Why devotees come here
The Kaleshwari Group of Monuments sits near Lavana village in Khanpur taluka, Mahisagar district, Gujarat. Lunavada, the district headquarters, lies nearby, and a stream in Hidimba Van, the forest of Hidimba, is close to the site. The complex is a State Protected Monument.
The Kaleshwari complex is a State Protected Monument. Local legend tells of a mother-in-law who would not give her daughter-in-law water from the family stepwell. The younger woman then dug one of her own. Tradition also links the site with characters from the Mahabharata.
The monuments were built between the 10th and 16th century, and some were rebuilt after the 18th century. The Shiva temple, with its shrine and assembly hall, was erected in the 10th century and later fell into ruins. The prince of Lunavada, Mala Rana, is said to have restored it in 1549, but the inscription is worn out.
The State Archeology Department of Gujarat restored the ruins in the 2000s, and they are now promoted as a tourism spot. The almost square reservoir, Hidimba Kund, is 22 m by 22 m and dates from the 11th or 12th century. Two stepwells in the Nanda style, from the 14th or 15th century, have finely carved sculptures. The Shikar Madhi group has carved panels of dancing Ganesha, Vishnu and Chamunda, some dating to the 10th century.
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