In Sinhala Buddhist beliefs the Bandāra deviyō (generally referred to only as Bandāra) are a group of guardian deities. Many of the Bandara deities are deification of prominent or legendary political/military leaders. The name was originally the title of high officials in the Sinhala Kingdom. One of the Bandāra is the popular Sinhalese god Dadimunda. Chief local deities are often just called "Bandāra".