A kuladevatā (), also known as a kuladaivaṃ, is an ancestral tutelary deity in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

. 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 A gramadevata () is the tutelary deity of a given locality in Hinduism, primarily worshipped in the villages of India. Of diverse origins, gramadevatas are regarded to protect the inhabitants of their villages from bandits, epidemics, and natur ...

(village deities). Male kuladevatas are sometimes referred to as a kuladeva, while their female counterparts are called a kuladevi.

Etymology

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.

Veneration

The deity can be represented in a male or a female human, an animal, or even an object, like a holy stone. It is believed that rituals done at a kuladeva/kuladevi temple benefits all those genetically connected with the one performing the ritual. Kuladaivams of the

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

tradition are often considered to be forms of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...

and

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi ...

, while those of the

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as ...

tradition are often regarded to be forms of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...

and

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

. Hindu families make a pilgrimage to the kuladevata or kuladevi temple to obtain the blessing of the deity after an auspicious occasion, such as a wedding. Kuladevatas are worshipped in several sects of

and

. 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. In

western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Uni ...

, some communities regard local monarchs who belonged to their clan to be their kuladevata.

List

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the various kuladevatas revered in different regions of the Indian subcontinent:

Southern India

Andhra Pradesh

Some of the primary kuladevatas of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...

include: * Venkateshvara * Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshvari Beluru Chennakeshava Temple WLM 2022 India 16

Karnataka

Some of the primary kuladevatas of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

include: * Chennakeshava *

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end r ...

Virupaksha Virupaksha Raya (born 1365, reign 1404–1405 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire. With the death of Harihara II in 1404, the throne for the Vijayanagara Empire was disputed amongst his sons: Deva Raya I, Bukka Raya II, and Virupaksha ...

Kerala

Some of the primary kuladevatas of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

include: * Padmanabhaswamy * Guruvayurappan *

Narayani Narayani may refer to: * Narayani (deity), another name for Lakshmi * Narayani, an epithet of Yogamaya * Narayani River, or Gandaki River, in Nepal * Narayani Temple Narayani Temple is dedicated to ten armed goddess Narayani or Parvathi and is l ...

* Lakshmi-Narayana *

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

Ayyappan Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotio ...

* Shasta * Navadurga * Damodara

Tamil Nadu

Some of the primary kuladevatas of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...

include: *Annanmar Thangal * Shastha * Kurathiamman * Kamakshi * Angalamman * Kala Bhairavar *

Bhadrakali Bhadrakali ( IAST: Bhadrakālī; ), also known as Mahakali and Kali, is a Hindu goddess. According to Shaktism, she is one of the fierce forms of the Supreme Goddess Shakti, or Adi Parashakti, mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Vais ...

* Kallalagar *

Mariamman Mariamman, often abbreviated to Amman, is a Hindu goddess of rain, predominantly venerated in the rural areas of South India. Her festivals are held during the late summer/early autumn season of Ādi throughout Tamil Nadu and the Deccan region ...

* Thillai Kali * Karuppu Sami *

Pavadairayan Pavadairayan is a Dravidian folk and Hindu deity worshipped in rural Tamil Nadu. He is considered to be a kaval deivam, and best recognised for serving as a general for the deity Aiyanar. Legend The deity is associated with the myth of t ...

* Renukamba * Pachchaiamman * Peradachiyamman * Periyandichiyamman * Madurai Veeran * Muneeshvarar * Ayyanar *

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Gan ...

* Veerabhadrar * Periandavar * Sudalaimadan *Nondi Veeran

Western India

Maharashtra

The kuladevatas worshipped in Maharashtra include: *

Ambabai Ambabai Temple (also known as Mahalaxmi Mandir) is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, who resides here as Supreme Mother Mahalakshmi and is worshipped by locals as Ambabai. Goddess Mahalakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu ...

* Vajreshwari * Mahalakshmi * Tulja Bhavani *

Charbhuja Charbhuja is a famous temple of the lord Krishna in the Garhbor village in the Kumbhalgarh tehsil of Rajsamand district in the state of Rajasthan, India. Charbhuja is another name of the Lord Krishna due to his four hands, ishtdevta of ''Merti ...

* Ekvira * Jyotiba * Jaganmata/

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around comb ...

* Khandoba * Jyotiba * Khandoba *Kedar Janani * Lakshmi-Narasimha * Mahadeva *

Mandhradevi Mandhardevi Kalubai temple is near Wai (Satara District, Maharashtra, India). Located on a hill 4,650 feet above sea level, the temple, some 20 km from Wai, Satara, overlooks the picturesque Pandavgad Fort and Purandar fort. Devotees attri ...

* Renuka * Vasavi Mata *Mothi Devi *

Shree Vyadeshwar Shree Dev Vyadeshwar temple is a temple dedicated to the God Shiva. It is located in Guhagar town from Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra State in India. The deity is considered as the Kuladevata (Clan-deity) of many Chitpavan families from ...

* Yamai * Yogeshvari *Manudevi *Shakatambika *

Konkan

The kuladevatas venerated in the

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterla ...

region include: *Aryadurga *

Bhagavati Bhagavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavatī), is a Hindu epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for female deities in Hinduism. It is primarily used to address one of the Tridevi: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati. ...

Chamundeshwari Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses).W ...

* Damodar *

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of Devapa or Devaka, a king of the Yadu dynasty, and has four br ...

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

* Gajantalakshmi * Ekvira * Jaganmata * Kamakshi * Mallikarjuna * Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya * Mahalakshmi * Mahalasa * Mahamaya * Mahamaya Kalika *

Mangeshi Mangueshi is a village in Priol, Ponda, Goa, India. Mangueshi/Mangueshim are other variations for the same name. Main Attraction The temple of Shri Mangesh is set amidst natural surroundings. Mangeshi, which is a little village along Goa' ...

* Nageshi *

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this trad ...

* Waghjai * Lakshmi-Narasimha * Navadurga * Ramnath * Ravalnath * Saptakoteshwar * Shantadurga * Sharwani Vetal *

Vijayadurga Sri Vijayadurga is a Hindu Goddess of varying importance in Indian culture and tradition. She is said to have intervened in a battle between Shiva and Vishnuthem, and gone to Shankwali to kill the demons harassing the Brahmins there. When she de ...

* Vimleshwar * Vetala *

Rameshwar Rameshwar also known as Rameshwar Wadi is a small town located on the coast of Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra on the west coast of India. A very old Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple is located in this town which is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shi ...

* Mauli * Venkataraman

Gujarat and Rajasthan

The kuladevatas worshipped in

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

include: * Arasuri Ambaji *Semoj Mata * Momai Mata *Kunjal Mata * Ashapura Mata *

Baba Mohan Rama Baba Mohan Ram (Devanagari: बाबा मोहन राम) is a Hindu deity. He is considered by his adherents to be an avatar of the deity Krishna, who appeared during the ''Dvapara Yuga''. Iconography Head Adornments: Central to his a ...

Baba Ramdevji Baba Ramdev (or Ramdevji, or Ramdeo Pir, Ramsha Pir (1352–1385 AD; V.S. 1409–1442) is a Hindu deity of Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. He was a fourteenth-century ruler, said to have miraculous powers, who devoted his life uplifting the ...

* Suswani Mata *Susmad Mata *

* Bhavar Mata *

Bhatiji Maharaj Bhathiji also called Bhathiji Maharaj (as an honorific) is a folk deity of Gujarat. He is an eminent warrior-hero of the region. Legend As per the folklore, Bhathi was the second son of Thakore Takhatsinghji of fagvel born in Rathod branch of ...

* Bigga Ji * Brahmani Mata * Chamunda Mata * Chorwadi Zund Bhavani * Dada Jasraj * Daryalal * Dev Narain * Gajanan Mata * Gogaji * Vitthalanatha * Harkor * Harsidhhi Mata *

Hinglaj Mata Hinglaj Mata (Hindi: हिंगलाज माता, bal, هنگلاج ماتا, ), also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochista ...

*Jaukhar Mata * Jeen Mata * Kalsariya Dada * Khodiyar Mata *Keway Mata *Charbhuja Nath * Mahakali Mata * Mahalakshmi Mata *

Manasa Devi Manasa () is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Lower Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and pr ...

* Modheswari * Nagnechiya Maa * Pabuji * Rana Jashraj * Randhal Maa * Sakrai Mata * Shakti Mata * Siriyal Mata *

Sachiya Mata The Sachchiya Mata Temple is located in Osian, near Jodhpur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The mother goddess Sachiya (also spelled as Sachayay Mata and Sachchiyay Mata, hi, सच्चियाय माता/सच्चिया ...

* Bapu Bhalara Bapa * Renuka Mata * Satsariya Bapa * Tanot Mata * Tulja Bhavani * Umiya Mata * Vachra Dada * Veer Teja * Vindhya * Shree Sindhvi Sikoter Mataji * Mastram Baba *Shakatambika

Eastern India

Bengal

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

, the following deities are venerated as kuladevatas: *

* Jagadhatri *

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is con ...

* Gandheshwari * Damodar * Shridhar * Raghuvir * Lakshmi-Narayana * Raghunathji * Gopinathji/Madhusudana/Madanmohana * Radha-Govinda/Radha Krishna/Radha-Madhava * Shitala * Hara-Parvati/Hara-Gauri * Mahalakshmi * Balagopala * Chandi *

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krish ...

* Manasa

Bihar

The following is a list of kuladevatas venerated in

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

: * Sokha Baba * Goraiya Baba * Bandi Mata * Karikh Baba * Salhesh Baba

Sri Lanka

The following is a list of kuladevatas venerated in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

: * Nayinai Nagapoosani * Nallur Murugan

References

{{Hindu deities and texts, state=collapsed Hindu deities Tutelary deities