In the ruins of Bhangarh

Most would start this story from the very beginning but something tells me to first show you this Last diary entry of some boys who went missing….

“I woke up at 7 am to find myself in the middle of nowhere, turns out we’d lost the way back and my friend who was driving had parked the car and dozed off. Boy, he must have gone through crazy shit. But now, it was daylight, we felt safer, though we had no clue where we were and there were no people around! There was no mobile network, so we couldn’t make calls. That was still manageable, but the car? it would not start!”

A search party went looking for these boys but no success…only their car, a camera and a diary with these notes scribbled were found. Apparently, they visited the place for a night of ghost hunting.

It’s said those who do not respect life,

Never get respect after death

For life and death are two lovers cursed never to meet

Just like shores of a river in which flows our souls

And it’s this curse which keeps these two lovers forever longing for each other that has also cursed the souls who died of betrayal, wandering in the Human realm forever looking for peace and a way out

And the places they once used to live and died are forever haunted by their presence

This is one such story

Of life and death

Of hauntings, of missing people

Of curses, of myths, of beliefs

This is the story of Bhangarh

A place so haunting that finding a sign of human life before sunrise and after sunset is almost impossible and those who dared and challenged the notices and warnings have never been seen again.

Bhangarh is in Rajasthan state of India, 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.

Many locals and visitors claim that they have witnessed paranormal activities – like sounds of music and dancing and weird color spots in photographs of chambers

First Notice says no one will be allowed in the ruins before sunrise and after sunset

The biggest thing is that as per Govt. of India rule there has to be an office of Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) beside every historical structure in India. But even Government authorities couldn’t dare to open an office there and they opened their office about one kilometer away from the ruins of Bhangarh.

Of the several stories floating around in the Bhangarh air-

One of story goes is of Guru Balu Nath who sanctioned the establishment of the town

“The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” said Balu Nath

But one of the descendants of palace raised it and its shadow on Balu Nath’s retreat caused destruction and death, earning his wrath

Balu Nath is said to lie buried there to this day in a small Samadhi.

Another story is of beautiful princess of Bhangarh Ratnavati

A story of cursed beauty-

In Bhangarh lived a tantrik (a magician well versed in the occult,) named Singhia

Who was in love with the princess but knew he was no match

 Singhia used his black magic on the oil being brought for the princess

And he waited for the princess to touch the cursed oil

A magic that would make princess surrender herself and run to him.

The princess, however, saw tantrik enchanting the oil, and foiled his plan by pouring it on the ground.

As the oil struck the ground it turned into a boulder, which crushed Singhia.

Dying, the magician cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it.

The next year there was a battle between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh in which Princess Ratnavati perished.

No one knows which of the stories to believe but over the years the hauntings have left many people missing, and even those who do visit in broad day light feel an eerie restless air around..

The local folks say that due to a curse the whole town was vacated overnight. According to the story of the curse, if the town was ever rediscovered the township would not be found, but only temples would show up. And none of the houses of that period have roofs on them

True to the story only temples dot the landscape and even far up on the mountains only shrines can be seen. It is said that once you have broken the rule and gone to the ruins after dark there is no way back….

Any place with great historical past inspires us, fills us with a sense of pride and wonderment but castles or palaces haunted and colored with myths or real stories of death immediately connect us with the tortured souls….. such is the power of death and life after it..

How strange is it?

This year I will visit this place to connect with the souls I have read so much about

and will defintely write about it….till then

“…..No Heaven can come to us

Unless Our hearts find rest in it today

           Take Heaven

No peace lies in the future

that is not hidden in this present instant

            Take Peace

The gloom of the world is but a shadow.

Behind it,yet within our reach is joy

             Take Joy……..”

-Fra Giovanni in 1513