How To Find Your Kula Deivam?

One of the most common questions people ask me is, “How do I find my Kula Deivam?”

Kula Deivam is the patron deity of your lineage. Think of it as the family guardian who has been protecting your ancestors for generations. Some families may have one Kula Deivam, while others may honor more than one.

Tracing Through Ancestral Roots

The easiest way to know your Kula Deivam is by looking into your father’s side of the family. Usually, the shrine of the Kula Deivam will be in your ancestral village. If your family moved through several villages, the main shrine is often in the original place where your lineage began. Knowing your clan background can also give helpful clues.

The Role of Women in Kula Deivam Worship

For women, there is an added blessing. They inherit their mother’s Kula Deivam as well, so the mother’s lineage continues to be part of their spiritual life. Once married, a woman also takes on the Kula Deivam of her husband’s family.

In many traditions, Kula Deivams are believed to connect more easily with the women of the family, since women are seen as the carriers of family continuity. This is why messages from the deity often come through mothers, wives, sisters, or daughters.

How Communication Happens

Kula Deivams usually communicate through subtle ways such as dreams, omens, or even during states of trance. They are not distant or abstract, but rather close family guardians who show their presence when the family needs guidance.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some families may have well-known deities such as Tirupati Balaji, Puri Jagannath, or Tiruchendur Murugan as their Kula Deivam. 

What If You Don’t Know Your Roots?

Now, what if you have no idea about your ancestral village or clan background? There is still a way to reach out.

One folk method often spoken about goes like this. 

Take a bit of turmeric and kumkum, and sometimes even a coin. Place them in a piece of yellow cloth, tie it into a knot, and keep it at the entrance of your house. If possible, set up a small prayer space there with an oil lamp, and offer simple prayers with camphor or sambrani. Keep the entrance clean and treat it with respect, as though you are welcoming your family guardian into your home.

While doing this, it is important to make your intention very clear. Pray sincerely that you are inviting only your Kula Deivam (and the Kaval Deivam) of your family, the guardians who belong to your lineage. This intention matters, because it signals that you are not calling upon unknown spirits but reaching out specifically to your ancestral protectors.

It is believed that once you make this effort, your Kula Deivam will notice. Over time, they may reveal themselves to you through dreams, guidance, or through someone close who enters trance.

The Key Idea

Even if you do not know the exact name of your Kula Deivam, your devotion is what matters. By continuing the worship your ancestors once practiced, you open the way for your guardian to connect with you. When the time is right, you will come to know.

A Gentle Reminder

Although some believers say that this folk method worked for them, the most reliable way is still to trace your ancestral village. Knowing where you come from is important, and it is through those roots that you will truly understand who your Kula Deivam is.

Relevant articles:

1. The Munnadiyaan as Kshetrapala in Tamil Folk Tradition
2. Muniswaran Worship
3. Can Devatas of Grand Temples Also Be Kula Devatas?

Konsep Marga Dikalangan Masyarakat Mukkulathor

Mungkin ramai rakyat Malaysia sudah pun tahu bahawa kaum India mempunyai pelbagai etnik yang berdasarkan bahasa ibunda.

Kaum India di Malaysia boleh dibahagikan kepada pelbagai etnik:

Tamil

Telugu

Malayali

Punjabi

Gujerati

Kannadiga

Bengali

Marathi

Seperti yang anda sedia maklum, etnik Tamil adalah majoriti di kalangan kaum India . Kebanyakan etnik-etnik India di Malaysia adalah dari India selatan.

Kaum Tamil yang populasinya kini mencecah hampir 80 juta di seluruh dunia sebenarnya mempunyai banyak suku. Kira-kira 364 suku termasuk yang asalnya bukan Tamil kini menetap di Tamil Nadu. Setiap suku ini mempunyai asal-usul yang berlainan walaupun kini mempunyai bahasa ibunda yang sama. (Rujukan People of India Vol XL. Anthropological Survey of India)

18 suku Tamil bersifat keibuan (matrilineal), sama seperti suku Minangkabau di Nusantara. Contohnya suku Maravar, Illathu Pillaimar, Sonagar dan Nanjil Vellalar. Boleh dikatakan hampir kesemua suku keibuan adalah dari wilayah Pandya (selatan Tamil Nadu) dan Batticola (timur Sri Lanka).

Kebanyakan suku-suku Tamil mempunyai marga yang menjadi petanda keturunan. Mereka yang bersasal dari marga yang sama tidak boleh berkahwin sesama sendiri kerana mereka mempunyai pengasas keturunan ataupun moyang yang sama.  

Suku-suku Kallar, Maravar dan Agamudayar dikumpulkan bersama sebagai satu konfederasi yang dikenali sebagai masyarakat Mukkulathor. Jumlah populasi masyarakat ini adalah mungkin 8 juta di seluruh dunia.

Mereka mempunyai 1,135 nama marga yang diwarisi melalui keturunan bapa sahaja. Di Malaysia, hampir 64 nama marga telah pun dikenal pasti oleh Persatuan Mukkulathor Lembah Klang. 

Masyarakat ini berasal dari kawasan Tamil Nadu selatan dan kampung-kampung halaman mereka adalah kebanyakannya di selatan Sungai Kaveri. Migrasi mereka ke Tanah Melayu berlaku semasa zaman British selepas tamatnya Peperangan Palayakkarar di India (1799-1805 SM).

Sebelum kedatangan British dan kuasa Eropah yang lain, Tamil Nadu dibahagikan kepada beberapa negeri yang berdaulat. Negeri Arcot, Negeri Madura, Negeri Ramnad (Sethu), Negeri Thanjavur, Negeri Pudukottai adalah antara yang terkenal.

Setiap negeri ini dibahagikan lagi kepada wilayah-wilayah yang mempunyai unit tenteranya yang tersendiri. Wilayah-wilayah bersifat ketenteraan (militarized provinces) ini dikenali sebagai Palayam dan ketuannya diberi gelaran Palayakkarar.

Palayakkarar etnik Tamil adalah dari masyarakat Mukkulathor.  Palayakkarar etnik Telugu di Tamil Nadu adalah dari suku Tottiyar yang juga dikenali sebagai Naicker.

Selepas tewas kepada British, ramai Palayakarar dan panglima-panglima mereka beserta pendekar mereka dibuang negeri. Segelintir daripada mereka dihantar ke Pulau Pinang sebagai tahanan perang.

Beberapa dekad selepas itu, ramai orang dari masyarakat Mukkulathor berhijrah ke Tanah Melayu. Kebanyakan orang masyarakat ini tidak bekerja di estet getah seperti orang India yang lain.

Kebanyakan daripada mereka bekerja di pelabuhan, lombong arang, jabatan keretapi atau berniaga. Ramai keluarga Mukkulathor kini menetap di kawasan Lembah Klang. 

4 daripada marga ini, iaitu Thevar, Servai, Nattar dan Ambalam adalah unik kerana mempunyai nama keturunan ibu yang dikenali sebagai kilai dan kelompok keturunan bapa yang dikenali sebagai karai. Jadi sekiranya seorang Thevar ingin berkahwin dengan perempuan Thevar yang lain, dia harus berlainan kilai dan berlainan karai. 

Untuk menyeragamkan sistem pertalian di Malaysia, masyarakat Mukkulathor termasuk 4 marga unik di atas biasanya tidak akan berkahwin dengan mereka yang mempunyai nama marga yang sama. 

Marga ayah saya adalah Thevar dan ibu saya adalah Kandapillai. 

Raja Negeri Pudukottai, Martanda Bhairava Pallavarayar

Majlis Raja-raja selatan Tamil Nadu

Istana Negeri Ramnad, milik raja marga Sethupathi

Raja Ramnad, Bhaskara Sethupathi

Antara bekas tokoh politik yang terkenal di Malaysa dari masyarakat Mukkulathor adalah mendiang Tun Sambanthan (marga Thevar), mendiang SA Ganapathy (marga Thevar), Tun Samy Velu (marga Nattar) dan Dato S.Subramaniam (marga Servai). 

Setiap marga ini mempunyai sejarahnya. Misalnya, marga Kandapillai, Kandapiriyar dan Kandakili diasaskan oleh seorang panglima wilayah Chola yang bernama Kandar. 

Marga Pallavarayar, Kalingarayar, Valangar, Sethibar dan Thondaiman adalah sebahagaian daripada 12 keluarga diraja dari kerajaan Pallava.  Raja negeri Pudukottai adalah dari marga Thondaiman.

Marga Vandayar, Vanathirayar dan Vanakovayar dikatakan berasal dari orang-orang suku Bana yang berasimilasi dengan orang tempatan pada masa silam. Mereka adalah dari wilayah Chera. Mengikut teori sesetengah sejarahrawan, kaum Bana berasal dari Iran dan berhijrah ke India apabila kerajaan Parsi tumbang. 

Raja wilayah Singampatti adalah dari marga Teerthapathi, Raja negeri Ramnad adalah dari marga Sethupathi, raja wilayah Urkadu adalah dari marga Sethurayar, raja wilayah Kallakottai adalah dari marga Singapuliyar, raja wilayah Poondi adalah dari marga Vandayar dan raja wilayah Gandarvakottai adalah dari marga Pandarathar.



Pelakon filem Tamil yang terkenal, mendiang Sivaji Ganesan adalah dari marga Mandrayar, manakala mendiang Manorama adalah dari marga Kilakkudaiyar.

Nama-nama marga ini tidak diketahui ramai di Malaysia kerana kebanyakan orang Mukkulathor kini tidak lagi menggunakan nama marga mereka secara terbuka. Ini adalah disebabkan oleh pengaruh pergerakan ideologi atheisme Dravidian yang menentang konsep marga, agama dan juga Tuhan dikalangan etnik Tamil.

Kali, MahaKali & Katteri - Are They The Same?

The word Kali has two meanings. One meaning is dark and the other is the feminine of Kala (time). Generally in Hinduism, particularly in the Sakta religion, Kali is the name of the goddess. There are actually more than 1 Kali.

Kali is one of the 7 Matrika devis which are actually the Sakti (power) of individual deities. They are worshipped as virgin devis and they are not consorts of the associated deities. 

Brahmi (power of Brahma)
Maheswari (power of Maheswara)
Kaumari (power of Kumara Muruga)
Vaishnavi (power of Vishnu)
Varahi (power of Varaha or Yama)
Mahendri (power of Indra)
Chamunda (power of Durga)

Varahi is an interesting deity to be studied as she also exist in Buddhism as VajraVarahi. She is associated with both Varaha (Vishnu) and Yama. Although she is sow faced (VarahaMukhi), her attributes are associated with the lord of death. She has many forms but the most commonly worshipped form is the one with a buffalo as vahana. As the power of Yama, she is often associated with death and longetivity. Hence the sloka Ayur Rakshatu Varahi (may Varahi protect my life). 

The Durga Sapthasathi mentions Chamunda as being originally called as Kali, the dark one. Kali which was created from the wrath of MahaDurga kills Chanda and Munda. From then on, she is called Chamunda. It is this Chamunda who we worship as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari, Chamundiamman. Since she was the youngest of the Matrikas, she is called as Chelli in rural Tamil Nadu. This is how we get other names like Chelliamman, Chellayee and Chellatha.

Therefore, this particular Kali is a matrika which is seen as the source of MahaDurga's power. She sits on a corpse and guards all 10 directions.

Evam Dasa Disa Rakshe Chamunda Sava Vahana

The other Kali is MahaKali or AdiParasakti herself in her glorious form as ParaBrahma. This is what we worship as MahaDurga in the Durga Sapthasathi or Devi Mahatmyam. As ParaBrahma in Sarguna form, MahaDurga has three main aspects: 

MahaKali, she awakened MahaVishnu to kill Madhu and Kaitabha
MahaLakshmi, she is also known as MahishaSuraMardhini
MahaSaraswathi, she is also known as NisumbhaSoodhani

Again, these three forms are not consorts of the Tirumurti; Parvathi, Lakshmi, Saraswathi. They are three aspects of the same ParaBrahma as per the ChandiVidya tradition of the Sakta religion. As per the SriVidya tradition, ParaBrahma is in the form of Kamesvari or LalitaTripuraSundari. Both traditions refer to the same ParaBrahma in different female forms.

Hrdaye LalitaDevi, Uddhare SoolaDharini (from ChandiKavacham)
Durlabha Durgama Durga Dukhahantri Sukhaprada (from Lalita Sahasranamam)

MahaKali also exist as one of the DasaMahaVidya.

The word Kali is also used in reference to other female deities who are the expansion of the original Kali (Chamunda) or MahaKali (Parasakti). You may come across names like SmashnaKali, MayanaKali, RudraKali, DakshinaKali, BadraKali, GuhyaKali, UchistaKali and many others. 

Kali worship is popular in the Bengal region, where Tantra is the dominant Hindu scripture. It is also popular among other Indians particularly in the rural areas. Many of the Kali shrines includes spirit worship. They include rituals that involves trance. They add the suffix Kali and call the deity as Kali but it is not necessarily the actual Kali herself. Usually it is Her attendants which are being propitiated under her banner. 

Katteri statue. PIC CREDIT richardarunachala

Another spirit worship which is peculiar to the Tamils is the worship of Katteri. There is a grave misinformation in the internet where Katteri is being called Katyayani. I also noticed that some Hindus in the Caribbean worship Katteri as Kalratri by using the statue of Kalratri. 

It is fine to worship Kalratri or Katyayani but both are not Katteri spirits. They are actually MahaDurga herself. In the Sakta religion, Durga can be worshiped as NavaDurga (9 Durgas). There are two main version of NavaDurgas.

The Puranic version - Sailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraganta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.

The Agamic version - VanaDurga, SooliniDurga, JatavedaDurga, ShantiDurga, SabariDurga, JvalaDurga, LavanaDurga, DeepaDurga and AsuriDurga (some includes KanagaDurga and JayaDurga)

The Tamil Hindus often add the suffix Amman (mother goddess) whenever it involves a female deity. This includes spirits and beings like Yakshis i.e Isakkiyamman. So Katteri becomes Katteriamman although she may not necessarily be a benevolent amman.

Katteris are malevolent spirits which are found in the Kaadu (forest) and Eri (Lake), hence the name Katteri (Kaadu + Eri). The word Katteri also refers to vampires in the Tamil society. In fact, rural folks often call these spirits as RattaKatteri (blood vampires) and they don't have a good reputation among the masses. 

Over time, some Katteris were worshiped as family deities. If there were some form of mutual agreement between a person (especially an ancestor) and a Katteri, i.e person agreed to give offering so that in return the Kateri does not cause mischief or should provide protection from other malevolent spirits, then this can also happen.

Therefore, I hope that the difference between Kali, MahaKali (Durga) and Katteri is now clearer.

Muruga - The God of War

The Ram used to be the Vahana of Muruga before he upgraded it to Peacock. I call it an upgrade because the Peacock can fly ;)

Muruga appeared from the third eye of Siva in the form of a very bright spark. Some say he was transferred by Agni (Fire). Some say he was Agni himself. Hence Muruga is also called as Agnibuh. Like Muruga, Agni also has the Ram as his Vahana.

Qualities like anger, ferociousness, aggressiveness are considered as fiery qualities. Hence it is associated with Agni. There is another word for this. It is called Murka. The Malays still use phrases like "Baginda murka dengan...." when the king is angry or displeased.

Fiery qualities are the hallmark of a warrior. The ancient Greek god of war is Ares. Ares was also known as Mars in the Roman world. Mars is the red planet.

Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), Saturday (Saturn).

Muruga is worshipped on Tuesday, the day of Mars. Muruga is also associated with the colour red like Mars. Hence, he is also called Seyyon and Senthil.

The Tamil calendar begins in mid April (Chitirai) when the Sun enters Aries. Special prayer is also conducted for Muruga during this month. Many pray to Muruga on Puthandu.

Muruga is also the God of War.
This is the connection :)