Shree Lakheshwar Shiva Temple Kera, Varsha Wadi,Kutch Gujarat
The Shiva Temple, Kera, also known as Kerakot’s Lakheshwara Temple, is located in the village of Kera near Bhuj of the Kutch district in Gujarat, India. The temple was built during the reign of the Chaulukya (Solankis) dynasty in the latter part of the 10th century (9th to 11th centuries) and is dedicated to Shiva. The temple has undergone severe earthquake damage during the 1819 earthquake and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. But the temple spire, inner sanctuary and sculptures are still in an attractive state.
he inside of the temple is square in shape, each side 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m). The walls of the sanctuary are 0.79 m thick. The shrine has a circular passageway or pradakshina that is 2 feet 6 inches wide. This passage receives natural light from two open carved stone perforated windows. Of the original room or mandapa of the temple, which was 18 feet 9 inches (5.72 m) wide, only the north wall has survived. There are some well-carved sculptures on the wall. The temple spire is well executed with the ornamentation of eight triangle-shaped sculptures in the shape of chaitya windows on each face of the spire. Surrounded between the windows are well-crafted sculptures of human figures. These sculptural formations are repeated one on top of the other gradually reducing their size as the height of the spire increases. In the corners of the sanctuary, there are miniature spiers, and the same type is built on top of them in a recessed interior element found in the large main central spire. The external faces of the spiers are well ornamented with elegantly carved sculptures. There are many stone sculptures of Yakshas around the temple premises. An annual fair is held here, attended by a large number of devotees.
The Shiva temple of Kera is dated to the later part of the 10th Century (9th to 11th century is also mentioned[1]), built during the reign of the Chaulukya dynasty (Solankis). Close to this temple, there is the Fort of Kapilkot, which is also in a dilapidated condition. The temple is ascribed to Ra Lakha Phulani who was ruling his capital at Kapilkot.In the 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake, the temple was substantially damaged, leaving only the main spire and inner sanctum in a good condition. It was again damaged to some extent during the Bhuj earthquake.
