Kakolat is the name of a waterfall

Waterfall

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

 located in the Nawada district

Nawada District

Nawada district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Nawada town is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district was part of famous Magadh, Sunga and Gupta empires. It is located between historical districts of Nalanda and Gaya and falls under Magadha...

 of Bihar

Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Overview

The Kakolat waterfall has great historical and mythological significance. The waterfall is located near Govindpur

Govindpur

Govindpur is one of the oldest colonies established by Allahabad Development Authority back in 1981 at the bank of river Ganges. It is very well connected by local transport with the rest of the city with indegineously developed vehicles called Vikrams supported by limited bus service. The...

 police station, about 33 km away from Nawada

Nawada

Nawada is a city and a municipality. It is also the headquarters of Nawada district in the Indian state of Bihar.-Geography:Nawada is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres...

, on Kakolat Hill. Below the falls there is a deep natural reservoir.

The fall is approximately 160 feet (48.8 m) in height. The scene is panoramic due to all-round green forest area. Kakolat Fall is a popular tourist spot in Bihar

Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

. During the summer, people from all over India come to the falls for picnics.

Role in Indian mythology

According to legend, during the Treta Yuga

Treta Yuga

Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...

 epoch a king

King

- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...

 was cursed by a rishi

Rishi

Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...

 and had to take the shape of a python and lived in Kakolat. The place was visited by the great Pandavas during their exile and the accursed king got salvation from damnation. The king after getting rid of the curse proclaimed that one who would bath in the waterfall will not take the yoni

Yoni

Yoni is the Sanskrit word for the vagina. Its counterpart is the lingam as interpreted by some, the phallus.It is also the divine passage, womb or sacred temple...

 of snake and that is why a large number of people from far and near bathe in the falls.

A large festival is held at Kakolat on the occasion of Baisakhi or Chait Shankranti.