Devmogra Mata-Kuldevta of Satpuda Tribal

Tribal society has been worshiping nature as a festival since ancient times. Those who are useful in life are worshiped as gods. In tribal society any festival is celebrated ones in a year. Pujara, Bodva and Modvi( Tribal Historians) of the tribal community have preserved the tribal cultural customs by preserving the oral tradition by keeping the annual festivals intact. 

Ø  The unwritten but oral tradition of the tribals has been going on since ancient times. 15 thousand years ago people were wandering and living in forest. The group used to roam and earn their living by eating tubers and fruits from the forest.  In Satpuda region at that time, Kolpasa, Goryakothar, Devgondari, Vinyadev, Rajapantha, Tarhamahal, Umravanu, Helbadev, Agipandar and Gimbdev etc. were head of the pressure group worked tirelessly to collect all kinds of grain from the forest and separate them for the benefit of the people.

Ø  They then did collective farming at Dhanya Dab and filled the barn as seeds. He then taught the tribal people how to store seeds, how to cook food, how to form, how to live a pragmatic life on this land, how to live life. Tribal people did not know all this knowledge. Due to this great invention, people started worshiping DEVMOGRA (YAHA MOGI) as God.

Ø  Thousand of year ago there was a kingdom called DAB between Tapi and Rewa(Narmada) rivers. Even today that area is known as  HELODAB.

There was the kingdom of Rajakolpasa. He had brought together the chiefs from around the state to form a large state. From the cultural center of Dab, all the four directions around it are known as Khond(Pati) in the tribal dialect. They are also given names, Nimad Pati to east, Ambudapati to the west, Dehwal and Mavchar Pati to the south, Nahal and Noirpati to the north were named as such.

Ø  In this pressure circle there were knowledgeable people like Tudomodvi, Pecharopunjara, Henglogunyo. Kolpasa, Bahgorya, Devgondari, Rajafanta, Vinyadev, Agipander, Porabdev, Sidgova, Dev Sinat, Gimdev were the head of the pressure board. Rajafanta and Vinyadev’s Rajguru Vaiduvilat and Ambudapati’s Chief Rajatarhamahal, Rajafanta’s mother Umravanu used to give advise in state affair. Rajakolpasa of dab is the chief of Nimad Pati, Kundurana, Devkumbay, Relakbadya, the chief of Ambudapati, Tarhamahal, Devvilat, Gajalgota, Dehwal and Mavchar Pati chief Dev Nimji, Sidgova of Noirpati, Devvorta. All these four party chief s used to hold a big meeting ones a year at Koldab. 

Ø  The meeting was called Molhobai. In the Molhobai Sabha, the leaders of all the four parties used to make important decisions in the interest of their people. In it, Bahgorya was Appointed as the head of the Depot, Rajasidgova as the head of recovery.

Rajapantha and Vinyadev were very powerful and intelligent in all the major panchayats and they were entrusted with the task of supervising and protecting the entire pressure board.

Ø  KOLDAB:- Kol is the central part of the earth. Pressure is the place of rocks. In the past, Rajapantha and Vinyadev celebrated village Diwali In Dab Village. At that time, the place of the dug-out pit was pressed, so the pressure got its name. In the past, it was customary to do group farming. Similarly, Bahgorya started a new farm and sowed sorghum in that field. He gave food and wine to the people who came. When kahni(sorghum) is cut after ripening, the pujan was performed by Rajapantha. Rajapantha was very strong and skilled in various weapons. As a young man, Rajapantha always helped the people of his father’s filthy kingdom.

Ø  Rajapantha had nine queens, that Devarupan, Devkatan, Devmurkhu, Devkupal, Mandavvarahi, Helivodal, Agipandar, Phulmogra were the previous eight queens. Devmogra was born in the house of Relankela Devi and Pangyavanji at Helodab. Devmogra had Mogipendri, Agipandar, Kani, Anhoridev, Nisbaksabdev, Kutyatiathuti, Uratinpuratidevi were brothers and sisters.

Ø  When she reached the age of puberty, Rajapantha proposed marriage to her. But Rajapantha had eight queens already. He was fascinated by her beauty and wanted to marry her. He made it condition for the king to stay with the king of Dab as his son-in-law. Despite having eight queens to him, he remained with the king of Dab for seven years as son-in-law to obtain Devmogra. After completing seven years of service, they both decided to live in live Ghanikhunt, but they were not taken into the house by King Tarhamahal. Rajapantha and Devmogra continued to wander in the forest enduring various hardships.

Ø  After that they were settled in Devmogra village and both of them started building a hut there. 12 years of famine followed. Cattle and people of Dab Mandal and surrounding areas died. Many people died in this famine and some people left their homes. During the period of pressure, the kingdom become desolate. 

Ø  During this period, Devmogra provided plenty of food and livestock to the starving people. The people of Dab Mandal started believing in “Yaha” as they provided food grains and livestock for bread. Among the Tribals, Yaha means mother and Mogi means price. In tribal Bhili language, Dharti(Yahamogi) is called Modhiyaha, Kani(grain) is called Haniyaha to Kaniksari. That is why Satpuda Tribal origin and life depend on this creation.

Ø  Vinyadev made liquor from flowers of mahua in the past. 

It is called Horo in Bhil Tribal dialect. This liquor(Horo) is worshiped by the gods and goddesses at the time of festivals, festivities, joys and sorrows. The person in that family has to be equipped with a holy heart. For that go to the river and you have to take a bath with curd and belpana. Mahau flowers liquor is made in five days. On the day when Yahamogi want to go for puja, they fill the bottle(earthenware pot) with horo(liquor) and keep the bottle in the Hidari(bamboo basket) along with the grains. There is a story in tribal society that Rajpando is a god.

Ø   It rains only when it becomes a peacock and sits on a bomboo branch and make a noise. That’s when it rains. She was discovered by Tudabodwa, Pecharapunjara, Henglagunya and other knowledgeable panchayats. Devmogra preferred bamboo house. Bamboo stalks(kothi) are kept in earthen pots(kothi).Which make  Yahamogi happy. Therefore, in order to make a happy to Devmogra, the grains ripened in the field are kept in a bamboo basket(Hidari) are taken away.

Ø  Yahamogi Pujan Tradition

After the ripening of the grain in the field, the gain of your field is filled in a basket. These stored seeds will be returned in the future when there is a famine in order to worship the gods and goddesses who have invented the field and gain and to keep the grain in the form of seeds in the storehouse they have built.

Ø  This tradition dates back to 15000 years ago and it continues to this day. Which we see today in the form of Hidari worshiping various types of grains in the basket. 

Ø  Worship of Devmogra(Yahamogi Puja)

Hidari(Bomboo Basket), Kahni, Liquor of mahau flower. Flower garlands, incense sticks, coconuts and sandalwoods are not offered to any deity in the tribal community. The story is that, due to this rich grain, fruit, flowers, trees, leaf, tuber, Kani Kansari is born on earth in various forms.

Ø  So on this earth the leaves, the flowers, It is against nature to break the fruit before it is ripe. This belongs to tribal community. The tradition is thousands of years old and the tribal community is a festival to offer new grains to the deities of the Mandal and to keep the tradition alive.

Ø  The source of that culture and grain is pressure. The same culture that was ingrained in tribal society is still alive today.