Bhangarh Fort’s ghost stories and my experience

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There are many interesting and spooky stories related to Bhangarh fort that I decided to visit it to see it by myself. I am a history lover and I never miss a chance to visit an old monument or ruins. Like everyone else, I also came across some haunted stories of Bhangarh Fort and almost everyone insisted that it is the most haunted place in India. I wanted to experience the Bhangarh Fort and maybe experiencing its spookiness. Although I am not someone who is a ghost hunter or like the idea of the ghost still, I wanted to visit experience the Bhangarh fort. I have read some ghost stories of Bhangarh fort that I was kind of prepared to experience something different there.

It was the start of winter, which is the right time to visit Rajasthan. I planned a trip to Bhangarh fort from Delhi over a weekend. When I planned a trip to Bhangarh, we also included Sariska and other surrounding areas that are on the way. Our main focus was to visit the haunted fort of Bhangarh.

I hired a cab for our trip to Bhangarh fort from Delhi because public transport is not a viable option. There are no direct buses or trains from Delhi to Bhangarh.

We drove from Delhi to Gurgaon and took NH 8. Before Alwar, we entered an inner route and drove through the outskirts of Alwar. On the way, we stopped at Siliserh Lake for boating and snacks.

We stayed in Sariska overnight and did an evening safari in Sariska Tiger Reserve. The next day after exploring a couple of places we went to Bhangarh fort from Sariska. The road conditions are not very good and it is broken or has dirt patches on the way. There is very little traffic or no traffic so the drive was easy.

Bhangarh fort’s story

Bhangarh fort in Ajabgarh is considered India’s most haunted places. I don’t know when this fort got this tag but this is what Google informs when you search.

Bhangarh fort was built in 1631 during the rule of Raja Bhagwant Das. He built this fort as the residence for his second son Madho Singh. The fort was in use for several decades by different rulers.

There are several stories related to the Bhangarh fort’s abandonment.

The most popular story is of tantric and princess.

According to the story, the princess Ratnavati of Bhangarh was very beautiful and there was no one like her in all of Rajasthan. When the princess turned eighteen, she started getting matrimonial proposals from other states.

In the same region lived a Tantrik magician named Singhia, who was well versed in the occult. He was desperately in love with the princess despite knowing that he would never be allowed to even see her, let alone meet her.

One day, he saw the princess’s maid in the market buying scented oil for her. Seeing this, he got an idea by which he could meet the princess. He used his black magic and put a spell on the oil which would hypnotize the princess by her merely touching the oil, and she would surrender herself to him.

The princess foiled this plan though. She had seen the Tantrik enchanting the oil, and she, therefore, threw it away. The bottle of oil was broken over a boulder. As soon as the oil touched the stone, it started rolling towards the wicked Tantrik and crushed him.

While dying, Singhia cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it, without any rebirth in their destinies. The very next year there was a battle in Bhangarh and Ratnavati died in it. After this people started believing in the curse and left the fort for safer places. Finally, the fort was abandoned.

Story of ascetic Bala Nath.

Another legend claims that an ascetic named Bala Nath lived in the Bhangarh. When King Madho Singh planned to build the Bhangarh fort he obtaining permission from the ascetic Bala Nath. Ascetic permitted him after the king agreed to a condition that said that the shadow of the fort must never fall upon the home of the ascetic.

Everything was fine with Bhangarh fort till the time one of the ambitious successors of Madho Singh added vertically to fortify against enemy attacks. Due to this causing fort’s ominous shadow, which engulfed the abode of the ascetic. After the promise broke the fort was doomed within no time. The locals believe that the prophecy stood fulfilled, and the Bhangarh Fort became haunted.

Though some people don’t believe in these stories and consider these myths. It is believed that during the famine of 1783 in Ajabgarh, the town was abandoned and never occupied after that. It remained abandoned and turned into ruins gradually. Since the fort is surrounded by forest so wild animals freely moved inside.

It is also believed that the fort was abandoned due to the plague or famine.

These are some of the most popular stories as well as a logical explanation for abandonment.

Bhangarh Fort timing

The fort is under the archeological survey of India and remains open between 6.00 AM to 6.00 PM. All the monuments under control of ASI remain open from sunrise to sunset and the Bhangarh fort is not an exception.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had put up a signboard at Bhangarh fort’s gate stating (among others): “Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited.” This is the standard rule for all ASI monuments but since Bhangarh Fort is considered haunted so people spread that this signboard is due to the ghost incidents.

Bhangarh fort entry ticket

Earlier there was no entry ticket for Bhangarh fort.
From May 2019 there is an entry ticket of 25 INR for Indian nationals and 300 INR for foreign nationals. Like most ASI monuments if you pay digitally then ticket cost is lesser. Then Indians have to pay 20 INR and foreign travelers 250 INR.

How to travel to Bhangarh fort from Delhi

The haunted Bhangarh fort is situated in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by forest. There is no big town or railway station near the fort.

The nearest railway station is in Dausa, which is 30 km from Bhangarh. Dausa is 280 Km from Delhi. There are direct trains between Dausa and Delhi. Rajasthan roadways also run buses from Delhi to Dausa.

From Dausa railway station take a bus or Jeep or any other public transport to ‘Gola Ka Bas’. From Gola ka Bas, Bhangarh Fort is 2 Km, there is no public transport from there for Bhangarh Fort. So you can walk or maybe find an autorickshaw to reach the fort.

Jaipur to Bhangarh Fort

The nearest airport is in Jaipur which is 90 km from Bhangarh.
There are no direct trains or buses for Bhangarh from Jaipur. You have to first arrive in Dausa and then travel to Bhangarh.

From Jaipur, it is easy to do a day trip to Bhangarh Fort by cab. Which is convenient and safe.

Best way to travel to Bhangarh Fort

I don’t recommend traveling by public transport especially if you are a female traveler. Rajasthan is safe for travelers but the public transport facilities are not good around Bhangarh. In case if you don’t get a bus or Jeep then you will be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

If traveling from Delhi to Bhangarh fort then you can stay in Sariska, which is 30 km from Bhangarh. There are several hotel options in & around Sariska. You can also visit the Sariska Tiger Reserve if staying there.

Bhangarh fort is 275 Km from Delhi.

My Bhangarh Fort experience

We traveled from Sariska to Bhangarh and arrived before noon. It was Saturday and there were some locals as well as tourists in the fort premise. There were few people even though it was the weekend.

There were lots of monkeys and langurs in the area. Some of the monkeys were jumping outside the main gate and climbing on the trees. The monkeys of Bhangarh are fearless and not bothered by people. Their actions made us a bit nervous in the beginning.

We entered the fort and we met with a local guy. He told us these monkeys don’t attack people but if they notice eatables in your hand then they may snatch it. Otherwise no issues. He told us a few more interesting things which I will share below in my Bhangarh fort experience.

There was a group of langurs also but they were busy in themselves and were not doing mischievous activities like monkeys.

The Bhangarh fort is surrounded by high walls and there are well-maintained gardens in the premise.

There is a small temple near the main gate. The local guy told us that it is good to pray before entering the fort. The blessing of God protects from any evil in the Fort.

As we walked on the stone path, there were ruins on both sides. These ruins are the remains of the old bazaar of Bhangarh fort. In good old days, there were shops and it was a bustling market.

After crossing the row of bazaar ruins, we came to a cluster of ruins. These belong to the people of the court. The most popular of those is the house of a dancing girl, the main dancer of the royal court. It is popularly known as “Nachni ki haveli”.

Another important structure in the fort premise is the Someshwar temple and a small stepwell next to it. The temple is in good condition compared to the other structures in the fort.

We walked further and reached the lower level of the fort. There are a  stone ramp and stairs to climb the three-stories of the Bhangarh fort. There are a couple of tall gates before you finally reach the top of the fort.

Upper floors have long corridors, rooms and other structures. Some of them are ruins while others are in good condition. Since the top of the fort is quite high so we can see the surrounding areas. There is a hill on one side of the fort, which protected from enemy attack. Three sides have open grounds after Bhangarh fort walls. There is no village nearby and the area is full of shrubs.

At top of the fort, we again met with the same local guy. He informed us that he came to pay respect to “Jin Pret’s” temple. This temple is in a small room that is badly illuminated. He lighted a couple of cigarettes and kept them on the floor as an offering to “Jin Pret”.

He told us that his village is 20 km from Bhangarh and he visits this place twice a month on Saturday. According to him, several people come on Saturday to pay their respects in this temple. They believe that “Jin Pret” will be protected from all evils in life.

We spent some time at the top exploring the fort and came down. I didn’t have any arrange feeling or experience in Bhangarh fort even though it was constantly playing in my mind that it is a haunted place.

Some people who visited Bhangarh affirmed that there is a strange feeling in the atmosphere, which causes symptoms of anxiety and restlessness but we had no such experience. The ruins are beautiful and tranquil as there is no mad tourist rush. The place itself is beautiful and the surroundings are perfect.

I didn’t have any eerie feeling and I wonder why people think it is the most haunted place in India.

Bhangarh fort ghost stories

We climbed down and sitting near the Shomeshwar temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are statues of Ganesh, Hanuman and local goddess in the temple. We again met that local man and he smiled as he noticed us. He told us that we are in the safest place in the fort.

He told us that once he came with his friends and it was late afternoon. It started getting dark early so they were coming down fast. As they were almost near the bottom of fort ramp one of his friends started screaming and making weird sounds. Before they could shake him for his strange behavior he started running madly. The moment he reached near the temple wall he collapsed. They splashed some water on his face and he regained his senses.

After gaining conscious his friend told him that he felt someone got on his back and tried to twist his neck. More than that his friend can’t remember. Since then he always visited the temple before 3.00 pm because according to him the ghost of Bhangarh fort gets active as sunset approaches.

He said once a small boy approached him and he was selling loose flowers. But as he never offers flowers so he didn’t buy any from the boy. Later on, when he reached home he found some flowers in his tote bag.

He finally said goodbye to us and went towards the exit door of the fort. The local guy didn’t disappear suddenly (pun intended) and we saw him going out. He started his motorcycle and drove away. Since he didn’t disappear so, I am sure he was a  human (pun intended).

We came out of the main gate and my friend was curious after all the ghost stories of Bhangarh Fort. So, she asked the half-asleep guard at the gate if there are ghosts in Bhangarh Fort. The middle-aged guard came out from his slumber and told us that yes there are ghosts in Bhangarh fort. He said he rarely goes inside the fort and leaves before night.

He told us that a couple of villagers met with the ghost inside the fort but as they pray to them so they don’t harm them. We asked how can villagers know that they were ghosts. He said “they” talk to people and walk behind them but suddenly disappear. If someone is human how can he disappear? Logic !!!!!

Guard told that there are legends of sorcerers and black magicians in the area.

I can say there is an eerie feeling in Bhangarh Fort, which is due to these practical reasons.

* There is no village near the fort and since there is no population so everything is empty. The abandoned building never give good vibes.

** Even on Saturday, there were few people in the fort, you can easily imagine how it is during weekdays.

* Fort was empty so even if a small bird or insect will fly in a room, there will be some noise.

** When you go to the top of the fort it is open from all sides with some broken walls. If you are a couple of people with no one else on the site. It feels odd.

* Bhangarh fort touches the Sariska national park so at night animals venture out in & around the fort.

** When you hear so many ghost stories about Bhangarh fort, naturally, anything can spook you.

Before we know it was already late for lunch. We had finished our snacks and feeling hungry. So, we went to a village shop to have some tea or snacks. After knowing that we are coming from Bhangarh Fort tea stall guy said that we returned on a safe time.

While we were having tea he told us that some of the people from his village believe that the abandoned Bhangarh Fort comes alive after sunset, but with spirits. The ghosts of people living in those areas haunt the ruins and their favorite is the palace in the fort. These kinds of activities are at their peak on full moon nights or when solar or moon eclipse. At that time ghosts from other areas also congregate here for some sort of activities. Ghost conference !!!!!

After listening to all these stories related to Bhangarh Fort’s ghosts, we thanked our luck and felt happy that we didn’t have any unpleasant experience. It is no wonder why Bhangarh Fort is one of the haunted ghost towns of India.

Practical tips for visiting Bhangarh Fort

** Don’t travel on public transport because it is not practical. If you want to cut the cost then travel to Dausa and hire a round trip taxi from there.
Taking a day trip from Jaipur is also a good option.
Otherwise, combine it with Sariska and take a day trip from there.

* There are no petrol pumps so fill the tank for the return journey.

** There are no restaurants or cafes so carry enough food/snacks and water for the trip. Keep in mind it will be warm even in December and January.

* Do not stay in Bhangarh after sunset, my advice has nothing to do with the ghost’s stories. The main reason is that Bhangarh is at the edge of Sariska national park so after dark wild animals roam freely and it can be dangerous. Another reason is that if there are any problems in your vehicle then it’s not easy to get help.

** Wear comfortable shoes because you have to walk on a stoned paved path to climb the Fort.

* Remain attentive because there are fewer tourists in Bhangarh fort even on weekends. Be careful of monkeys and langurs.

** Don’t explore the fort alone because some parts are secluded and there is no point in taking unnecessary risk in unknown areas.

* There is a dome on a hill close to the Bhangarh Fort, which is considered Tantric’s place. Don’t go there because it is surrounded by shrubs and no one else is there.

Hotels near Bhangarh fort

If you think that it will be easy to find an accommodation near Bhangarh fort since it’s a popular and most haunted place in India. Then you are wrong. In the last couple of years, few hotels come up near Bhangarh fort. One named Hotel Raj resort Which is 2 km away. The other two are Amanbagh and Hotel Lalbagh & guest house, both are 12 km from Bhangarh fort.

The other closest hotels are in Sariska and Alwar. Most of the hotels are luxury resorts.

The best option for a luxury stay is Sariska Palace.

If on a medium budget then stay in Tiger hill Sariska and The Sariska retreat.

The budget options are Hotel Burja Haveli, Amrit Hotel & Resort and Royal Krishna garden.

** The Ajabgarh fort on the way, which is much smaller. If you have time visit it.

I hope this information is enough to plan a trip to the haunted Bhangarh fort. If you have some queries, please feel free to ask.

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