Kolayat is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is also the headquarters of the tehsil in the Bikaner Sub-division with the same name. The town is 51 kilometres from Bikaner on the highway to Jaisalmer (Nationa Highway 15). Kolayat is an historical centre of pilgrimage where the Vedic sage, Kapila is believed to have shed his body under a Peepul tree. Kolayat has a series of marble temples, sandstone pavilions and 52 ghats - bathing places - built around a large artificial lake which never goes dry. A temple dedicated to Kapila is the venue for an annual fair held in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov) when, on the day of the full moon, thousands of devotees of the Sankhya philosophy gather to take a dip in the holy waters of Lake Kapil Sarovar. The lake is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of devotees. A livestock fair, mainly for the trading of camels is part of the festivities. As of 2001 India census, Kolayat had a population of 7,346. Males constitute 3,963 of...
