Bhangarh
Why the place cannot be entered at night
The ruins of Bhangarh are said to be cursed.
© mrinalpal / Shutterstock.com
The ruins of the city of Bhangarh cannot be entered after sunset. The reason: ghosts are supposed to be up to mischief here.
It was once a splendid city, now all that’s left is ruins. We are talking about Bhangarh in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The locals avoid this place – because ghosts are supposed to be up here. The fear of the haunted figures goes so far that entering after sunset is officially forbidden. This makes Bhangarh the only haunted place in India that is officially recognized as such.
A guru is said to have cursed the city of Bhangarh
At the entrance to the village there is a sign that reads: “It is strictly forbidden to enter the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset.” It also warns against legal action if you defy the rules, reported “India TV”. But the city was not always considered cursed: Bhangarh was built for his second son Madho Singh in the late 16th century during the reign of Bhagwant Das. But unfortunately the luck did not last long …
If the legend is to be believed, Guru Balu Nath cursed the city. He had only allowed the construction of Bhangarh on one condition: the shadows of the palaces must not touch him. “Otherwise the city should not be anymore,” the guru is said to have shouted. Out of ignorance, Madho Singh’s grandson had a palace built, the shadow of which reached the Guru. Balu Nath kept his word and cursed the city. Coincidence or not: after the ruler died in 1630, Bhangarh slowly fell into disrepair and the population declined. After a famine in 1783, the city was finally completely abandoned.
Did a princess bring ruin?
But it does exist according to the Indian newspaper “The Hindu” another legend that is supposed to explain the decay of the city. It is said that the beautiful princess Ratnavati lived in Bhangarh. A magician named Shinghia fell in love with her and tried to make her docile with the help of an enchanted oil. But the princess saw what Shinghia was doing with the oil and threw the vessel on the ground. When the oil touched the earth, it turned into a stone and rolled over the magician. Shinghia then cursed the city and the princess – the young woman is said to have died a short time later in a battle.
To this day, people in the surrounding villages fear the curse. No one should have come back alive who entered the city after sunset, the residents tell themselves, according to “India TV”. In addition to the Hindu temple ruins, the eerie history magically attracts tourists. If you want to take the 1.5 hour drive from Jaipur after the Corona crisis, you can convince yourself of the mystical aura of Bhangarh.