Devmogra Mata Temple
The spiritual centre of gravity for the Vasava, Bhil and Tadvi communities: Yaha Mogi's shrine near Sagbara, whose annual fair draws lakhs.
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Time needed
- ~1.5 hr
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 06:00–19:00
- Effort
- Easy
Devmogra, near Sagbara in the district's south-east corner, is the spiritual centre of gravity for the Vasava, Bhil and Tadvi communities of the Gujarat–Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh tri-border: the shrine of Yaha Mogi (Devmogra Mata), the mother goddess whose annual fair transforms these quiet hills into one of western India's largest tribal gatherings. Families arrive on foot, by tractor and truck, carrying offerings of grain and bamboo baskets; vows are fulfilled, marriages blessed, harvests dedicated.
The main fair runs around Mahashivratri (dates follow the lunar calendar) across several days, an extraordinary spectacle of devotion, music and market, and also dense crowds, basic facilities and long queues. Outside fair season the temple is calm: a working shrine where the goddess sits with her granary, and where respectful visitors get an unforced look at living adivasi devotion.
Visit as a guest, not a spectator: photograph people only with clear consent, dress plainly, and buy from the local stalls; that is the economy the fair exists to feed.
Highlights
- ◆Principal shrine of Yaha Mogi / Devmogra Mata
- ◆Annual fair around Mahashivratri drawing lakhs
- ◆Heart of Vasava-Bhil devotional culture
- ◆Calm, welcoming shrine outside fair days
History & lore
Yaha Mogi is the great mother of the region's adivasi cosmology, provider of grain and protector of the community; her granary sits beside her in the shrine. Oral tradition, not text, carries her story, and the annual pilgrimage predates every modern boundary drawn around these hills.
Traveller tips
- →For the fair, arrive early morning and expect to walk kilometres
- →Off-season, combine with the Dediapada belt for a full eastern loop
- →Buy baskets and produce at the stalls: it is the right kind of souvenir
Safety
- ⚠Fair crowds are immense: fix meeting points and keep children in hand
- ⚠Respect ritual spaces; some inner areas are for community members
Where it is
Approximate pin. The circle is the margin · 21.4480, 73.7220
Directions to Devmogra ↗Getting there
Road · Via Sagbara from the Rajpipla–Dediapada corridor; fair days bring managed one-way routes
Rail · Ankleshwar/Bharuch railheads (~110 km)
Air · Surat (~130 km), Vadodara (~150 km)
Last stretch · Walk from parking to the shrine; fair days mean long approach queues
Questions people ask
Can non-tribal visitors attend the fair?
Yes. It is open and welcoming, but you are a guest at someone else's most important gathering. Dress plainly, ask before photographing, and follow stewards' directions.
Practical detail
- The road
- Tarred; interior speeds
- Parking
- Large open grounds; managed during the fair
- Season
- The Mahashivratri-season fair is the peak experience and the peak logistics challenge; ordinary winter days are serene.
- Visiting
- The fair runs five days, from Maha Vad Amas to the day before Mahashivratri (Feb–Mar), drawing around five lakh devotees from Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan; the Gadh Yatra procession is its climax. Plan deliberately for it or deliberately around it.
- Photography
- During the fair, ask before every people-shot. Offerings and rituals are personal. The granary shrine itself is usually off-limits to cameras.
- Food
- Stalls and bhojan arrangements, expanding hugely at fair time; Sagbara town otherwise
- Toilets
- basic
- Guides
- Local youths orient visitors; Vasavi and Gujarati are the languages of the ground
Where to sleep
Sagai Eco Campsite (Malsamot)
The anchor stay of the eastern belt, forest-department simple, plateau sunsets, near-zero connectivity. Carry cash and offline maps.
Forest Department portal lists 3 rooms from ₹1000 a night and a 30-bed dormitory at ₹7500. Monsoon weekends fill early.
Data confidence: Researched · facts last verified 2026-08-08 · 3 field(s) awaiting verification
- Devmogra Mataji Mela, Utsav portal, Ministry of Tourism (official)
- Devmogara Temple: Story, History, Pilgrimage, saurashtratoday.com