Answer

Yes, some Jain families traditionally have a Kuldaivat or Kuldevata connected to their family lineage, region, or ancestral history. If your family’s Kuldaivat is Veerbhadreshwar at Yadur in Karnataka, it means your family has a traditional devotional connection with that deity and place.

Jain Understanding

In Jain Dharma, the highest worship is directed toward:

• Arihants
• Siddhas
• Acharyas
• Upadhyays
• Sadhus/Sadhvis

These are remembered in the Namokar Mantra and represent the path of liberation.

At the same time, many Jain families also preserve ancestral customs such as Kuldaivat devotion. These customs are usually cultural and family-based, not the central spiritual path of Jain Dharma.

How to Understand It Practically

As a Jain, you may respectfully honor your family tradition while keeping Jain principles clear:

• Do not perform or support any ritual involving violence or animal sacrifice.
• Maintain vegetarian and ahimsa-based worship.
• Keep your main spiritual faith in the Tirthankars and the Ratnatraya: Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct.
• Visit such places with respect, but avoid practices contrary to Jain Dharma.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma teaches that liberation comes through self-purification, non-violence, detachment, and following the path shown by the Tirthankars. Family deities may be part of social or ancestral identity, but they are not the ultimate refuge for moksha.

Takeaway

You can respect your family’s Kuldaivat tradition, but as a Jain, your highest spiritual devotion should remain toward the Arihants, Siddhas, and the path of ahimsa and self-realization.