Located at the border of the Sariska Tiger Reserve in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort is a 17th-century fort, infamous all over India for being the 'Most haunted place in India'. Because of the numerous ghostly experiences and happenings in the fort premises, villages have sprung up far away from the fort, due to the fear of what lies within. Even the Archaeological Survey of India or the ASI has forbidden the locals and tourists from entering the fort at night. This completely ruined, haunted fort of Bhangarh does have a very eerie, negative aura to it. Several legends have attested to the paranormal happenings inside the fort.
Bhangarh Fort Story & History
The history of the fort dates back to centuries. Built in the 17th Century in Rajasthan, the Bhangarh Fort is an ancient specimen. It was believed to have been erected by Man Singh I, one of the Navratnas of Akbar's court for his son Madho Singh I.
There are always two sides to the story of the Bhangarh Fort Rajasthan, haunted for generations. Let me relate the story first. The two sides can wait for some time.
Bhangarh Fort Haunted Stories and Incidents
Coming back to the dual facets- there are two stories of Bhangarh Fort still surviving in the form of legends, which have tried to give a meaning to the eerie atmosphere which surrounds the haunted fort of Bhangarh. Let's read more about the Bhangarh fort ghost:
Bhangarh Fort Haunted Story 1: A Place Lost in the Shade
The first legend claims that a king named Madho Singh raised the Bhangarh fort after obtaining due permission from an ascetic named Bala Nath who lived there; having agreed to a condition which said that the shadow of the fort must never fall upon the home of the ascetic. But as fate would have it, one of the ambitious successors of Madho Singh added to the fortifications vertically, thereby causing its ominous shadow to engulf the abode of the ascetic. Lo and Behold, once it came to pass, the fort was doomed within no time. The alleged prophecy stood fulfilled, and the Bhangarh Fort became haunted.
Bhangarh Fort Haunted Story 2: A Place Caught in a Limbo
A second legend behind the Bhangarh Fort haunted, more popular than the first one, claims that Princess Ratnavati of Bhangarh was responsible for the apocalyptic situation which befell the fort. A local black magician fell in love with her (the princess is believed to have been very beautiful) and once tried to bewitch a cosmetic she was supposed to use, to make her fall in love with him. The princess smelled suspicion and foiled the entire conspiracy of the black magician by pouring the bewitched cosmetic over a massive stone boulder, which then supposedly crushed the 'Tantrik' to death. Before the magician breathed his last, he placed a curse upon the entire landscape that no soul would ever be able to live in peace there. The whole landscape around the Bhangarh Fort has been haunted since.
Legends of the Haunted Bhangarh Fort Rajasthan
The Bhangarh Fort haunted is like other forts in Rajasthan, and is surprisingly well preserved. Its ramparts and fortifications stand amidst the ruins of the ghost town by the same name. Legends have it that the fort and the surrounding establishments around it once buzzed with life. Then something happened along with a chain of other unfortunate incidents which led to the doom of the place within a concise period.
Bhangarh Fort at Night
No one is allowed to enter the fort after sunset or before sunrise. The entire landscape is subsumed by a pall of gloom and a chilling hollowness once the last ray of sunlight bids adieu until its arrival the next morning. There are many local tales about the paranormal activities in the fort. It depends on a person whether he would believe it or not. It is said that the spirits roam in Bhangarh Fort at night and various strange noises are heard. Also, as it is said, anyone who enters the fort at night would not be able to return in the morning.
One always feels as if their movements are being watched, and the air is charged with a dizzying heaviness. A board put up by the Archaeological Survey of India cautions the visitors not to venture within the premises of the fort during the dark hours.