Khodiyar Mata

Khodiyar Mata (खोडियार माता) is a popular Gujarati folk goddess revered as a protector and family deity by many communities. Devotional and narrative traditions especially associate this figure with protection, courage, family devotion, vows and regional identity. Common iconography may include crocodile mount, trident or sword and Gujarati shrine imagery. Important related names include Khodal Maa. The exact stories, ritual customs and visual details can differ by text, region and lineage, so descriptions should distinguish widely shared tradition from local interpretation. For a Madhuma reference page, the strongest people-first angle is to explain who Khodiyar Mata is, the major stories and symbols, how worship differs across India, important festivals or pilgrimage contexts, and respectful modern practice without presenting devotional belief as historical fact.