Deities

The name is derived from two words: Kula, meaning clan and Devata, meaning deity. Kuladevatas are deities which are worshiped by particular clans throughout India, 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.
Worship of the kul-devata or kul-devi is considered to be of utmost importance. The Kul-devata is the guardian of the family, of the lineage. Ancestors of the family have worshipped the deity and there is a bond between the family and the deity. Hence such worship bears fruits early. Worship of the kuldevata is said to appease the deity who is the sole protector of the family. One who worships his/her family deity is said to be protected by the deity in times of calamity.

Kuldevi can be broken further into three segments
Kul – Ancestral
Devi – Goddess
Maa – Mother

In addition to our community, Harsiddhi Maa is worshipped as their Kuldevi by many Kshatriya and Rajput communities. The Chandarana clan of Lohanas, Brahmakshatriyas, many Jain castes as well Brahmin and Vaishya communities also worship her as their Kuldevi. She is also religiously worshiped by fishermen and other sea-faring tribes and people of Gujarat.

Mataji is represented as the benevolent Mother where she is the personification of eternal peace. Prayers are offered to ‘Maa’ who is the manifestation of the absolute energy that pervades the universe. She has the ability to generate life. Hindus believe that the Maa stands for everything that is everywhere in the universe. Maa as the Universal Energy is worshipped.

Maa Lakshmi is the Goddess for wealth. As Laxmi She is abundance. Not only material, but of Air, Land, Space

Maa Durga is the Goddess for Strength. ‘Durga’ sitting on a Lion, she is a manifestation of ‘Shakti’ or the primordial energy. The power to breathe, walk, digest etc, comes from Maa Durga.

Maa Saraswati is the Goddess for knowledge. She is the ‘OM’, from where all sound emanates.

Kuladevata are important deities, which literally means the guard of the region. There are various legends on the origin of this deity. The Naag (Serpent) culture was fairly widespread in India before the Aryan migration and continues to be an important sect in certain areas. After coming to India, the Indo-Aryans incorporated the worship of snakes (Naag) into Hinduism. The festival is especially dedicated to the Shesh Naag, who comforts the protector of the entire existence, Lord Vishnu.

Another legend speaks of Kaliya, the snake that inhabited the waters of the River Yamuna, whose venom was so vile that it poisoned the river and killed the crops and animals in the region. Bhagwan Krishna, one of Vishnu’s avatars, killed Kaliya and liberated the people. That is why Naag Panchami has been celebrated ever since. The origin of snake worship goes back to Ram antiquity. The propitiation of the serpent god is considered essential to the well-being and prosperity of the family and Talvat (from sesame seeds) is offered in the Nived for Kshetrapal.

Sati Mata According to the Hindu mythology, in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Goddess Maa Sati, first consort and devotee of Lord Shiv, immolated herself in the yagna, holy sacrificial fire, when her father Daksh insulted her husband Lord Shiv. Kheer (rice soup) and rotli are offered in the Nived for Sati Mata.

Lord Hanuman, also called Mahaveera (the great hero) or Pavan-suta (son of air) or Bajarangbali is a noble hero and great devotee of Lord Rama. He is a provider of courage, hope, knowledge, intellect and devotion. He is pictured holding a mace (gada), which is a sign of bravery. Devotees pray to Hanuman to protect them from material obstacles in the path of devotional service and engage them in the service of the Supreme Bhagwan Ram.

Surapura Our ancestors who died as a valiant warrior trying to save their villages from bandits, protecting the honour of women – mother and sisters are called Surapara. Their rock memorials as ‘Surapura’ were erected where they fell and died. These memorials of our defenders and valiant warriors are still in existence in India.

These ancestral father-worships (Surapura) are of great importance to many Hindu communities. Wherever possible, the newlywed’s symbolic knot or the wedding knot, ‘cheda-chedi’ which was tied at the ‘mandap’ during the Hindu wedding ceremony is opened after doing Nived at their family’s Surapura memorial to take their ancestral father’s blessings. Rice is offered to our Surapura in the Nived ritual