It was an unusual trip. A trip that could make or break a legend. A legend which has been painstakingly built over a period of around 250-300 years.
No, I am not talking about any high profile persona. I am talking about an-once-upon-a-time-flourishing kingdom which now languishes in ruins. Yet, hair-raising accounts spread through word of mouth and staunchly believed by the locals still make the rounds to the extent that the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) has been compelled to put up a board at the very entrance forbidding tourists from visiting the place before sunrise or after sunset. A wall has been erected by the ASI to demarcate the forbidden area. The officials are still at work but leave the premise as soon as the sun tilts towards the West. However, before stepping outside the premise they make it a point to pay their obeisance at the Hanuman Temple right next to the entry gate - a gesture of thanksgiving that the day is over without any untoward event. The guards holler a "Koi hai kya?" before calling it a day just to ensure that no tourist or trespasser has absentmindedly wandered off inside never to safely return ever again. The locals make it a point that their herds and cattle do not stray inside at "unearthly" hours.
Such is the aura of the haunted city of Bhangarh, now in shambles, yet still holding traces of an ancient planned city with flourishing trade and commerce. The ASI is trying to rebuild the old glory little by little in the shadow of what they have gathered from their excavations. As one enters the premise, the cobbled pathway leads to a colonnade of shops - the remains of an erstwhile busy market place. Stand tall amidst the rows of shops are the two-three storied houses of the rich businessman or the Nagar Seth and the royal dancer or the Raj Nartaki. The path winds towards the imposing entrance of the Fort which is right at the back flanked by temples on either side - the Gopinatha temple right after the entrance and the Shiva(Someshwara) temple to the left of the Fort, at the back.
A well-manicured grassy lawn sprawls like a green carpet upto the steep incline of the Qilla or the Fort. I asked Mr. Sharma, our knowledgeable guide, whether the entrance to the Fort was deliberately made unnavigable to make accessibility difficult for invaders. To which he replied in affirmative, "Also, the fact remains that the passages were used to be constructed keeping in mind visitors/travelers on horseback", He added.
The day was cloudy and grey. It had been drizzling throughout. Taking to the dangerously slippery incline was a test of one’s will and physical prowess. Everywhere was picture of dilapidation. Broken steps, cracked walls, dust ridden, windowless rooms and corridors which smelled foul of bat feces. In the courtyard lay mounds of stone, a testimonial of the arduous exercise being undertaken by the ASI, to reconstruct history. We were told not to press on the walls hard as they may cave in by the mere touch of our hands.
Yet, we spent a while in the Queen’s Boudoir(Rani Mahal), the targeted destination of this strange and bewildering journey. It’s said that this was the place where the Zee News Team, conducting a research on the hauntings, had detected the vortex of "negative energy". Securing permission from the Government, the Team which even included a Lady Doctor, had visited the spot in the dead of the night(between 09.00 and 10.00 PM). What exactly had transpired thereafter was not known. But one of the team members was found seriously injured while the Lady Doctor had slipped into a state of unconsciousness.
The unremarkable site has many intriguing and interesting tales surrounding it:
Legend No. 1: The city magician named Sewda, had an eye for Ratnavali, the queen of Bhangarh. Once when one of her maids was returning to the palace, after purchasing a few things from the market for the Queen, Sewda accosted her. Involving her in small talks, he managed to cast a spell on one of the items to be used by the Queen.
The Queen, who was also quite conversant with such evil spells and black magic, could make out Sewda’s misdeed beforehand and recast the spell in such a manner that it boomeranged on Sewda. As a result, Sewda died and it was the dying magician’s curse that led to the destruction of Bhangarh.
Legend No. 2: Once the city of Bhangarh was hit by a swarm of locusts which destroyed all the harvest. The king called upon the magician Sewda to get the city rid of the destructive pests. Sewda agreed to use his charm to save the city. However, it was his express wish that the roads should be deserted at a given time when he would be casting his spell. Accordingly, the city-dwellers were told not to venture out of their houses after dark as were the villagers advised to bring in their cattle and herds home before the pre-decided time.
However, as fate would have it, a cow and a bullock, who were ownerless, were left unattended on the otherwise empty roads. When the spell was cast by Sewda the locusts swarmed out of the city and settled on the beasts. Consequently, they died a painful death leaving a curse on the city which led to its untimely devastation.
Legend No. 3: Man Singh, the king of Amber, had gifted the city of Bhangarh(established in the early 1600’s) to his Jagirdar Madho Singh. However, as the city of Bhangarh gradually prospered and became a power to reckon with, Man Singh became insecure and jealous. He waged a war against the king and destroyed the city. The residents of Bhangarh fled to Jaipur(founded in 1727).
With the passage of time, the city of Jaipur thrived. However, it’s said that the Pink City was remodeled on the lines of the vanquished city of Bhangarh. According to our Guide, Mr. Sharma, this is a more authentic reason behind the fall of Bhangarh. But the folklores have it otherwise.
As with the fall and desertion of Bhangarh, stories of hidden treasures followed, fortune-hunters flocked in to try their luck. The wise Mr. Sharma vouchsafed that ill-luck had befallen many of them known to him. However, he attributed their haplessness to many more practical reasons than curses and spells.
Nevertheless, the city of Bhangarh has risen to fame on account of its cursed fall. The hauntings, like many other dark mysteries of the past, will remain unauthenticated till we ourselves get rid of our tendency to believe in The Unknown and The Incredible. Likewise, Mr. Sharma’s narratives oscillate between the pragmatic and the incredulous.
Once upon a time a father and son passing through Bhangarh after nightfall came upon this huge celebration of revelers. Pandals were erect with decorations and red carpets were rolled out to welcome guests. The tired travelers were courteously invited to partake of dinner. There were two separate rows for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, respectively. By mistake, they sat in the wrong row when one of the elders gesticulated at the right row for them. After having a sumptuous meal they felt sleepy and dozed off. In the morning, they were found in the barren fields by the thorny bushes. Gone were the procession of men and the arrangements of lights and feast. Mr. Sharma certified that he had heard of this extraordinary experience straight from the horse’s mouth!
Bhangarh, situated near the Tiger Sanctuary Sariska, is around 100 Kms. from the peaceful city of Alwar. From Sariska, it is around 50 Kms. Bhangarh falls within Rajgarh Municipality and is near Dausa. However, Dausa lacks in good tourist accommodation. Therefore, best is to stay in Alwar, which has many private as well as RTDC Hotels and Resorts. Those who wish to club a Wild Life Safari with spooky adventure, can put up in Sariska. The road to Bhangarh, through sleepy villages, is real bad, bumpy and uncared for. The lesser known Ajabgarh precedes Bhangarh. After the fall of Bhangarh, Ajabgarh too was deserted. It is dotted with newly built houses and ruins of ancient ancestral properties which have not been reclaimed by successors. One has to traverse the periphery of Sariska Forest to reach Bhangarh. By the time its dusk, returning from Bhangarh, one may be lucky enough to cite wild boars and Sambhars, languidly crossing the road, as we did.
Bhangarh is a heritage site. It is the most visited over the weekends and Mondays. It is also a place of annual congregation of Tantriks who throng in hundreds during the Navratras in the lunar month of Ashwin - the Kaalbeliyas, the Saperas and other tribal castes.However, Mr. Sharma confirmed that they were the harmless ones who rather believed in keeping their powers a secret using only for the betterment of fellow beings(?)
We were a little crestfallen to find the intrigue of Bhangarh being spoilt by a troupe who had been given the permission to shoot in the premise. Most of the tourists had come looking for the spook yet the atmosphere was marred by noise and rowdiness of undisciplined crowds. Although, it is strictly prohibited, we also saw families squatting and having kind of picnic at the spot.
Visitors like me with the sole intention of having a "feel" of the Paranormal, were quite lost amidst thousands of crunching, trampling footfalls. Yet, slipping unaware on the wet inclines of the Qilla and almost getting a cramped leg, missing a step on the stairs where my shoes got stuck without any visible reason, and twice the camera hitting the stone walls which could have cost me a fortune, no more than a fortune, as it stored the innumerable clicks of the Fort and the Queen’s controversial sacro-sanctum, I wondered whether there was some unwarranted force which was warning me not to transgress my limits. It’s just a thought or may be a mere superstition.
Yet, who knows?
Happy Haunting!