DEVAK

[Hindu] In Bombay, the Deccan, and the Bombay Presidency, a guardian deity. It can be an animal, a tree, or a trade instrument that is considered the ancestor or head of a house. The devak is treated with respect and worshipped chiefly at the time of marriage or upon entering a new house. Quite often, people with the same devak cannot marry, which could suggest a totemic origin.