Orientation
No. of Days : 3 DAYS
12 – 14 Nov 2016 | 02 – 04 Nov 2017 | 18 – 23 Nov 2018 | 10 Dec 2019 | 28 – 30 Nov 2020
Kolayat (50 km south west of Bikaner)
Dates of Celebration : 3 days from full moon of Kartik month that corresponds to the month of October and November of the English calendar.
Religious significance : It is believed that spending a day at Kolayat is equivalent to spending 10 years at any other place of pilgrimage.
Kolayat originally known as Kapilayatan- is named after the sage Kapil Muni who is said to have done meditation here for the redemption of mankind. The otherwise sleepy village of Kolayat bustles with life on Kartik purnima when thousands of pilgrims converge to take a dip in the holy lake here that has 52 ghats and around which there are temples of Kapil Muni, barah (12) Mahadev and panchmukhi temple.
The agenda of the 3 days Kolayat fair incorporates several entertaining performances by doyens of Rajasthani music and dance, competitions of wrestling, tug of war, camel decoration……..the list is long but not boring. Attending the maha aarti and deepdan (floating of lamps in the lake) will give you a feel of the aarti on the banks of Ganges at Haridwar.
DAY 1 – NEW DELHI
Welcome to Incredible India : Welcome to Incredible India!! You are welcomed & picked up by our executive from the International airport and transferred to the hotel in your private car. (Our executive will be waiting outside the custom area with a placard of your name) We will have a welcome briefing covering the various aspects of the tour (ensuring that you have the best of the Indian holiday) and you will be handed over the India travel kit containing all relevant documents of your trip (air/rail tickets, hotel vouchers, transport, guide, sightseeing vouchers, writing pads with other travel related documents). No pre-planned activities for the day but the car & the driver will be at your disposal.
DAY 2 – New Delhi > MANDAWA (270 km / 6 hrs)
Paintings, Havelis & Frescos : After Breakfast we proceed to Mandawa, a town full of havelis with gold paintings & frescoes. These Havelis were once built by wealthy merchants who hailed from this region and proved their mettle all over the world with popular nickname given as “MARWARI. Overnight in Mandawa.
DAY 3 – MANDAWA > BIKANER (200 km / 4 hrs)
The Desert Citadel : Driving in west we reach the desert citadel – “Bikaner” where the desert is in its full mood. Tucked away in the harsh desert region of western Rajasthan lies the relatively remote city of Bikaner. Check into the hotel for lunch and some rest.
You can first visit the camel breeding farm and later drive 50 km south west to join the festivities at Kolayat. In the evening attend the soulful maha-arti on the bank of lake where you will find devotees doing Deepdaan (floating lamps on waters of the lake). After this is the time to enjoy the fantabulous cultural performances by some famous folk artists.
DAY 4 – BIKANER
Festivities : In the morning you can do some sight seeing in Bikaner like visiting the Junagarh fort and Lalgarh palace. Junagarh Fort, unlike all the major forts of Rajasthan which are on hilltops, was built on the desert plains itself. The palace complex’s sumptuously decorated interiors are better preserved than in almost any other region. Later move to Kolayat to enjoy a series of events like camel decoration contest, tug of war, moustache competition, wrestling etc. & in the evening the fire dance, and other cultural programs.
Overnight at Bikaner. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 5 – BIKANER > JAIPUR (360 km / 6-7 hrs)
Tour Ends : The celebration comes to an end and its time to bid adieu but with vibrant impressions of Rajasthan’s vivid culture in your memory book. After breakfast we will drive you to Jaipur airport from where you catch your flight for Delhi or can continue your Indian Sojourn. En route you can visit the Karni Mata temple that is popularly known as Rat Temple. Here hundreds of mice and rats are revered with sweets and milk in the belief that they are re-incarnated saints. They swarm over the temple around your feet. Spotting a white rat is supposed to bring good luck.
