The truth about Bhangarh Fort: its legends and its history

Bhangarh Fort, set among the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan's Alwar district, is often called "the scariest place in India". The internet is full of ghost stories about it. But what is the truth about Bhangarh Fort? Here are its real history, the folk tales linked with it and what science has to say about them.

Bhangarh at a glance

The real history

Bhangarh was founded at the end of the 16th century by Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber for his younger son, Madho Singh. Madho Singh was the brother of Raja Man Singh, the famous general of the Mughal emperor Akbar. In its heyday it was a thriving town — inside its walls were markets, havelis, gardens, wells and several temples. Even today you can see the temples of Gopinath, Someshwar and Mangla Devi, the ruins of the "Johari Bazaar" and the palace on the hillside. With the weakening of Mughal power, wars and famine, the town slowly emptied by the 18th century.

Folk tales: stories of a curse

• The tale of the sage Balu Nath: it is said that a sage who meditated here allowed the town to be built on one condition — that the shadow of no building should fall on his hermitage. When the palace rose too high and its shadow fell there, the town was ruined.
• The tale of Princess Ratnavati and the tantrik: another story says a tantrik fell for the princess and tried to use magic on her; when caught, he cursed the town as he died.

These stories have been told for generations, but there is no historical evidence for them. They are folk tales, not history.

Did you know? The ASI board at Bhangarh's entrance says that entry is not allowed before sunrise or after sunset. Many people take this as "proof of ghosts", but such rules apply to many monuments in forests and lonely areas — because of the risk of injury among ruins in the dark, wild animals and security. Bhangarh is close to the Sariska forests, home to leopards and other animals.

What does science say?

No scientific investigation has so far found evidence that ghosts exist. Feeling afraid in deserted ruins is natural — darkness, strange sounds, the rustle of the wind and scary stories heard beforehand make our brains see danger in every small thing. Psychologists call this "the power of suggestion": when we are told in advance that a place is frightening, we read mystery even into ordinary things. Bats, owls and things moving in the wind are common in such places.

If you visit Bhangarh

• Go in the daytime, within the set hours, and follow the ASI's rules.
• Avoid climbing broken ruins and high walls.
• Do not harm the monument by writing on it or breaking anything — it is our heritage.

Rajasthan's other forts: The famous forts of India. The nearby Pink City: Why Jaipur is called the Pink City.

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