HAUNTED PLACES IN RAJASTHAN

Kuldhara village, near Jaisalmer

Kudhara has all the makings of a classic horror tale. A village once populated overnight becoming a ghost town-those who left the place behind never to be hear of or seen again. And the reasons for this mysterious disappearance are unclear. The story would have been just that-a story, except that it happened for real. The ghosts of those who abandoned the place 200 years ago are said to still haunt the village.

Bhangarh Fort, Alwar District

Often said to be ‘the most haunted place in India’ no one is allowed to remain in the premises after dark. Legend has it that a wizard once fell in love with the princess of Bhangarh. When the wizard, ensnared by love, offered her a love potion in the guise of Ithar(scent) to make her marry her, she saw through his trickery-something that resulted in his death. Before dying the wizard cursed the fort, proclaiming that no one would be able to live in Bhangarh Fort. The very next year a battle ruined the entire place.

Brijraj Bhavan, Kota

A Heritage Hotel, Brijraj Bhavan once used to be the residence of Major Charles Burton who was killed during the mutiny of 1857 by Indian sepoys. It’s said that the major’s ghost still walks the halls here.

Jagatpura, Jaipur

Jagatpura doesn’t attract tourists for its ‘haunted’ vibe as like some other places in Rajasthan. That’s because this unassuming place is a residential area. But the story that goes around is that at night times, you get to see witches walking around the roads of Jagatpura. The descriptions match those of the witches one come across in classic Indian horror tales-white dress, old, white hair hanging loose over the face…so, maybe it’s just made up story inspired by desi horror. All the same, it can be quite eerie to walk after night in these parts.

Sudhabay, near Pushkar

Sudhabay is not a ‘haunted place’ in the classical sense of the phrase. In fact, it’s where people come to get rid of their hauntings. But, if by a haunted place, what is meant is some place that has evil spirits, Sudhabay certainly counts-at least on one day every year, the day of the ‘Ghost Fair’. For on this day, you can see people possessed by evil spirits coming here to take a bath at its well the water of which is supposed to be holy-a potent weapon to drive away the evil spirits.

Now that you have learned about 5 haunted places in Rajasthan where the night may be alive with more than earthly creatures, maybe you can challenge yourself and see if you can confront Rajasthan in all its terrifying best!