Bhangarh Fort

Built in the 17th century, India’s Bhangarh Fortis thought to be the most haunted place in all of India, causing the local populace to build a town away from the abandoned military installation and outlaw anyone from entering the grounds after sunset.

Technically, Bhangarh Fort is actually a small city with temples, palaces, and multiple gates. The sprawling grounds cover a swath of land at the foot of a picturesque mountain, but according to locals, all is not well in on the well preserved grounds. A number of legends regarding the lonely historical buildings exist, but two stand out above the rest.

One legend speaks of a holy man who lived in the area of the fort and built a house which he did not want any other house to eclipse, warning that should the shadow of any taller building ever touch his abode, he would destroy the entire fort city. Which he assumedly did.

The second prominent legend involves a curse that was laid on the city by a mythical wizard as he was killed by a woman he had just tried to magically dose. As he was crushed by a boulder, he cursed the city to be destroyed and sure enough, a marauding soon sacked the fort, killed each and every resident.

If you are considering visiting Bhangarh Fort then you will have to go during the day time. In fact, one of the departments of the Government of India has prohibited entry between sunset and sunrise. The Archeological Survey of India, the body that looks after historical monuments in India, has a sign that notices visitors of this rule. I have no idea why they have a sign post in Hindi and not in English considering that Rajasthan is a place where people from all over the place visit. Perhaps one of the reasons could be that this particular place is not popular amongst foreign tourists hence they have not bothered to have a sign in English.

The signboard simply says“…It is strictly prohibited to enter the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset. Legal action would be taken against those who do not follow these instructions…” It seems to be warning visitors to stay away during dark. There is a local saying that if you do enter this area, you will not return.

These fanciful tales may seem outlandish, but the stories were so pervasive that the entire fort city was abandoned and the citizens established a whole new city nearby (Bhangarh). Today, the abandoned buildings are remarkably well preserved, and available to be visited during daylight hours. They offer guided sunset yoga at the platforms of the temples. The fear of the city’s ghosts led the Archeological Survey of India to post a sign forbidding entry to the area after dark.