Bhangarh Fort

Listed amongst the world’s most haunted places and India’s the most haunted place, Bhangarh Fort is a 17th-century fort which was constructed by the king Madho Singh of Rajasthan. The fort is located in the district of Bhangarh in Rajasthan and is very close to one of the favorite tourist destinations of Rajasthan – Jaipur, the Pink City. In fact, whatever limited tourists Bhangarh Fort gets are mainly on a day trip to the fort from Jaipur and other surrounding cities.

Bhangarh Fort is a beautiful pre-historic property with an old-worldly charm that you often expect out of derelict royal forts with a thousand stories imbibed on each stone and each room. The view of the region from the terrace of the fort is specially heart-touching and overwhelming as you see before your eyes the expanse of empty and abandoned lands which once used to be populated with some 10, 00o odd men of the Bhangarh Town. Rumor has it that the town was deserted in a day but there is no proof of it whatsoever. On the contrary, a more believable story depicts the war between Ajabgarh and Bhangarh as the primary cause behind the complete of lack of populaces in the town. It is said that during the war, both the sides damaged each other beyond repair. Ajabgarh, however, recovered from it but Bhangarh didn’t. To add more to it, the famine of 1783, due to the EL Nino effect, affected northern India several and since Rajasthan already suffered shortage of water, it left the city dry and thus unsuitable for human inhabitance.

There are several stories as to how this fort became cursed or haunted but the most common story includes a tantric falling in love with Princess Ratnawati of Bhangarh and trying to win her over with his black magic which backfired on him and resulted in his death but not before he cursed the entire fort to become a graveyard for all those who chose to dwell in it. Surprisingly, the princess died shortly after the Tantrik (within a year), and later the town was destroyed in the war and then by the famine. Till today, there is a belief that no houses in the town can have a solid roof as whenever someone has tried to built one, it has collapsed and sometimes killing people under it. Thus, most houses either have no roof or a roof built out of straws.

There have been many paranormal activities reported in the fort and places surrounding it by the locals and tourists. Disappearances, suicides, and weird activities taking place around take place as if it’s normal. Strange noises, unfamiliar lightings, and apparitions have been experienced. The place definitely has an eerie effect and a whole lot of paranormality behind it than the normal eyes could see and a normal brain could explain, so much so that government has declared it an haunted place and levied strict bans on anybody entering the fort before dawn and after dusk. Also, anybody with animals isn’t allowed inside the fort. There is also a warning against harming the Kewda trees inside the borders of Bhangarh as they are owned and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Unfortunately, there are not many places in Bhangarh where you can spend the night or stay for long. However, there are a few of resorts and hotels located approximately 20-25 km from the fort. Madhuvan Hotel and Umaid Lake Palace are two such properties. But, if you are on a budget and do not wish to spend much, then heading back to the nearest big cities such as Jaipur and Alwar is the intelligent choice.