The oldest temple of Mahadev in Kutch Nakhtrana is 900-year-old, Waiting to get renovated.

No development work despite the allocation of Rs 2 crore grant by Archaeological Department.

Located at a distance of 36 km from Bhuj in Nakhtrana taluka. The temple of Puareshwar Mahadev is the oldest in Kutch, combining Dravidian and Nagar style elements. According to legend, named Puareshwar after built by Rapuara Raja, Paddhar Gadh, in the ninth century.

It is said that Rapuara, the Nephew of Lakha Fulani, is the founder of Kerakot. He built a temple in Kerakot, but his nephew found fault with it. So the uncle told him that it is easy to remove the defect by building such a temple. Thus Rapura built a temple-like Kerkot here.

According to another legend, Rapura’s engagement took place in Sindh Prat, Rani Rajaiah Devi, a devotee of Lord Shiva, and she did not want to leave her Lord Shiva. So they put a condition against the king that Lord Shiva would come with him and marry him. 

Rapura also said that Rani would go with Shiva temple but not look back. So the queen got married, and the Shiva temple began to follow the queen’s well. When Paddhar reached the fort, he saw that the fort’s gate was small and the temple was huge, so the queen felt that he would come inside the temple.

This temple is in a dilapidated condition, and even after enduring earthquakes, stones support it. In the month of Shravan itself, the Archaeological Department allotted a grant of Rs 2 crore with approval to make the temple a new and tourist destination. Even though the work has not started till now, there is resentment among Shiva devotees.

Kutch MP Vinod Chavda raised the temple issue in Parliament Bhuvan in Delhi, which comes to be four years. Also, in the story of Giribapu held here, the political leaders had promised to renovate the temple. 

In the first phase, two and a half crore allotted for the renovation and development of the temple as a tourist destination. But no work started. Swami Shankara Nandgiriji Guru Santoka Nandgiriji has been the temple’s mahant for over a hundred years now, and his disciples serve the temple.