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]
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.[6]
Veneration
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]
List
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the various kuladevatas revered in different regions of the Indian subcontinent:
Nepal
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:
^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.
^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).