Khudai is the high creator god of the Khakas, dwelling in the upper world and credited with fashioning the earth, its waters and its living things, and with shaping the first human body from clay. Sources differ on whether Khudai is a distinct deity or another name for Ülgen, the two often being invoked interchangeably in shamanic prayer; the name itself is a Persian loanword that spread through southern Siberia. Alongside Khan Tigir and Akh Chayaan he heads the benevolent powers of heaven to whom pure, light-coloured offerings were made.