Parasurama is the sixth avatar of Vishnu, also one of the most controversial ones. This is why we do not see many temples dedicated to him. If we do, we find them along the Konkan coast and Karnataka, as a subsidiary shrine, in temples related to his mother, Renuka. There are two reasons for his controversial nature.

The first is his relationship with his mother. The story goes that Jamadagni had married the princess Renuka and she had borne him five sons. One day, she saw the reflection of a Gandharva on the waters while collecting water from a river. Some say, it was a king called Kartavirya Arjuna. She experienced desire for him momentarily. As a result, she lost her magical power, resulting from chastity and fidelity, to collect water in unbaked pots. When her husband realised the momentary lapse in her fidelity, he ordered that she be beheaded. Even though she had never acted on the fleeting thought, he refused to forgive her. The elder four sons refused to obey their father. So, they were cursed to become eunuchs. The youngest son, Parasurama, obeyed his father. He raised his axe and beheaded his mother. He then asked his father to resurrect her using his magical powers.