A kuladevata or kuldevi or kuladevi (Sanskrit: कुलदेवता or कुलदेवी, romanized: Kuladevatā or Kuladevī, lit. 'clan deity'),[1] also known as a kuladaivaṃ (Tamil: குலதெய்வம்),[2] is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism.[3]
Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion (bhakti), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (kula), gotra, family, and children from misfortune. This is distinct from an ishta-devata (personal tutelar) and a grāmadevatā (village deities).[4]
Male kuladevatas are sometimes referred to as a kuladeva, while their female counterparts are called a kuladevi.[5]
The word kuladevata is derived from two words: kula, meaning clan, and devata, meaning deity, referring to the ancestral deities that are worshipped by particular clans.[6]
Kuladaivams of the Shaiva tradition are often considered to be forms of Shiva and Parvati, while those of the Vaishnava tradition are often regarded to be forms of Vishnu and Lakshmi.[7]
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.[8]
In western India, some communities regard local monarchs who belonged to their clan to be their kuladevata.[9]
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the various kuladevatas revered in different regions of the Indian subcontinent:
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 12 Masto gods or one of the 9 Durga Bhawanis, which include:
Some of the Primary Kuladevatas of Uttar Pradesh include:
Some of the primary kuladevatas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana include:
Some of the primary kuladevatas of Karnataka include:[10]
Some of the primary kuladevatas of Tulu Nadu include:
Some of the primary kuladevatas of Kerala include:[11][12]
Some of the primary kuladevatas of Tamil Nadu include:
The kuladevatas worshipped in Maharashtra include:
The kuladevatas venerated in the Konkan region include:
The kuladevatas worshipped in Gujarat and Rajasthan include:[21]
Bihar
In Bihar, the following deities are worshipped as kuladevatas:
Bihar Rajya Ke Kayastha Jati Shree Chitragupta Ji Ke Vanshaj Asthanaa Kayastha Ki Kuldevi Banni Mata Aur Durga Mata Hai Aur Kuldevta Shiv Ji Aur Hanuman Ji Hai Banni Mata Saat Behen Hai Aur saato behen Main Sabse Badi Banni Mata Hai Banni Mata Swyam Maha Kali Hai Inko Banni Parmeshwari Aur Banni Maha Kali Aur Kai Jagah Banni Sati Ke Naam Se Bhi Jana Jata Hai
In Bengal, the following deities are venerated as kuladevatas:
The following is a list of kuladevatas venerated in Sri Lanka: