Ishta-Deva

Okay, imagine you have a best friend who you really love and trust. You tell them all your secrets and they support you through everything. Now imagine that your friend is a god or goddess. That's kind of what an ishta-deva is. It's like a special god or goddess that you have a really close relationship with. It's someone who you feel connected to in a special way and who you can go to for help and guidance. In Hinduism, people believe that there are many different gods and goddesses, each with their own special powers and personalities. Some people might feel a stronger connection to one god or goddess over the others, and that's their ishta-deva. It's not like they only worship that one god or goddess, but they might feel like they have a deeper relationship with them. Imagine it's like having a really cool superhero friend who you know will always have your back.