# Devata
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{{Italic title}}
{{Short description|Hindu and Buddhist term for deity}}
{{Redirect|Devatha|other uses}}
{{Hinduism}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 350
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| image1 = Devata and Apsaras Prambanan 10.jpg
| caption1 = A male ''devata'', flanked by a two [apsara](/source/apsara)s in [Prambanan](/source/Prambanan), [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia)
| image2 = 013 Yakkha and Devas (35252943415).jpg
| caption2 = A mural depicting ''devata''s and a [yaksha](/source/yaksha) in [Phutthaisawan Chapel](/source/Bangkok_National_Museum), [Thailand](/source/Thailand)
| image3 = Kumtura Devatas.jpg
| caption3 = Statuettes of ''devatas'', [Kumtura Caves](/source/Kumtura_Caves), [China](/source/China)
| image4 = SRI AYYANAR TEMPLE COIMBATORE.png
| caption4 = [Aiyanar](/source/Aiyanar), a ''[kula](/source/Kuladevata)''-''devata'' of South India, and his consorts
}}
'''''Devata''''' (pl: ''devatas'', meaning 'the gods') {{efn|[Devanagari](/source/Devanagari): देवता; [Khmer](/source/Khmer_language): ទេវតា (''tevoda''); [Thai](/source/Thai_language): เทวดา ({{RTGS|thewada}}); [Sinhalese](/source/Sinhala_language): දෙවිවරු (''dewiwaru''); [Balinese](/source/Balinese_language), [Sundanese](/source/Sundanese_language), [Malay](/source/Malay_language): ''dewata''; [Javanese](/source/Javanese_language): ''déwata'' or ''jawata'';[Tim Balai Bahasa Yogyakarta (2011). ''Kamus Basa Jawa'' (''Bausastra Jawa''). Yogyakarta: Kanisius.] [Batak languages](/source/Batak_languages): ''debata'' [(Toba)](/source/Toba_Batak_language), ''dibata'' [(Karo)](/source/Batak_Karo_language), ''naibata'' [(Simalungun)](/source/Batak_Simalungun_language); ''[diwata](/source/Anito)'' ([Philippine languages](/source/Philippine_languages))}} are smaller and more focused Devas (Deities) in [Indian religions](/source/Indian_religions), such as [Hinduism](/source/Hinduism) and [Buddhism](/source/Buddhism). The term "devata" itself can also mean deva. They can be either male or female. Every human activity has its devata, its spiritual counterpart or aspect.
==Types==
[[File:Buddhist Temple Wat Chomphu Wek (Dec 2022) วัดชมภูเวก จังหวัดนนทบุรี - IMG 15.jpg|thumb|[Manimekhala](/source/Manimekhala), a devata in Theravada Buddhism, depicted here in a Thai temple]]
There are many kinds of devatas: vanadevatas (forest spirits, perhaps descendants of early nature-spirit cults), [gramadevata](/source/gramadevata) (village gods), devatas of river crossings, caves, mountains, and so on. For example, in the [Konkan](/source/Konkan) region of [India](/source/India), Hindu devatas are often divided into five categories:[{{cite book|title=Folklore Notes, Vol. 2, Konkan|year=1915|publisher=British India Press, Mazgaon.|location=Bombay|author=R.E. Enthoven|author2=A. M. T. Jackson|author2-link=A. M. T. Jackson}}]
# [Grama devatas](/source/Gramadevata) or village deities who could be the founder deity such as [Jathera](/source/Punjabi_folk_religion) or [ancestral worship of Bali](/source/Balinese_Hinduism), and examples include [Santoshi](/source/Santoshi), [Renuka](/source/Renuka), [Aiyanar](/source/Aiyanar)
# Sthana devatas or local deities, for example, those in certain places of pilgrimage like [Rama](/source/Rama) in [Nasik](/source/Nasik), [Vithoba](/source/Vithoba) in Pandharpur, [Krishna](/source/Krishna) at Dwarka, [Kali](/source/Kali) at Kolkata, [Mahalakshmi](/source/Lakshmi) at Kolhapur, [Devi Kanya Kumari](/source/Devi_Kanya_Kumari) at [Kanyakumari](/source/Kanyakumari)
# [Kula devatas](/source/Kuladevata) or family deities, like Khanderai and [Muniandi](/source/Muniandi)
# [Ishta devatas](/source/I%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADa-devat%C4%81_(Hinduism)) or chosen deities
# Vastu devatas or Gruha devatas, a class of deities that preside over the house.
Following are some of the important types of Dewatas in [Sri Lankan Buddhism](/source/Buddhism_in_Sri_Lanka):
* Bandara Dewatawo are dewatas of trees, mountains, etc.
* Gambara Dewatawo are dewatas of the villages
* Loka Dewatawo are dewatas of planets{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}
==Scriptures==
[[File:Cambodia-2366 - More Cold Women, still no date.. (3591127397).jpg|thumb|[Apsara](/source/Apsara)s relief on [Angkor Wat](/source/Angkor_Wat), [Cambodia](/source/Cambodia)]]
Some well-known Hindu-Buddhist heavenly beings belong to the group of devatas, such as [apsara](/source/apsara)s or [vidhyadaris](/source/Vidyadhara) (female cloud and water spirits) and their male counterparts, the [gandharva](/source/gandharva)s (heavenly musicians). Devatas often occur in many [Buddhist Jatakas](/source/Jataka_tales), Hindu epics such as the [Ramayana](/source/Ramayana) and the [Mahabharata](/source/Mahabharata) and in many other Buddhist holy scriptures.
The island of [Bali](/source/Bali) is nicknamed ''Pulau Dewata'' ([Indonesian](/source/Indonesian_language): "islands of devata or island of gods") because of its vivid [Hindu culture](/source/Hindu_culture) and traditions. In Indonesia, the term [hyang](/source/hyang) is equivalent to devata. In Hinduism, the devatas that guard the eight, nine and ten cardinal points are called [Lokapala](/source/Lokapala) ([Guardians of the Directions](/source/Guardians_of_the_directions)) or, more specifically in [Balinese Hindu](/source/Balinese_Hinduism) tradition, ''[Dewata Nawa Sanga](/source/Dewata_Nawa_Sanga).''
==See also==
* [Demigod](/source/Demigod)
* [Surya Majapahit](/source/Surya_Majapahit)
* [Diwata](/source/Divata)
==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061109064221/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1992/09/1992-09-07.shtml Palani, Sivasiva. "New Angles On Angels." ''Hinduism Today'', Sep 1992. Accessed 11 May 2006.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060916022459/http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/colItems.asp?ID=SEC20030426095714 Krishna, Nanditha. "Grounded in wisdom." ''Newindpress on Sunday'', April 26, 2003. Accessed 11 May 2006.]
* Chopra, Deepak: ''Life after Death, The Burden of Proof'', Chapter 11 "Guides and Messengers" Three Rivers Press, 2008.
==External links==
* [http://www.devata.org/ Devata.org - Research on Khmer Women in Divine Context]
* [http://www.devata.org/khmer-devata-temples/ Photos and Articles about Devata temples in Cambodia, Thailand & Laos]
{{HinduMythology}}
Category:Hindu deities
Category:Tutelary deities
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Devata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devata) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devata?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.