How to find out the unidentified family deity 

 -Santhipriya-

Kula devata translates to family deity or clan deity. It is said to be a guardian or ancestral deity that has been revered as the family deity of a particular family for thirteen generations. The family and its members are perceived as being protected by the family deity (Kula Devata, tutelary deity, or family deity). Certain families might eventually struggle to recognize their family deity if they have lost connection to their ancestry for various reasons. In such a situation, how can they discover the unidentified family deity?

More remote family members, especially those residing in the ancestral village, may sometimes offer the needed details. It’s likely that your family deity was the main deity worshipped in your ancestral village. Look for the names of the temples where your ancestors typically conducted post-wedding rituals or family events such as tonsuring (Mundan), among others. If they cannot give you any information, consider the method which our ancestors used in the past.

Many individuals seek out spiritual forums such as horoscope readings, Nadi Horary, or Prasanna astrology when relatives and older family members are unable to identify their unidentified family deity. Nevertheless, it’s noted that more than 90% of these approaches are unsuccessful in revealing the true family deity that remains unidentified.

Therefore, rather than wasting money on various such mediums, it is advisable that we follow the traditional method used by our ancestors in the villages in ancient times to identify their unidentified family deity.

Previously, when the Brahmins in the villages could not determine their family deity, it is said that they resorted to the practice of collecting a small handful of unbaked clay from the riverbed or from the soil of their gardens after bathing in the river. The clay symbolized the cycle of creation and dissolution. After bringing it home, they would shape it into a simple, pyramid-shaped idol, allow it to dry, and place it either in their pooja room or on shelves designated for the daily worship of divine figures.

Treating the pyramid-shaped idol as unidentified family deity, they will apply sandal paste and vermillion according to the traditional practice, and worshipped it as their unidentified family deity. This ritual is rooted in the belief that the family deity will eventually reveal their identity through the devotee’s sincere prayers when destined time came.

Mode of Prayer:

1. Since Tuesday is regarded as significant and auspicious for many important deities in the majority of hindu traditions, the prayer to identify the unidentified family deity should only begin on any one of the Tuesdays.
2. One or two days before the start of the ritual on Tuesday, collect a small handful of clay soil from any water source and store it safe; if no water bed is nearby, do not worry, bring the clay soil from the garden or from the area around the courtyard inside any temple, but do not bring from the streets.
3. Using the clay soil, create a basic pyramid-shaped idol that will serve as a vessel or temporary home for the divine energy of the unidentified family deity once worship has begun. After letting it fully dry, keep it in the pooja room or inside the shelve where divines were kept for daily worship.
4. After taking a bath on Tuesday, draw geometric design (Rangoli) with coloured or white powder on a metallic brass plate(most homes have brass plates used for pooja rituals), keep the clay idol over it, decorate with flowers, apply vermillion, turmeric, sandalwood paste over the idol as done traditionally during rituals. Treat the clay idol as your unidentified family deity from now on.
5. First offer prayers to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, and ask for his blessings to identify your unidentified family deity. He is believed to guide you to the correct divine power you were searching for.
6. Each day after taking bathe, place one or two flowers before the clay figure and silently pray, ‘Oh unidentified family deity, I bow to you, show compassion and disclose your true identity and the temple where you are seated so that my family members may come over there to worship you. Oh, merciful divine, please have mercy and dwell within this clay idol and accept our prayers and bestow your blessings until you choose to unveil your true self to us’. If you are unable to recite any slokas prior to the prayer, don’t worry, skip it. After bowing down to the unidentified deity, believed to be seated inside the clay idol, recite the above prayer three times, lit camphor, present it to the idol and conclude the day’s ritual after bowing down to it.
7. You need not clean the idol daily and apply vermillion, turmeric, and sandalwood paste etc. It can be done once a week , but prayer ritual to be continued everyday after taking bath till such time your specific family deity unveil their identity.
8. Ideally on Tuesdays, take the clay idol outside, clean the metal plate, draw a new Rangoli (geometric design) after removing the old one, place the clay idol (believed to be your unidentified family deity) over the plate again, apply vermillion, turmeric, and sandalwood paste and begin the prayer ritual as you did before. Remember, it’s crucial to perform the ritual with complete faith.
9. Maintain a small offering box (hundi) and put coins whenever you feel like donating something to your unidentified deity. Not necessary you should put coins everyday.
10. Handle the clay idol gently. If it breaks accidentally due to unforeseen events, don’t be upset if it wasn’t on purpose. Sincerely apologize to the family deity for the incident which was out of your hands. Then, reshape the same into new idol and keep up the rituals with renewed spirit. The unidentified family deity staying inside that clay will surely forgive you.
11. Do not discontinue the prayers for any reason, continue to perform it in faith till your unidentified family deity unveils itself to you.
12. At the close of each year take out the savings from the cash box and deposit in any one of the temples nearby praying it was meant for the unidentified family deity.
13. Your unidentified family deity will pardon the curse if any haunting your family for ignoring them once you start making sincere prayers as above.
14. Your unidentifiable family deity will enter into the clay idol and turn into protector of your family within a few days of commencing the prayer.
15. When the destined time arises, the unidentified family deity will reveal its identity by appearing either in your dream or accidentally let you know who your family deity is through some one, even an unidentified person.
16. Continue worship even if it takes a few years to discover the family deity; in the meanwhile, you’ll notice that your family starts feeling relaxed and problems getting addressed on their own.
17. As you keep the ritual continued, your unidentified family deity staying inside the clay idol will keep blessing you till they unveil themselves.
18. I am repeating, if you follow this procedure with faith; pleased with your genuine prayer, one day the unidentified family deity will unveil themselves.
19. If you have successfully identified your family deity, you should carry the sacred clay idol whenever you visit your family deity temple, then deposit it under the temple tree or in the temple well with water after you have completed your prayers there.
20. I cannot guarantee that this approach will be successful in locating the unidentifiable family deity. The elders assert that if this ancient method is executed with belief, it will surely yield the expected outcomes. I learnt about it through some pundits in the temples and thus, posted it on my website.