Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Bhangarh, Rajasthan - The Scariest Place in India





(According to Wikipedia)

Bhangarh is a place on way from Jaipur to Alwar city in Rajasthan state of India. Today Bhangarh is known for its ruins where nobody dares to stay after sunset. Looking through history we find that this town was established by Madho Singh, younger brother of King Akbar’s General Raja Man Singh, in 1631. But the city seems to have been abandoned in a hurry some centuries later.

The local folks say that due to a curse the whole town was vacated overnight. According to the story of the curse, if the town was ever rediscovered the township would not be found, but only temples would show up.

True to the story only temples dot the landscape and even far up on the mountains only shrines can be seen. It is said that nobody returns from there who stays after dark.

By the Government of India rules there has to be an office of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) beside every historical structure in India. But even government authorities did not dare to open an office there. They opened their office about one kilometer away from the ruins of Bhangarh. Even this office is close to a temple because of this myth. ASI has put a signboard at Bhangarh saying, "Staying after sunset is strictly prohibited in this area."

People who visit this place out of tourist interest say that there is a strange feeling in the atmosphere of Bhangarh, which causes sort of anxiety and restlessness.

The story of this restlessness goes as the following. The charm of princess of Bhangarh Ratnawati was said to be matchless in entire Rajasthan. Being merely eighteen years old, the princess started getting wedding offers from other states. In the same region there also lived a tantrik, a magician using black magic, named Singhia who was desperately in love with the princess and who also knew that king would never even allow him to see the princess.

Once he saw the princess's maid in the market buying scented oil for the princess. Seeing this he got a wicked idea of getting the princess. He used his black magic and put a spell on the oil which would hypnotise the princess by her mere touching the oil and she would immedialely walk towards the tantrik to satisfy him sexually. But as soon as the princess got the oil she threw it on the block of a stone as she had seen the tantrik eying the oil. As soon as the oil touched the stone, the stone started rolling towards the wicked tantrik Singhia and crushed him. While dying Singhia cursed the palace that there will be such an incident that everybody in the palace would die and their souls will stay there for centuries without rebirth. The very next year there was a battle between Bhangarh-Ajabgarh and no one survived in the battle nor in the palace, not even the princess Ratnawati.

Also the tantrik cursed Bhangarh that no one would settle there in future and whoever dares will die as well. It is said by the local villagers that whenever a house has been built there its roof has collapsed and that is true because inside bhangarh all the houses are without a roof and even at the closest village where people reside, they still have roofs made of straw but not bricks. Awesome place to visit but people with weak hearts not adviced to go coz the place is very scary.

This is still the reason people are fearful and restlessness after sunset. People even hear strange sounds of music and dancing in the night despite no one being there. The place is still open to all those tourists who want to experience the spooky thrill, but one still needs permission from ASI to go there and with ones own risk. Unless of course if you are Mighty Mouse. :P

I stayed up all night listening to the whole story with all the lights in my apartment on! It doesnt seem so bad in the morning, but last night was a different situation.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Few years ago, I visited Bhangarh with few friends and spent a night there. The ruins look majestic under the moon light, however, its a very quiet place in the night with no human activitiy anywhere within a few miles radius.

The logical side of brain doesnt allow me to believe that something haunts that place, but there is strange feeling in that environment that doesnt let you breath comfortably.

I remember standing under the big banyon trees that further darkened the darkness, the intact temples shadowing ancient structures with no roof, the overlooking mountains, and the mysterious silence gave all eight of us a little run for our money.

A Must see place but dont go alone!

Anonymous said...

On a lighter note

Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town?
Because they don't have any body to go out with...

The Brown Girl said...

LMAO @ "rockstar-mommy"

Mohit said...

hi, i got to know about existence of bhangarh just today morning and its evening hours of day and whole day i am searching and trying to know more about the place....specially the myth of princess it attracting me from my sould dont know why, there is something in that place which i trying to take me there ...i am eager too to see that place and find the truth of the myth or the real unfolded story of my loved princess.... If any of you have more information please do share ....i will appreciate...about me i am 31 male from india only....plz. Plz. Do share if u have to tell more about bhangarh or ur experiences ...may be it will help me ...