Bhangarh – A haunted Experience at the most scariest places on earth
Bhangarh is one of the oldest forts in Rajasthan India, established in the year 1573, as claimed by wikipedia. This site is considered to be one of the oldest forts, now turned into ruins & also bags the title as one of the most haunted places on earth. Bhangarh comes in the state Rajasthan, and is one of the special cited places form the Rajasthan Tourism Board. This place is located on your way from Delhi to Jaipur – approx 3 Hrs drive from Gurgaon, if you don’t find traffic and a lovely highway road between daruhera and Alwar.
A little Bit of History before we go haunted as the characters relate & connect the dots its known rumors.
The town was established in 1573 (VS 1631) during the rule of Bhagwant Das as the residence of his second son Madho Singh, the younger brother of Emperor Akbar’s general, Man Singh I. Madho Singh participated in many campaigns with his father and brother. The next ruler of Bhangarh was his son Chhatr Singh,after whose death in 1630, Bhangarh slowly declined. When the Mughal Empire became weaker after the death of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh II attached Bhangarh to his state by force in 1720. After this Bhangarh diminished in population, and since the famine of 1783,the town has remained uninhabited.
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
Entry to Bhangarh is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise. A signboard posted by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), which is a Government of India organization, specifies the instructions. While the board is written in Hindi, the instructions on it roughly translate into: “Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited. Legal action would be taken against anybody who does not follow these instructions.
Legend states that the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, who sanctioned the establishment of the town with one condition, saying, “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” When a descendant raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat, he cursed the town as prophesied. Balu Nath is said to lie buried there to this day in a small sam?dhi.
Another myth is that of the Princess of Bhangarh Ratnavati, said to be the jewel of Rajasthan, who on her eighteenth birthday began to get offers of marriage from other regions. In the area lived a tantrik, a magician well versed in the occult, named Singhia,
Photo Courtesy: Tandon Sumedh Photography
who was in love with the princess but knew that the match was impossible. When one day Singhia saw the princess’s maid in the market, he used his black magic on the oil she was purchasing so that upon touching it the princess would surrender herself and run to him. The princess, however, seeing the tantric enchanting the oil, foiled his plan by pouring it on the ground. As the oil struck the ground it turned into a boulder, which crushed Singhia. Dying, the magician cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it. The next year there was a battle between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh in which Princess Ratnavati perished. Legends also say that there are ghosts in Bhangarh and that is why entry is prohibited for tourists in the fort after sunset and before sunrise.
The doors to Bhangarh
As you enter, you are welcomed by a beautiful landscape of the ruins, An entry gate as high as high as 30 ft tall, mind you if locked inside after sunset it gets impossible to get out as the fort is surrounded by barbed wires which lead you into the extension of the ruin.
Going past the door, the fort has lush gardens that welcome you & give you a sense of luxury and space at the time it was used by the kings.
The Bowli
Beyond the gardens, you get a view of a water body commonly mentioned as “bowli” in the local language, which engaged some people enjoying by jumping in the water from a height of 50ft.
The “Bowli” is a place where the sounds echos in a spirals movement, expanding to the other parts of the ruins, reason is unexplained as per why it happens.
As mentioned by some, “ the bowli is a place where the main action originates, people have reported sounds of an Indian ornament for the feet ”payal” (an Indian anklets with sound making tiny baubles hanging on it) in the night, originating around the “Bowli” & extending to the other parts of the ruins; which can be related why Bhangarh is haunted as you read further.
A lot of Interesting sights around the “Bowli”, one of them are the pillars, if you see the marked area in red , which creates a natural face like structure.
The Dancer’s Haveli
Further down the way leads to one of the ruin’s named as dancer’s Haveli, probably explains the sound of the ornaments which is heard in the night, though no particular story has been told about any killings of the princess or the dancers, but as per my assumption there is definitely a relation, for the sounds mentioned by the local population.
Beyond The Haveli
The Nandi’s Paradise
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
Purohit Ji’s Haveli
Next to the dancer’s haveli is purohitji’s haveli, which consists temples of ganesha’s murals and the place had a much spiritual vibe than the rest of the ruins. Purohit ji’s haveli is probably created, as he might be a person of importance and upper ranks in the King’s courtship.
I did feel the sense of protection, in the temple and clicked a lot of pictures capturing the essence of the place.
Found A very South Indian Architecture found in Rajasthan
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
The Return :
Time : 6.30 P.M.
Light Condition: D.A.R.K
Sounds: YES
Birds, Swooshes, Foot Step Sounds no visibility of any one walking by, Temple Bells,
Rushing to the gates of bhangarh, I saw some really scary trees, which also have a story related to the scary experiences.
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
The Haunted experience starts now…….
The horrifying experience of Bhangarh starts on your way from sariska, which is around 50 kms. There are two ways to approach Bhangarh, sariska tiger resort road (don’t recommend if you are not staying in Tiger Den) & rajgarh , which is a better drive. The day view showcases local villages, hills, cattle & camels (a special breed of camels only found in Rajasthan.
Photo Courtesy : Tandon Sumedh Photography
The night drive envelops the mystifying horror experience of darkness all around. It was just 8 p.m., when I had started back for my Hotel in Sariska & was driving on the empty roads (due to the warning sign by the Govt. of India) with barely a 50 m visibility.
Throughout, there was a cold, shivering feeling upon looking in the car’s rear view mirror as if I was being followed, there wasn’t a light source or anything but just a quaint sound, more like a dark energy that follows you back once you leave from the place. It got more exciting when I switched off the car’s headlights and the clouds turned a different color, in different shades of grey and black, with almost a clear sky and the moon & stars, playing an interesting game of silhouettes with the mountains.
For those 50 Kms, it all felt like a magical illusion extending over the horizon.
The Journey inside Bhangarh, as you enter the boundaries of the ruins, which, once was a beautiful marble structure, now left with brickwork, from the last 500 years. I am sure the people who have installed marble blocks in houses, have a bad energy & also one of the reasons why the spirits were disturbed & haunt this world.
This is where I end my story hope you enjoyed going through the blog.
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Places to Stay around Bhangarh
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