Kuladevata

Kuladevata (kula-dèvatā) Marathi: (कुलदेवता) or Kuladevi (कुलदेवी) also known as Kuladev (कुलदेव) and Kuladaivat, (कुलदैवत) stands for "family deity, that is either a god or a goddess" within Hinduism, as distinct from personal ishta-devata and village deities. This is similar to tutelary deity worshiped in other parts of world.

Kuldevi mantra: Om Shri Kuldevyai Namah, shri kuladevatayai namaha, jai kuladevata, jai kuldevi.

In practice

The word Kuladevata is derived from two words: Kula, meaning clan and Devata, meaning deity. Thus, it can be said that Kuladevatas are deities which are worshiped by particular clans. The deity can be a male, female, animal or even an object, like a holy stone. 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 worshiped in several sects of Hinduism and Jainism. In the state of Maharashtra, the Kuladevatas are mainly manifestations of Shiva or Shakti such as Khandoba or Bhavani, respectively. In the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, these deities are generally, the various manifestations of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. She is worshiped by different names by different clans. The Indian King Cobra(Nag) is also a famous Kuladevata. It is known by several names, such as, Nagadevata and Nagabaapji and is worshiped by several Hindu, Jain and Kshatriya clans. Some Kshatriya clans also claim themselves to be "Nagavanshi" or Descendents of the Naga.