Gujarat Approves Rs 13.02 Cr Phase-II for Yaha Mogi Mataji Temple

The temple is associated with Pandori Mata, also known as Yaha Mogi Mataji, and draws devotees from tribal communities across the region. The annual Devmogra Mataji Mela is recognised as one of the principal festivals of the Satpuda tribal communities.

Under Phase II, two new toilet blocks will be constructed, and a dharamshala will be developed on land belonging to the temple trust. The project also covers renovation of the temple's sanctum sanctorum.

This approval follows the completion of Phase I works, executed at a cost of Rs 11.33 crore, which included a dharamshala, Central Vista, toilet block, stone entrance gate, parking facilities, pathways and 295 shops. According to the state government, these facilities have already improved basic amenities for devotees and tourists visiting Devmogra.

The development is being carried out by the Gujarat Tourism Corporation under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The second phase builds on the Phase I infrastructure, adding accommodation and sanitation capacity while upgrading the temple premises. Officials said the works are expected to strengthen religious tourism in the tribal belt and generate local employment.

Devmogra temple is located in the Satpura hills and is regarded as the ancestral deity shrine of the region's tribal community, with devotees travelling from across Gujarat and neighbouring states for religious observances.

Where this fits in Gujarat's wider push: The Devmogra approval comes days after the state cleared Rs 133.41 crore for development works across 10 other religious, heritage and tourism sites — also approved by Sanghavi. The largest single allocation in that package, Rs 46.91 crore, went to the "Iconic Development of Greater Gir Project," covering tourism infrastructure around the Gir region. A further Rs 35 crore was approved for the holistic development of Shri Vardayini Mataji Temple at Rupal in Gandhinagar district, while Rs 21.75 crore was cleared for reconstruction of Shri Jodhalpir Temple at Kesardi village in Ahmedabad district's Bavla taluka. Smaller allocations in the same package covered temple infrastructure at sites in Mehsana, Valsad and Navsari districts.

Taken together, the two approvals — Rs 13.02 crore for Devmogra and Rs 133.41 crore for the 10-site package — indicate a broader, district-spanning push by the Gujarat government to upgrade pilgrimage infrastructure ahead of the peak festival and tourist season, spanning both mainstream Hindu temple circuits and tribal religious sites like Devmogra.