Bhangarh fort – Asia’s most haunted ruins

In the Alwar district of Rajasthan, lies, what is deemed, the most haunted ruins of Asia – The Bhangarh Fort. The Bhangarh Fort was built by Raja Bhagwant Singh, the ruler of Amber, in 1631, for his son Madho Singh, who was the younger brother of Man Singh, who was one of the nine gems in the court of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. I know, its a long connection, but all you need to know is that this fort was built by a father for his son. The drive up to Bhangarh Fort is actually quite eerie, which could be because of the numerous haunted tales that we would have been told before we start our journey up the hill. The villages along the road, are inhabited with very few people, and along the way, you are also greeted with the ruins of the once-beautiful havelis and roofless bazaars. The main entrance of the fort opens with rusty gates, on which you’ll find locks after 6 o’clock, in the evening and before 6 o’clock in the morning, meaning, that the fort is not accessible to the public before sunrise and after sunset. The reason behind this? There are two, let’s have a look at both of them.

Bhangarh Fort

There are two legends, which give two reasons behind why the fort is considered to be haunted grounds. The first legend goes something along these lines. There was once a princess called Ratnavati, whose tales of beauty had spread far and wide. She was known as the “Crown Jewel of Rajasthan”, because of her beauty. Many suitors, from distant places had asked for her hand in marriage. Just like this, there was another a man, a tantrik (an occultist), who fell in love with her. Knowing that he did not stand a chance with her, he tried to cast a spell on her. When he saw the Princess’s maid buying perfume for her at the market, he cast a spell on it. When the Princess came to know about this, she threw the bottle which turned into a boulder and fell on the Tantrik. Before he died, he cursed Ratnavati, her family and the entire kingdom of Bhangarh. The next year, a battle was fought between Ajabgarh and Bhangarh, which killed Ratnavati and most of the soldiers of the army. It is said, that because of the Tantrik’s curse, no one who died in the fort or the village could be reborn and the fort is forever condemned to desolation. If anyone tries to build a roof around Bhangarh, it mysteriously collapses.

Ratnavati and Bhagwant Das (the architect of the fort)

The second legend says that there was once a sadhu (ascetic), called Guru Balu Nath, who lived atop the hill where the fort is now built. When Bhagwant Singh built the fort, he asked for the sadhu’s permission. The ascetic allowed him to build the fort on the condition that the fort’s shadow wouldn’t touch his house. This wish was honoured by all, except Ajab Singh, the great-grandson of Bhagwant Singh, the architect of the fort. He further added columns and minarets to the fort. Thus, a curse fell upon Bhangarh, and the village and the fort was abandoned. There still is a small hut known as Tantrik ki Chhatri (The Ascetic’s hut), which overlooks the fort. The truth seems to be that since Ajab Singh had already established another fort, the people moved there and thus Bhangarh was abandoned. There is a temple inside Bhangarh, which is intact, but does not have a statue of any god or goddess.

“Tantrik ki Chhatri” (The Ascetic’s Hut)

Although these legends are very popular among tourists, the guides and the locals have denied seeing any paranormal activities that take place at night within the gates of Bhangarh. Some of the tourists, who were searching for adventure and thrill did visit Bhangarh at night and they too did not experience any paranormal activity. (There are quite a few videos on YouTube with live footage of people entering Bhangarh at night, for those of you who’d like some proof, ?). However, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), forbids tourists from entering Bhangarh before 6 am and after 6 pm, and have mentioned the same on a board present outside the gates of Bhangarh. It’s up to you guys now, to decide what you believe in – whether Bhangarh really is a haunted site where you’ll still find the restless souls of the sadhu and Princess Ratnavati, or whether this is yet another tale, made up for the adventure seekers.

The Archaeological Survey of India’s board outside Bhangarh Fort

Sources:

For those of you who want to read some of the haunted stories experienced by the tourists of Bhangarh, visit this website below –

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Bhangarh-Fort-Real-Life-Spooky-Stories/

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/the-most-haunted-fort-in-india/article20231373.ece