The heartbeat fastens up, muscles tense and the stomach churns- all telltale signs of fear. For some, fear is an unpleasant experience they avoid at all costs. But many others revel in the adrenaline rush of a good scare. They dash off to catch the latest horror flick or gleefully enter a haunted house to be terrorized at Halloween. As the month of Halloween is here, we bring you the Ghost Village of Kuldhara, Rajasthan in India.
What is a ghost village?
A ghost village or alternatively deserted village is an abandoned village, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A village often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it (usually industrial or agricultural) has failed or ended for any reason (e.g. a host ore deposit exhausted by metal mining).Ghost towns and villages hold a charm very different from the ruins of castles and fortresses, mostly because they give us a chance to peep right into the lives of the people who once inhabited them. Being a desert region, Rajasthan has no dearth of ghost villages but few of them have got as much attention as Bhangarh and Kuldhara, perhaps due to the legends associated with them.
THE VILLAGE OF KULDHARA
The town of Kuldhara, is nestled at 17 kilometres from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The village, which was once prosperous , now lies in ruins. All that is left now are open houses with no roofs, in despair, waiting for people to visit them. Kuldhara is one of the most intriguing and interesting attractions that one should definitely include in their itinerary while visiting Jaisalmer. At first sight, this ghost village of Kuldhara, gets the thinking cap on and immediately increases people’s faith in paranormal activities.
At present Kuldhara Village is a heritage site and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).As one enters the premises of this ancient village, one can feel as if time stopped in Kuldhara, ever since it’s people disappeared 200 years ago.
Straight dusty roads with intermittent rows of mud houses, cul-de-sac lanes and sandstone walls and a temple once visited by the Paliwals stand as a living testimony of some gloomy history.
To the east of the village lies the parched river bed of Kakni which is a warning to the impossibility of sustenance of life in this place.
An erstwhile flourishing village of North-Western India whose history dates back to the 13th century was abandoned overnight in 1825 for some reason unknown. As you walk along the ruins of Kuldhara village you can witness the ravages of time on its soil.
However, the place does not have any supernatural fact behind its myth but a veil of despair that covers the air narrating the unfortunate stories of its natives who disappeared suddenly in a night.
HOW DID KULDHARA TURN INTO A GHOST VILLAGE?
According to a popular notion, set by the villagers, Kuldhara was once a prosperous village to the rich Paliwals. The jagir or state was under the control of their then Prime Minister- Salim SIngh. Salim Singh was known for his treacherous methods for collecting taxes.Meanwhile he started liking the daughter of the village chief. The taxes were already very high and over that he threatened the villagers to marry her off to him else he’ll impose even higher taxes for them. For the sake of their dignity and honour, the village chief along with the villagers left the village overnight with a curse on it.
Another folklore refers to the drying up of the village’s wells. The reduced agricultural productivity, coupled with steep tax demands from Jaisalmer state could have forced the Paliwals to abandon Kuldhara. Rather than overnight, the abandonment of the village was said to have been a gradual process.
Till date, the village is barren. It is believed that no one can settle down in that village. Kuldhara was abandoned by its very own people- no one saw the thousand of people moving out of the village. Some people who dared to settle down were driven away by weird sounds and some even reported the presence of paranormal activities. For generations ,no one knows where the people resettled.
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS TO IT?
A team led by Prof AB Roy found strong support for the overnight abandonment theory — there were signs of recent tectonic activities and ground movement along several major faults in the region. Superimposing the village on the seismotectonic map of the area, the team found that the now dilapidated structures were located on geological faults.
From the collapsed walls to scattered dressed stones, along with damaged pillars, it appears that the damage to life and property may have been substantial. The handful of survivors, too, might have been severely injured. Nobody lived in this village in later years, presumably because of the stories of mysterious deaths and rumours that the village was haunted.
All of this suggests that the massive evacuation resulted from damage due to earthquakes and the poor quality of construction had worsened the situation.
SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
- What is the best time to visit Kuldhara?
The state of Rajasthan remains extremely hot for half of the year. Therefore,it is suggested to visit Kuldhara during the cooler months of October – March when the scorching heat won’t be there to trouble you.
- What are the timings?
The village gates remain open, every day of the week, from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00P.M. As Kuldhara is believed to be haunted therefore the caretaker closes the door at 6 and no one is allowed after that.
- What are the entry charges?
The entry charge is Rs. 10/- per person and an amount of Rs. 50 is charged if you are visiting the village by car.
- How to reach Kuldhara village?
The village of Kuldhara is around 18-20 kilometres from the main city of Jaisalmer. So while travelling in Rajasthan, when you reach Jaisalmer, you can take a cab from the city or hire a rental car which will take you to the entrance gates of the haunted village. This site falls on the way to yet another famous attraction in Jaisalmer – the Sam Sand Dunes.
- Is Kuldhara really haunted?
Many people living around the area have said that they haven’t seen a ghost in ages and it probably is just a rumour to attract tourists.
- Are there any eateries or hotels near the village?
With the help of the government, few cafes have been set up near the village for a comfortable trip for the tourists.
One can stay at the main Jaisalmer city or another alternative can be to stay in the Sam desert. One can easily rent a tent for a vacation.
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