How did the Udmurt kuala function as a family sanctuary?

In Finno-Ugric religion, the kuala served as a vital family sanctuary for the Udmurt people, functioning as the focal point for ancestral worship and lineage cohesion.1

The structure was a small, windowless, and floorless log cabin located near the family dwelling. Its primary features included:12

• The Voršud: A sacred case, also known as a "luck protector," was kept on a shelf on the back wall. This case housed the ancestral spirit, and weekly offerings were made to it.12
• Hearth and Ritual: The center of the room contained a hearth for cooking, and the space served as a site for family ceremonies that bound lineage members together.1
• Exogamy: The cult was strictly exogamous; because a wife belonged to her own paternal lineage, she could not worship at her husband’s kuala and was required to return to her parents' sanctuary.12
• Lineage Expansion: When families grew or relocated, they established new sanctuaries by transferring ashes and a portion of the ancestral power from a "great kuala" to a new "lesser kuala".12