Rajasthan – One such unique Indian state, where practically every city has at least one fort or an ancient village. What makes this state so different is that every wall, of every such fort, seems to call out to you. Each, has its own story to tell, one so unique that it captivates you in a manner that’ll make you want to stay there, forever. From the Hawa Mahal to the Mehrangarh Fort, the beauty and valor of the ‘Rajput Clan’ resonates within the fortified walls of these palaces. One such peculiar site in this state is the desolated village of Kuldhara.
The ruins of the village of Kuldhara
When you travel about 18 kilometers south-west, of the city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, you will land up at a completely deserted site. Rarely heard and known of, Kuldhara is one such site that appeals greatly to the curious human mind. Why, you ask? Allow me to narrate to you, the legend of Kuldhara, as we attempt to segregate the truth from the stories. What makes this site so peculiar is the layout of the village. The village has a grid square layout, meaning that the houses were all grid-shaped, with wide alleys and squarish sheds for the domestic animals to live in. The entire set-up of the village of Kuldhara, is extremely similar to the those of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. A very well-planned drainage system, wide lanes running in a north-south direction with smaller streets cutting them at 90 degrees. In this manner, the entire town has been created on a grid layout.
The Entrance to the abandoned village
If this town was so well-planned and way ahead of its time, why was it abandoned? What incident provoked the townsmen to leave their homes, their village and abandon it, overnight? Like I said before, history always has two versions – one, the stories and legends that ignite and satisfy the curiosity of the human mind; and second the ‘practical reasons’ that pacify the logical mind. We, will navigate through both. So, let’s begin with the first version of this story. The entire town of Kuldhara, comprising of 84 villages, was once inhabited by a community who called themselves ‘The Paliwal Brahmins’. This community had migrated from the Pali region of Rajasthan. The Paliwals were known for their extensive knowledge about agriculture and trade. They were able to grow crops in the harsh, dry conditions of the Thar Desert by identifying areas that stored gypsum rock, a soft mineral made up of 20 percent water, beneath the surface. Their exceptional trading skills helped them survive for over six centuries, as their community expanded grew into a whole township. Then, all of sudden, in the year 1825, the entire village packed up only the things that they could carry on their backs, and disappeared forever.
So, let’s back up a little. The most prominent and widely accepted theory, one that every local in the area will narrate to you is this. The Diwan (Official) of Jaisalmer, was a very cruel ruler, and went by the name of Salim Singh. There are two versions to this ‘story’ as well. The first one is that the villagers could not bear the brunt of the heavy taxes levied by Salim Singh, and hence in a state of helplessness, left the village overnight. The second version of this story is that Salim Singh, once laid his eyes on a very beautiful girl, who happened to be the daughter of a local chief of Kuldhara. The estimated age of the girl, that the locals in area say, is 12 years. Salim Singh was hell-bent on marrying her and he gave the villagers one day to accept his proposal. He warned them if they denied and interfered with his plan, the entire village would be met with an even higher tax rate. However, the villagers, out of love and respect for their chief, decided that they could not accept the Diwan’s proposal, and having no other choice, abandoned the town overnight. They carried along with them only the things that they could carry on their backs, and left everything else behind. The locals in the area believe that before the villagers deserted the town, they put a curse on the village of Kuldhara, because of which no one else could occupy and settle in the village, thereafter. Anyone who attempted to stay there, even for one night, would not live to see the next sunrise. They also say that if you take something from Kuldhara, say a stone or a rock, back home, you will not survive the night. They say that this is because Salim Singh also attempted to take something from Kuldhara, that did not belong to him. So, if you take something from the village of Kuldhara, that does not belong to you, your day will not end well.
The ruins of the temple in Kuldhara
The reason that pacifies the logical minds, is that the water level in the region kept on fluctuating and this caused the villagers to desert their town. But why would people of 84 villages, leave their homes overnight? Thus, this theory seems to have some flaws in it. Another variation to the same water theory states that invaders poisoned the waters of Kuldhara with animal carcasses. So, they were forced to flee overnight, with the little baggage that they could carry. Another reason also states that Salim Singh raised the taxes in the region so much, that the poor villagers could not bear the burden anymore and they fled.
An inscription found on a temple inside Kuldhara
Like I said before, not much is known about the life that the villagers in the region led. The men of the village may have worn Mughal-style turbans, with jamas (tunic-like garments) with kamarbands (waist-bands). The women appear to have worn tunics or lehengas, while some also wore necklaces. The village also consists of ruins of a temple, 3 cremation grounds and several cenotaphs. By means of all these ruins, a decent amount of information has been recovered, about the lifestyle and beliefs of the Paliwal Brahmins.
Ruins of a Cartwheel found in Kuldhara
As the sun sets, the locals of the area shut the gates of the village. Nobody dares to enter the village at night, because people fear that the area is still a hotspot for paranormal activities. So, this was the story of the lonely and abandoned town of Kuldhara, which lies in a small village in Rajasthan. Although not known by many, the ruins of the deserted village will send a chill up your spine, when you visit it. But the question that lingers is, which story do you choose to believe in? The one that narrates the story of an evil Diwan who burdened the villagers with two choices – marriage or an even heavier rate of tax, which caused them to curse their own home, and desert it? Or the one that pacifies your logical mind – that the town was abandoned due to water issues? Either ways, if you do visit Kuldhara today, all you will see is a barren land, which lies in ruins and along with it a sense of eeriness that seems to linger in the air around.
To read about another such desolated Fort in Rajasthan, click on the link below to know more about the haunted ruins of Bhangarh Fort.
Bhangarh fort – Asia’s most haunted ruins – Itihaas to History
Sources:
Why Was The Indian Village Of Kuldhara Abandoned Overnight?
The Abandoned and Cursed Ghost Town of Kuldhara in Rajasthan
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