Unresolved......
India is full of mysteries with its rich and long history. Perhaps no one is as puzzling as what happened hundreds of years ago at a royal city in Rajasthan, now under excavation. Today we are presenting a story of India’s most haunted place in Frightening Fridays. At the edge of the Sariska forest in Rajasthan lies the town of Bhangarh whose haunted stories are attracting scores of tourists. Bhangarh is a town in India that is famous for its historical ruins within the Banghar Fort which was built in 1613. It is in the Rajgarh municipality of the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan. It’s interesting to note that entry to this “Ghost town” is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise.
India is full of mysteries with its rich and long history. Perhaps no one is as puzzling as what happened hundreds of years ago at a royal city in Rajasthan, now under excavation. Today we are presenting a story of India’s most haunted place in Frightening Fridays. At the edge of the Sariska forest in Rajasthan lies the town of Bhangarh whose haunted stories are attracting scores of tourists. Bhangarh is a town in India that is famous for its historical ruins within the Banghar Fort which was built in 1613. It is in the Rajgarh municipality of the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan. It’s interesting to note that entry to this “Ghost town” is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise.
Bhangarh Fort
Bhangarh Fort Rajasthan
The Place
Bhangarh is a place between Jaipur and Delhi in Rajasthan state of India known for its ruins. Bhangarh is also a pre-historic site. The most remarkable of its buildings are the temples of Gopinath, Shiva (Someshwar), Mangla Devi, Lavina Devi and Keshava Rai. Other buildings include shops along the main road, several havelis, a mosque, and a palace. The palace was protected by two inner fortifications across the valley. The town is separated from the plain by ramparts with five gates.
The History
Bhangarh Description Board
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 (VS 1840) the town has remained uninhabited.
Entry Prohibition by Government of India at night
Notice Board by Government of India at Bhangarh
Entry to Bhangarh is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise. It’s the only ‘Legally Haunted’ location recognized by the Indian Government. A signboard by ASI (Archaeological survey of india),specially specifies these instructions,which further adds to the mystery of this town. 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”.
The Mystery
Bhangarh at Night
According to legend, the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath. He had sanctioned the construction of the town on one condition, “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” When a descendant prince raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat, he cursed the town. Balu Nath is said to be buried there to this day in a small samadhi.
Bhangarh Fort
There exists another myth. This is the legend of the Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati. She is believed to be the jewel of Rajasthan. On her eighteenth birthday she began to get offers of marriage from other regions (i.e. nobility). In the area lived a tantrik, a magician well versed in the occult, called Singhia, who was in love with the princess but knew that the match was impossible. 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 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 tantrik 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 says that there are ghosts in Bhangarh and that is why entry is prohibited for tourists in the fort after sunset and before sunrise. The locals believe that the princess Ratnavati has taken birth somewhere else and that the fort and the empire of Bhangarh is waiting for her return to put an end to the curse.
Temple in Bhangarh
Rocky and Mayur’s visit to Bhangarh
Rocky and Mayur duo from the show India’s Most Haunted shared their experiences of shooting in Bhangarh. Bhangarh roads were trying their best to stop them from getting in. Deserted buildings, high mountains, bad roads and the terrain itself seemed to be inhospitable. When the moon sets deep within, the journey for the duo begins.
“There are many things which are unexplained. It’s an important part of our culture that our country has these stories. Aimed to provide an opportunity for people to know about such places through an interesting and fascinating subject, the show is an attempt to say that legends are everywhere and there are people who believe in it.” explained Rocky.
“While we were shooting at night in Bhangarh, many a times we heard very high pitch screams from the mountains. Once we saw a blur figure of a woman walking around. Though it was only for a few seconds but we could easily make out that something is there and we can not deny their existence.” said Mayur.
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