A kuladevatā (transl. clan-deity), also known as a kuladaivaṃ, is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism. 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). Male kuladevatas are sometimes referred to as a kuladeva, while their female counterparts are called a kuladevi.