Sri Shilamkot Renuka Yellemma Temple, Alladurg

About Sri Shilamkot Renuka Yellamma Temple, Alladurg

Sri Shilamkot Renuka Yellemma Temple, Alladurg is one the ancient Hindu temple located in Alladurg village in Telangana.

Alladurg is the presence of Bethalaswamy temple, the only temple dedicated to the demon god very similar to the Bethala temple of Kondagattu in the Karimnagar district. Renuka Yellamma temple is another jewel in the crown of Alladurg.

Prehistoric rock paintings very similar to that of Ajanta and Ellora caves dating back to the 2nd century BC have been excavated from Alladurg and preserved in the State Archaeological Museum in Hyderabad as sculptures of Lord Mahavir which were found inside the Hanuman temple lay neglected outside the temple now.

Centuries ago, there was a saint named Allah Wali Shah who propagated Islam, leading a life of wisdom and serving people. He had a servant named Ramdas, whom he gave all his property including the fort before he died. A dargah was built in Alladurg in Allah Wali Shah’s memory and Alladurg was named after him. After Ramdas, several generations later, The fort still stands tall as a witness to rising and falling kingdoms, transitioning into a feudal system.

Alladurg is renowned for its temples, the main ones being Yellamma Temple and Bethala Swamy Temple. Many rocks and stones belong to the olden days. has many sculptures, some strewn across the village, besides ruined monuments and neglected structures. The village is a treasure trove of history where traces of Jainism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and the Mughal reign can be found. Prehistoric rock paintings of the 2nd century were also found in the village. Besides the presiding deity Renuka Yellamma, whose footsteps are engraved in granite, It has a Shiva temple, temples for Veerabhadraswamy, Nandi, Betaludu, an array of snake gods with single, three, and five hoods, and Veeranjaneyaswamy, to name a few, are found in the village. The annual Jatara of Renuka Yellamma and Betaludu is quite famous.

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The Chalukyan king Tribhuvanamalladeva Vikramaditya VI’s chieftain Ahavamalla Permanadi held sway over the area. He reportedly donated land for the maintenance of a Jain temple called Jinalaya and his subordinate, Dandanayak Chillamadeva, gifted land to the temple of Chillesvara Deva built by him. Mr. Md Abdul Waheed Khan, a former director of archaeology and museums in undivided AP, wrote books in 1968 on the history of Alladurg and the mural paintings by Kalyani Chalukyas. Before the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani, the village was within the domain of the Chalukyas of Vemulavada who ruled from Karimnagar from 825 AD to 950 AD. The rulers called themselves Chalukyas and adopted the titles as well. The Kakatiyas and Bahmanis had influence over Alladurg as is evident from the architecture of a mosque in the village.

Renuka Yellamma’s idol is beautifully carved in black basalt. The deity is seated in the Lalitasana posture and carries a bowl in the left hand and, probably, a sword in the right. In fulfillment of their vows, devotees present toddy to the goddess, which is also taken as Theertham. Animal sacrifice is rampant despite a ban.