Mysterious Ancient Ghost City Of Bhangarh And The Curse Of The Holy “Magician”

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Ancient myths and legends tell that this small town became abandoned and haunted after a magician and holy man cursed it.
According to locals, this powerful curse lasts until this day.

Ancient site of Bhangarh village/market street inside Bhangarh Fort. Distant view of the fort's watch tower (top of the mountain). Image credit: Bhangarh 13 - CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

There are many strange myths and legends about curious events that took place in the town of Bhangarh. For example, its roof collapses whenever someone tries to build a house there.
Bhangarh, located between Jaipur and Delhi in Rajasthan state of India, is famous for its haunting history and several historical ruins. The most remarkable of its buildings are the Hindu temples of Gopinatha, Shiva (Someshwar), Hanumana, Ganesha, Vishal Devta, Lavina Devi and Keshava Rai.

In 1630, Bhangarh slowly declined. When the Mughal Empire became weaker after the death of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh II attached Bhangarh to his state by force in 1720. After this, Bhangarh diminished in population, and since the famine of 1783 (VS 1840), the town has remained uninhabited.

Entry to Bhangarh is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise. A signboard posted by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) specifies the instructions.
While the board is written in Hindi, its instructions roughly translate into: "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited.

Legal action would be taken against anybody who does not follow these instructions".
One legend tells that Bhangarh was abandoned soon after being built and supposedly after being cursed by Baba Balnath (Guru Balu Nath), a holy man magician. Baba Balnath sanctioned the town's construction on one condition, "The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!"

Most haunted monument in India Alwar Rajasthan. Image credit: Deejayrocks2  - CC BY-SA 4.0

However, Ajab Singh, the descendant prince and grandson of Madho Singh, ignored the magician's warning and raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Baba Balnath's forbidden retreat.

Baba Balnath then cursed the town. Balanath is said to be buried there in a small samadhi.
Another myth is related to the Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati. She was believed to be the jewel of Rajasthan.
On her eighteenth birthday, she began to get offers of marriage from other regions (i.e. nobility).
In Bhangarh lived a tantrik (wizard), a magician well versed in the occult, called Singhiya, who was in love with the princess but knew the match was impossible.
One day Singhiya saw the princess's maid in the market and used his black magic on the scent she was purchasing so that the princess would surrender herself to him upon touching it.

However, seeing the tantric enchanting scent, the princess foiled his plan by pouring it on a boulder that crushed Singhiya.
Dying, the tantrik cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it.
The following year, there was a battle between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh, where Princess Ratnavati perished.
Legends say there are ghosts of Singhiya and other locals in Bhangarh Fort, which is why entering the fort after sunset and before sunrise is prohibited for tourists. The locals believe that Princess Ratnavati has taken birth elsewhere and that the fort and the empire of Bhangarh await her return to end the curse.

In modern times, locals still believe that Bhangarh is cursed.

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

Updated on December 15, 2023

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