Ishtadevata

Ishtadevata or Ishtadeva (Sanskrit: इष्ट देव(ता), iṣṭa-deva(tā), literally "cherished divinity" from iṣṭa, "personal, liked, cherished, preferred" and devatā, "godhead, divinity, tutelary deity" or deva, "deity"), is a term used in Hinduism denoting a worshipper's favourite deity. For the feminine version of a worshipper's favourite deity, the term Ishtadevi is then used with the most prominent example being the Mother GoddessDurga/Parvati or any of her manifestations.

It is especially significant to both the Smarta and Bhakti schools, wherein practitioners choose to worship the form of God that inspires them. Within Smartism, one of five chief deities is selected. Even in denominations that focus on a singular concept of God, such as Vaishnavism, the Ishtadevata concept exists. For example, in Vaishnavism, special focus is given to a particular form of Vishnu or one of his avataras (i.e. Krishna or Rama). Similarly within Shaktism, focus is given to a particular form of the TrinityGoddess such as Parvati, Lakshmi or Saraswati. The Swaminarayan sect of Vaishnavism has a similar concept, but notably holds that Vishnu and Shiva are different aspects of the same God.