Tribal Heritage · Rich Biodiversity · Unique Car Safari Experience
Kankai mata temple ride is separated from Devalia and Gir Jungle safari, it is not a standard wildlife safari with a temple bolted on at the end. Journey start from the Sasan Gir entry point, through mixed dry deciduous forest, along dried riverbeds and past rocky scrub patches it is an active wildlife corridor. The approach to the temple passes through exactly the kind of transitional forest edge habitat that produces the most varied and unpredictable wildlife sightings in Gir.
Lions use the terrain as regularly as any other part of the forest. Leopards have known territories along the hillier sections. What makes the route different from the other safari forest opens gradually, the terrain shifts and eventually the parts to reveal the temple compound.
| Date | Morning Timings | Evening Timings |
|---|---|---|
|
16th October To 15th June |
6:00 AM – 11:00 AM | 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Vehcile | Indian | Foreigner |
|---|---|---|
| Innova, Bolero, Sumo | 7000 | 8000 |
Kankai mata herself is worshipped as a form of divine mother a protective deity with deep roots in the folk traditions of Saurashtra. Local Maldhari families and farming communities from across the Kathiawar peninsula have made seasonal pilgrimages here for generations.
The nine-night festival in Navratri honouring the goddess in many forms the kankai mata temple route transforms into something genuinely extraordinary. Thousands of devotees travel in on foot and by vehicle, lamps are lit along the forest path after dark, and the sounds of devotional singing carry through the trees well past midnight. Wildlife does not disappear during this period they adjust, withdrawing slightly from the immediate temple area and continue to move through the surrounding forest.
For visitors who time their Gir trip around Navratri, the combination of a pre-dawn safari, a morning wildlife walks, and an evening at the temple during the festival creates a layered experience that no single-format wildlife trip can match. It is one of the few places in India where the sacred calendar and the wildlife calendar genuinely intersect. Book your safari slots and accommodation well ahead if Navratri timing is part of your plan — the region sees its highest visitor numbers of the year during this period.