Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion (bhakti), and is coaxed to watch over one'sclan (kula),gotra, family, and children from misfortune. This is distinct from anishta-devata (personaltutelar) and agrāmadevatā (village deities).[5]
Male kuladevatas are sometimes referred to as akuladeva, while their female counterparts are called akuladevi.[6]
The wordkuladevata is derived from two words:kula, meaningclan, anddevata, meaningdeity, referring to the ancestral deities that are worshipped by particular clans.[7]
Kuladaivams of theShaiva tradition are often considered to be forms ofShiva andParvati, while those of theVaishnava tradition are often regarded to be forms ofVishnu andLakshmi.[8]
Due to the veneration of holy men (babas) in several regions of the subcontinent, several communities consider such men to be their kuladevatas in the place of a deity.[9]
Inwestern India, some communities regard local monarchs who belonged to their clan to be their kuladevata.[10]
The kuldevata (Nepali: Kuldeuta कुलदेउता) in many hilly Nepalese families are often local deities worshipped by the people before the arrival of Hinduism in the region. For those of Khas descent, this is often the 12Masto gods or one of the 9Durga Bhawanis, which include:
^ul Hassan, S. S. (1920). The Castes and Tribes of HEH the Nizam's Dominions (Vol. 1). Asian educational services. pp. 49, 46, 88, 97, 109, 118, 183, 234, 280, 622, 616, 556, 595, 407, 304, 370, 338.
^Punekar, Vinaja B. (1959).The Son Kolis of Bombay. New Delhi, India: Popular Book Depot. pp. 160: The deity was the goddess worshipped by Ekveera, who is also mentioned in the Devi Bhāgavata ( Skandha 6, Adhyāya 17 : 23 ) . Jejuri is the seat of Khandobā . The seat of Ekveerā is popularly known as “ Āy Jāge ' ( place of the mother ).
^Glushkova, I., 2006. Moving God (s) ward, calculating money: Wonders and wealth as essentials of a tīrtha-yātrā. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 29(2), pp.215-234.
^Gupta, R.R., 2007. Wada of Maharashta, an Indian courtyard house form. Cardiff University (United Kingdom).
