Tera, Kutch

Tera is a historic village in the Kutch District of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is in Abdasa Taluka, located from the taluka headquarters, Naliya, and from the district headquarters, Bhuj.
History.
The town with thirty-six dependent villages assigned to Hamirji, the brother of the late Rao Pragmalji of Kutch. Historically, Tera was an estate ("jagir") given by the rulers of Kutch to their brethren. Tera Jagir consisted of 41 villages, and was one of the largest "jagirs" of Kutch. Tera was given to one of the sons of Rao Raydhan I during the reign of Deshalji I (1718–1741). During the reign of Lakhaji I (1741–1760), the Chief of Tera revolted against the ruler of Kutch. Rao Lakhaji I sent his troops to subdue the Chief, damaging the village and the nearby Tera Fort. The Chief of Tera subsequently surrendered and swore allegiance to Lakhaji once again. However, most of the present structures and Havelis were built during reign of Rao Deshalji II (1819–60).
The walls of fort was damaged in 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake which were repaired later.
Notable buildings.
The village and its environs are home to a number of historic structures, including:
Present status.
At present, though farming is the main occupation of Tera's inhabitants, crafts such as Bandhani, block printing, mirror work and "Jats" embroidery also provide main revenue for the villagers. The town also derives income from visiting tourists and Jain pilgrims. As many as 50,000 Jain pilgrims visit Tera every year to see the Shamlaji Parshwanathji Jain Derasar. Tera was the first Heritage Village declared by the government of India.
Tera and its environs are furthermore noted for a variety of wildlife, including chinkaras, blue bulls, wild boars, hyenas, great Indian bustards, peacocks, black partridges, desert foxes, Indian wolves and caracals.
Tera lies on State Highway 49, which connects it to Bhuj, Naliya and Jakhau. Accommodation and hospital facilities are also available in village. Education in Tera is provided by two primary schools and the Sri Tera Gomtiben Naranji Bhadra High School. There are three ancient man-made lakes adjacent to each other in vicinity of village, which provide for the water needs of the village. These lakes are interlinked through underground channels.