has reportedly collected the highest amount of donations. Devotees who come here from different parts of the country offer their devotion by putting cash, gold and silver ornaments in the temple box. The offerings are generous and this year, devotees braved storms and heavy rainfall to visit the temple and donate, making the total collection Rs 11.23 crore
In the fiscal year 2022-23, donations amounted to Rs 8.83 crore, comprising Rs 8.01 crore in cash, Rs 66.28 lakh worth of gold, and Rs 15.43 lakh worth of silver jewellery. In the following fiscal year, 2023-24, donations surged to Rs 10.22 crore in cash, Rs 84.14 lakh in gold, and Rs 16.65 lakh in silver jewellery contributed through Hundi. This indicates a year-on-year increase in donations.
The temple was constructed in 1514 by Raybag’s Bomappa Nayaka. Within the temple precincts stand shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesh, Mallikarjun, Parashuram, Eknath, and Siddeshwar. The Karnataka government asserts that it has eradicated the Devadasi custom of dedicating girls to the temple, which is known to have been practised at the temple at some point.
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