Bhangarh Fort, located amidst the Aravalli hills in Alwar district of Rajasthan, is one of the most famous historical and mysterious places in India. Surrounded by ruins, remains of old temples and palaces, this fort is as famous for its ghostly stories as for its architecture. This is the reason why it is counted among the most mysterious places in the country.

After Amer, the royal family had settled Bhangarh

The establishment of Bhangarh is generally associated with Raja Madho Singh. He is considered to be the son of Raja Bhagwant Das, the ruler of Amer and a contemporary of Mughal emperor Akbar. The fort and the surrounding city developed during the 16th-17th century. Bhangarh was not just a fort, but an entire city was built around it. There used to be markets, temples, mansions and palace complexes here. Today most of these buildings have turned into ruins.

Ancient temples are present in the fort

Many old temples are still present in the Bhangarh complex. Prominent among them are Gopi Nath Temple, Someshwar Temple, Mangaladevi Temple and Keshav Rai Temple. The architecture of the temples and stone carvings give a glimpse of the old glory of the region. The remains of the old market are visible as soon as you enter the fort. As we move ahead, the ruins of the palace complex and temples are visible.

Story of desolation of Bhangarh

There are many folktales prevalent regarding the desolation of Bhangarh. The most famous story is to a sage Balu Nath. It is said that he had laid down a condition that no building in Bhangarh should be higher than his Sadhana place. According to folklore, when the shadow of the palace reached his place, he cursed the city. Another popular story mentions a Tantrik named Singhiya and Princess Ratnavati of Bhangarh. As per the story, the Tantrik was infatuated with the princess and allegedly tried to resort to witchcraft. After this the princess recognized him and the Tantrik died. It is further said in the folklore that before dying he cursed Bhangarh to be destroyed. However, historical evidence of these stories has not been found. Therefore these are seen as local folklore rather than as proven events of history.

No entry after sunset

The biggest discussion about Bhangarh is due to the ban on entry here after sunset. In this monument which comes under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India i.e. ASI, entry is not allowed for common tourists after the prescribed time. People often associate it with ghost stories, but officially ban on entry at night does not mean that any supernatural activity has been confirmed here. This is mainly a matter of protected monuments and rules to protection.

Unique confluence of history and mystery

Today Bhangarh is included in the major tourist destinations of Rajasthan. During the day, a large number of tourists come here to see the ruins of the fort, temples and the old palace complex. The specialty of Bhangarh is that history, architecture and folklore are seen together here. On one hand its ruins tell the story of the medieval history of Rajasthan, while on the other hand the mysterious stories to it make it one of the most famous forts of the country.