Ratangarh Mata, Datia district

The aboriginal forest-Shakti temple of Ratangarh Mata at Ratangarh village in Datia district, Madhya Pradesh — a Bundelkhand tribal pilgrimage centre drawing pilgrims from the Gond, Saharia and Bhil tribal communities of central India. The goddess Ratangarh Mata (Durga-form) is worshipped as the forest-protector deity. The 11-century Chandela-period temple sits within the Ratangarh forest reserve on the Vindhya range. The annual Diwali festival (October-November) is the main pilgrimage event, drawing 100,000 pilgrims from across Bundelkhand's tribal belt. The 15 October 2013 Ratangarh stampede killed 115 pilgrims in a bridge collapse during the Navratri festival. The temple is managed by the Datia district administration and the Ratangarh Devasthan Trust. The site is one of the few major Shakti pilgrimages that primarily serves tribal rather than caste Hindu communities.