Bhangarh , The 'most haunted' place in India?

Bhangarh:

The 'most haunted' place in India

 If you are one of those people that love to get scared then check this out. India has some of the world’s most haunted places. In fact, if you thought that India was a country of many Gods and Goddess then you might in for a surprise. India has a dark and spooky side as well. Indians believe in all sorts of ghosts, ghouls, spirits, black magic and unnatural things. You might wish to read about the types of ghosts believed in India. If are one those travelers who likes to explore haunted places then why not visit the Bhangarh Fort that has the reputation of being one of the most haunted places in India and is listed as one of the most haunted places of the world. Sadly, this place is not the most visited of places in India and neither do foreign tourists know about this place. But the place has a reputation of its own and is considered as India’s “most haunted” place. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, why not check this place out for yourself.

 About Bhangarh Fort

The Bhangarh Fort is a 17 century fort built by a King called “Madho Singh” of Rajasthan. The fort is situated in Bhangarh, a deserted town near the famous tourist destination of Jaipur in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. Why not take the opportunity and visit this place as well while you are in Jaipur. The town of Bhangarh was established by Bhagwant Das the son of Madho Singh, the younger brother of Emperor Akbar’s general called Man Singh. Historical archives suggest that he and his father fought many battles and Bhangarh town had a population of more than 10,000.
The decline of Bhangarh started when the next ruler of the place, his son Chhatr Singh died. This collided with the decrease in the strength of the Mughal Empire particularly after Emperor Aurangzeb (son of Mumtaj Mahal for whom the Taj Mahal was built). Today the fort is deserted and nearby town (almost a village) of Bhangarh has about 200 households with a population of around 1500 people. The town and the fort were supposed to be a precursor of the city of Jaipur.

There are temples, shops, havelis (palaces), and courtyards, built around the fort. If a lavish fort could be built in the town of Bhangarh then this indicates that it must have been a prosperous place but sadly nothing remains of the town and the fort other than the ruins and a few temples. Today a handful of local tourists visit the place simply out of curiosity. Bhangarh is not even advertised a tourist destination for foreigners. The Bhangarh Fort is lovely and while standing on the terrace of the fort, you can see the vast expanse the place. When you enter, you will find temples dedicated to Hanuman and Shiva as soon as you enter the fort and the residences of the priests which lie in ruins. It has four gates namely Lahori Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Phulbari Gate and Delhi Gate. Outside of the gates, there is a Muslim tomb. It is thought that it is one of sons of Hari Singh who had converted to Islam
Getting to Bhangarh Fort

The fort is about 300 km drive away from Delhi. If you leave Delhi in the early hours of the morning then you will be able to get there in about 4 hours. If you want to visit this place then ask your tour operator or the hotel to organize you a taxi and a driver for the day. My estimate is that it should not cost you more than 10,000 Rupees for the entire trip depending on the type of car you hire. The TATA Indigo is the most popular of cars for hire in India but I prefer an SUV as it’s more conformable for the dusty Indian roads. If you are driving from Delhi, you will need to go via Gurgaon and then head towards Bhiwadi and then take the turning to Alwar district in Rajasthan. From Alwar, you will have to cross the Sariska reserve and then Ajabgarh where you will then enter the Bhangarh territory. It’s a nice but long drive from Delhi. The fort is about 80 km away from Alwar city and 50 km from Jaipur. Sadly the roads are not good at all and you will find the ride bumpy and uncomfortable
There is a belief about Bhangarh that the place is haunted and no one dares to go after sunset there.

Bhangarh is a place between Jaipur and Alwar in Rajasthan state of India. Bhangarh is known for its ruins, but still worth a visit; the place is beautiful and tranquil. What remains though, is a shadow of a once beautiful kingdom.
The Bhangarh Story
The story (and the history) of the Bhangarh began in the year of 1573 when the fortress was established. Built by Raja Bhagawant Das, the ruler of the city of Amber, Bhangarh Fort has become the residence of Madho Singh, ruler's second son who fought alongside his father and brother in many wars. The decline of Bhangarh Fort started in 1630 after Chhatr Singh, son of Madho Singh got killed in a violent attack. The decline continued until 1783 when the fortress and the city were completely abandoned following that year's famine.

It is said that the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, causing the towns evacuation. Balu Nath sanctioned the establishment of the town but said: "The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!" Ignorant of such foreboding, one ambitious descendant raised the palace to such a height that its shadowed Balu Nath's forbidden retreat and thus the town was devastated as prophesied. The small samadhi where Balu Nath is said to lie buried is still there.
The other myth is as follows: The charm of princess of Bhangarh Ratnavati was said to be matchless in all of Rajasthan.

 Being eighteen years old, the princess started getting matrimonial offers from other states. In the same region there lived a tantrik, a magician well versed in the occult, named Singhia who was desperately in love with the princess knowing that he would never be allowed to even see her, let alone meet her. One day, he saw the princess' maid in the market buying scented oil for her. Seeing this, he got an idea by which he could meet the princess. He used his black magic and put a spell on the oil which would hypnotize the princess by her merely touching the oil, and she would surrender herself. The princess foiled this plan though. She had seen the tantrik enchanting the oil, and she therefore threw it away, whereupon the flagon rolled over a stone. As soon as the oil touched the stone, it started rolling towards the wicked tantrik and crushed him. While dying, Singhia cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it, without any rebirth in their destinies. The very next year there was a battle between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh and Ratnavati died.