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Do u know, who is your Kuldevi / Kuladevata ?
Do you know who is your kuldevi ? :
Kuladeva or Kuladevi is referred to as an ancestral tutelary deity in Hindu Dharma, who is believed to be the one to be worshipped,
so as to persuade the divinity to take care of one’s clan (kula), family, and children from bad luck and misery.
This is different from‘Ishta-devata’ (personal tutelar) and village Gods and Goddesses.
The term ‘Kuladevi / Kuladevata’ is stemmed from two words: Kula, implying clan and Devta, suggesting deity, and denotes divinities that are
worshipped by specific families. The deity can be either male or female, animal or even an object such as the sacred stone, and it is
said that rituals performed at the Kuladeva/Kuladevi shrine can prove to be fruitful to those who are genetically related to the one
conducting the ceremony.
Hindu clans take a holy trip to the Kuladeva or Kuladevi temple to attain the blessings of the deity after auspicious events such as weddings, milestone birthdays, the birth of a child,
HOW TO FIND OUT THE NAME OF YOUR KULADEVATA?
In order to seek the name of your family deity
* You can ask the seniors and older people of your native family.
* You can ask the folks belonging to the same gotra or surname as you.
* You can inquire the same to your village priest or the kula purohit (the family priest).
If you’re not able to figure out the name of your family deity even after asking everywhere, then you can continue worshipping Ishta devta (preferred deity). After some time, if you’re in luck, you can find out the name of your family deity through a knowledgeable person or a guru. You can recite ‘Shri Kuladevatayai Namaha’. After chanting, you may come across those who can tell you the name of your Kuladevata.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘KULA DEVAM’ AND ‘ISHTA DEVAM’
Typically, Kula Devam is believed to be a God/Goddess/Demi-God who is worshipped by one’s family tradition and is passed down from one generation to the other. The male children of the family will carry on the tradition and pass it down to their children whereas the woman’s Kula Devam changes after her marriage. After the wedding, she will have to worship her husband’s Kula Devam. Every Hindu family has a Kula Devam and they are known to watch out for the clan and take care of them. There are two kinds of Kula Devam and it tends to be in the form of Ayya (Male) and Amma (Female).
On the other hand, ‘Ishta Deivam’ is considered to be the God/Goddess/Demi-God who is venerated because of the individual’s personal desire and will. One can pick their own Ishta Deviam based on their preference, compatibility, satisfaction, interest, or with the advice of their spiritual Guru or elders.
So, one can choose their own Ishta Deivam but this is not possible with Kula Deivam. Kula Deivam is believed to be the foremost deity in your family. After revering your Kula Deivam only, you can visit temples of the other Gods and Goddesses.
