Narayan Deo is a distinct and widely worshipped deity of the Gond and neighbouring Bhumia peoples, identified as a sun-god and household protector. Although his name is drawn from the Hindu Narayana, in Gond practice he is an independent object of cult worshipped under the Gondi title Pen. His characteristic observance is the Laru Kaj, the 'pig's wedding', in which a family that has vowed to him ceremonially weds and then sacrifices a pig to the god once in every nine or twelve years, seeking prosperity, health and freedom from misfortune. Within the layered Gond pantheon he stands below the supreme clan-god Bara Deo.