The story of Bhangarh Fort: The most Haunted Fort in India

Indian history has engraved so many enchanting and curious stories within. Some of them vanished with time and some are still fresh in the pages of the past. There are many haunted places in India with their own set of thrilling stories. This attracts so many people from all over India and the world to explore such places.

One such place is the Bhangarh Fort from the state of Rajasthan. Bhangarh Fort is the most haunted fort in India. It is one of the most attractive tourist places in India. The curiosity to know about the place adds it to the bucket list of people who love exploring such places. Would you ever dare to visit this thrilling and mysterious place? It is believed that this place might be a thing to test your courage. Let us take you through the mystery of Bhangarh Fort. We have unraveled all the stories and haunted facts about the fort.

History of Bhangarh Fort:

The Bhangarh Fort is from the 16th-century and was built in 1573 AD. It was the Kachwaha ruler of Amber named Raja Bhagwant Singh who built this Fort for his younger son Madho Singh. Madho Singh’s son Chatr Singh succeeded his father. Chatr Singh also had a son named Ajab Singh who built the fort of Ajabgarh. The Bhangarh Fort is stunningly beautiful and was actually made with stone and bricks.

Stories pertaining to Bhangarh Fort:

You might be curious to know what exactly Bhangarh Fort has in its folds. There are few stories pertaining to Bhangarh Fort which will absolutely give you a dose of thrill and a feeling to visit there. So let’s have a loot at the stories:

Read here: Story of Tajmahal – One of seven wonders

Curse by a Sorcerer:

There was a beautiful princess named Ratnavati who was Chatr Singh’s daughter. It is believed that she was beautiful inside and out. People really liked her pleasant nature and thus she also got many marriage proposals. A Sorcerer fell in love with her. When he felt that he had no chance to build a love connection, he tried to cast a spell to make her fall in love with him. Once when the Princess’s helper went to buy her a perfume, the Sorcerer took advantage of the situation. He was successful in casting a few spells over the perfume bottle. Luckily, Ratnavati came to know about his trap and she threw the bottle. The perfume bottle turned into a boulder and hit the Sorcerer hard. As a result of which, he got crushed under its weight. Before dying, he cursed Ratnavati, her family and the whole village. After a year, Ratnavati and most of the army forces of Bhangarh got killed in a battle with Ajabgarh. It is believed that all this happened due to the Sorcerer’s curse and then the village and the fort were never ever rebuilt. Since then no one in the village or fort were reborn. It is since then that the village went into dark isolation and became a home for spirits(ghosts). It is also believed that whenever someone from the village tries to build a roof, it mysteriously breaks down. 

Guru Balu Nath’s Curse:

This is another story of Bhangarh Fort which triggered its downfall. There lived a saint named Guru Balu Nath on the hills where Raja Bhagwant Singh built the Bhangarh Fort. The saint put forward a condition in front of Raja Bhagwant Singh before building the Fort. The condition was that the fort should never cast a shadow on his house. Everyone agreed to the condition with honour except Ajab Singh who actually added columns to the fort which casted a shadow on the saint’s house. This triggered and angered the saint and he cursed the Bhangarh Fort and the village. It is believed that his curse led to a complete ruin of the fort and the surrounding villages. Followed by a horrific famine in 1783, a lot of villagers shifted from this place to different houses. People also say that since then, there has been a decline in the population too. In 1720, the Bhangarh Fort was attached to Raja Jai Singh’s estate.

Bhangarh fort incidents:

There are many incidents related to the visit to Bhangarh Fort: 

• People who visited the place have claimed to hear unnatural noises but were unable to discover who it was. 
• It is rumored that ghosts and ghouls roam in the Bhangarh Fort.
• Locals claim that a lot of paranormal activities happen at the place.
• Tourists have speculated to see ghostly shadows along with music coming from the fort.
• Locals claim that they hear women screaming and crying along with some strange music from the Fort.
• The locals also claim about some ghostly shadows and the unnatural nature of lights.
• Some people who visited the place assumed that they got unwanted and a strange feeling along with chills before entering the fort or even in the nearby area of the fort.
• People visiting also speculate to experience some noises from their vicinity. 
• At night the Bhangarh Fort is completely prohibited to be entered. It is even believed that whoever goes after the sunset or at night never comes back. 

How to Reach Bhangarh Fort? 

Bhangarh Fort lies in the Alwar district of Rajasthan.You can reach Bhangarh Fort in the following ways:

• Alwar is 90km away from the Bhangarh Fort. So, you may book a taxi or take a bus to reach the Bhangarh Fort. You can also take your car but it may take a long time due to the bad condition of roads. 
• You can either take your private car to reach the Bhangarh Fort(5 hours journey) or you can even take a train or flight to reach Jaipur and then take a taxi/cab to reach Bhangarh Fort.
• From Delhi, you can take a train and reach Dausa(the nearest railway station from Bhangarh). From Dausa, you can take a bus and reach your destination.
• If you choose to reach via your car(Delhi), then you should probably prefer the NH8 route and then take NH11A. 
• From Jaipur international airport, it takes 1hr 59 min to reach Bhangarh Fort which is almost 87.1 km away. You can book a taxi and reach there. 

Nearby Places to explore:

Here are some nearby places from Bhangarh Fort where you can visit and experience the joy and thrill:

• Alwar: It is one of the oldest cities of Rajasthan. Pandavas from Mahabharat spent their last years of 13 years of exile(eviction) in this place. Alwar has beautiful forts and and other attractions to make your Rajasthan trip definitely a never forgetting experience. You can visit Bala Qila, Alwar City Palace, Palace Museum, Garbhaji Waterfalls, Kesroli fort and many more such lovely places. 

• Jaipur: It is one of the most loved places in India. It is just 83 km away from Bhangarh Fort. Jaipur holds the essence of India with its beautiful art, culture, and traditions. It has beautiful forts, palaces , lovely food along with a wide variety of shopping places.

• Sariska National Park: This place is some 40 kms away from the Bhangarh Fort. If you love nature and the wild, you must visit the Sariska National Park and the Tiger Reserve. This place will be a great destination for those who love adventures. It has huge green jungles with a wide variety of animals like Jackals, Boars, Peacocks, Tigers, Monkeys and Sambars.

• Neemrana: This place is one of the best destinations that you can choose to go to in Rajasthan. You can explore the Neemrana Fort Palace and try the flying fox adventure at the fort. This place offers you a fun camel ride and you can even go for a vintage car ride. You will get a good shopping deal from traditional handcrafts to beautiful local and traditional lehenga-choli dresses. The market also offers you handmade crockeries, colorful jewelleries and many other local and traditional items. You may visit the Step Well which is right next to the Neemrana Fort Palace. 

Timings of the Bhangarh Fort:

The timings include: 6:00AM to 6:00PM. The Archeological Survey of India has prohibited the entry beyond these timings. They have clearly mentioned that the Bhangarh Fort should not be visited between the sunset and sunrise.

Best time to visit the Bhangarh Fort:

You might want to visit the place after knowing about the stories and the haunted facts. Hence, let us tell you that the best time to visit the Bhangarh Fort is from October to February. 

Conclusion:

India is a place full of mysteries and stories which makes people curious to explore such places. From the archeological point of view, the remains must be preserved. It carries the historical, cultural and traditional importance of a nation. Bhangarh Fort is currently under the control of  the government of India.

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