The Mystery of The Bhangarh Fort

 

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About Bhangarh fort – 

Bhangarh Fort was built by Bhagwant Das for his son Madho Singh I in 17th century. The said haunted fort is situated in Alwar district of Rajasthan between Jaipur and Delhi. There are four points of entry inside the fort known as Delhi Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Phulbari Gate, and Lahori Gate.

Bagging the title of one of the most haunted places in India, there are lots of spooky tales and myths behind it which makes it one hell of an intriguing place to visit. Keep reading to know more about Bhangarh Fort!

 

Why Is the Bhangarh Fort Considered Horror?

The Curse of Sadhu Balu Nath – 

According to the first popular legend, there was a sadhu, Guru Balu Nath, who lived on the crest of the hill on which Raja Bhagwant Singh was to build a fort. King Madho Singh had to request Guru Balu Nath for permission to expand the perimeter of the fort since he lived in a nearby cave.

The sadhu’s only condition for letting this construction happen was that it should never cast a shadow on his residence. He made the king promise that the shadows of his fort would never disrupt or disturb his meditation or even touch his cave.

Madho Singh tried to follow this pronouncement, but it was bound to happen otherwise. In winters, as the Sun shifted southwards, its position caused the shadows of the fortress to grow longer and eventually touch Balu Nath’s residence.

Disturbed in his deep meditation form, the saint cursed the town and its people. The curse he issued was that nobody in Bhangarh would ever be able to construct another permanent roof in the neighborhood. Even today, if somebody tries to construct a new roof to the fort, soon, the new construction collapses.

Another story suggests a little amendment to the former one. The condition laid by the saint regarding the shadow of the fort was honored by everybody except one - Ajab Singh, who added columns to the fort that cast a shadow on the saint’s residence of meditation. His anger gave birth to a curse that led to the ruin of the fort along with the surrounding villages. 

The truth seems to be that after the death of Chatr Singh, Ajab Singh had established a new fort and after that, the population of the area of and around Bhangarh declined. A famine in 1783 caused the remaining villagers to look for new homes.

 

The Curse of Singhia – 

Although a different story includes the attractive princess of Bhangarh, the daughter of Chatr Singh, Ratnavati. She was the jewel of Rajasthan. She was well-liked because of her beauty and her delightful temperament which was said to be unmatchable throughout the land.

She had the attention of many wealthy and powerful suitors as the popularity of her beauty was spread far and wide. Included in her suitors, was a Tantrik, Singhia, that lived near the fort. He was well versed in the art of black magic and fell deeply in love with Princess Ratnavati.

He knew that the princess would never be fascinated with him and therefore tried many times to woo her by casting a spell on her. One day he saw Ratnavati’s maid buying perfume for the princess. He cast his spell on the scent so that if Ratnavati used it, she would eventually fall in love with him.

When Ratnavati came to know of this, she became furious. In her anger, she threw the bottle out of her window, that struck the Tantrik. He died due to this injury, but before his death, he cursed Chatr Singh’s family and the local inhabitants of ill-luck. The following year Ratnavati was killed along with other inhabitants in a war when the fort was attacked by the invading Mughals.

Another popular version of the former story suggests that when Ratnavati came to know about the Tantrik’s intentions, she threw the potion on a rock that turned into a boulder and crushed the Tantrik to death. He cursed everyone and the next year, a battle was fought between the armies of Ajabgarh and Bhangarh, which led to the death of Ratnavati and most of the army.

Again it is a popular heard opinion that it was due to this curse that no one in the village or fort could be reborn; it is forever destined to destruction and is filled with ghosts. If anybody tries to build a roof over the destroyed fort, it eventually collapses.

 

What Happens in the Bhangarh Fort at Night?

The Archaeological Survey of India prohibits any visitors to roam around the perimeter of the fort after the Sun sets. The warnings regarding the legal actions are not just out of rumours. Also, people claim to have heard screams, voices of women crying, sounds of bangles in some rooms, and mysterious smells after dusk. Ghostly shadows, strange lights, and unusual sounds of music and dance have also been reported in many cases. It’s commonly believed that the people who dared to stay back after dusk have failed to remain alive till the next morning.

 

Written by – Ritika Singh

Edited by - Bushra Makhdoomi