Kolayat Fair

Kolayat Fair reasonable is held each year on Kartik Purnima in Kolayat which is a consecrated place close Bikaner. The word 'Kolayat' is gotten from the Sanskrit word Kapilyatan. Kolayat is situated on a level which is a piece of Thar leave. Here a profound wretchedness frames a lake where water is sweet and unadulterated. The lake has fifty-two ghats. A statue of Kapil Muni has been introduced at the principle ghat.

As indicated by the Skanda Purana, who was hitched to the girl of Maharshi Manu. Kapil Muni achieved the most elevated religious legitimacy in childhood and showed his mom the Sankhya Sastra. On his retirement to the Himalayas Kapil Muni went over on desert garden and was entranced by its lovely environment. A piece of his spirit waited there and desert garden ended up renowned and numerous fans thronged it.
Yet, the divine beings ended up envious and concealed it in the sandy betray. Skandh Deo, the child of Siva and Parvathi, showed compassion for torment mankind and uncovered the place back. Incredible hugeness is appended to a plunge in the heavenly lake which should Purge the sincere of his wrong doings.

The lake has a great significance in the lives of people of Bikaner. It is one of the few water bodies the district is blessed with, being situated on the edge of the great Thar desert and consequently having semi-arid geography.
Though the lake has geographical significance, its importance is more so in the sphere of culture and history. As per a Legend, a great sage named Kapil Muni, also considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, had meditated here for the redemption of mankind. There is also shrine dedicated to the sage on a Ghat that too is named after him- the Kapil Muni Ghat.

It is from this Kapil Muni Ghat the festivities of the fair begin, though all the other fifty one ghats surrounding the Kolayat lake too are included in the celebrations. Devotees from around world gather on these fifty-two Ghats and take dips in the holy water of the lake. Doing so is considered auspicious especially on the day of full-moon of Kartik month, around which the festival is held.

Beginning from the early morning and throughout the day of full-moon, visitors perform all the different kinds of worshipping rituals. They make offerings made of coconut, sugar drops, sugar cubes, and dry fruits to the sage, participate in the Aarti, and take holy bath in the lake.

Late in the evening, all the visitors attend the grand evening or Sandhya Aarti and float lighted oil-lamps in the sacred lake in a ritual called Deep-Malika. This particular practice formulates one of the most charming sites of the festival. Thousands of lighted lamps float on the still waters of the lake creating a vista resembling that of stars on the dark sky of clear night.