In spite of being worshippers of Lord Shiva and Shakti, the people of Kumaon have a rich tradition of folk deity worship. The heroes of some long - forgotten age have later on become folk gods and they give expression to the popular beliefs of the people. Each folk god has a separate story attached to his name and each one is remembered through some peak, temple or jagar ( a form of ritual folk poem). It is believed that Kumaon once had a tradition of Yaksha worship. The presence of "Naga" or snake worship is an indication of the reverence given to the brave. Besides worshipping the usual gods and goddesses associated with Hinduism, the people of Kumaon have also worshipped Kul Devatas ( family gods), Gram Devatas ( village gods), Naga Devatas ( snake gods), Bhumi Devatas ( land gods) and Veers ( the brave heroes).