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.
Location
The Shiva temple is located in the village of Kera in Bhuj of the Kutch district in Gujarat. Bhuj is the closest railway head with two express trains, the Bhuj Express and the Kutch Express that operate between Bhuj, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Bhuj is also the airport that connects to Mumbai. It is well connected by road through several cities in the state and is located at a distance of about 22 kilometers (14 miles) south of Bhuj.
History
The Shiva temple is located in the village of Kera in Bhuj of the Kutch district in Gujarat. Bhuj is the closest railway head with two express trains, the Bhuj Express and the Kutch Express that operate between Bhuj, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Bhuj is also the airport that connects to Mumbai. It is well connected by road through several cities in the state and is located at a distance of about 22 kilometers (14 miles) south of Bhuj.
Features
The 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.
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