Monday, June 22, 2009

Unseen Rajasthan Special-India's Most Haunted Place Bhangarh.

History

Bhangarh is a place between Jaipur and Alwar in Rajasthan state of India. Today Bhangarh is known for its ruins where nobody dares to go after dark, but is worth a visit; in fact the place is beautiful and tranquil. What remains though, is a shadow of a once beautiful kingdom.

Passing by Bhangarh, banyans and temples dot the landscape and one chhatri can be seen up on the hill. The most remarkable are the temples of Gopinath, Shiva (Someshwar), Mangla Devi and Keshava Rai. Other more or less preserved buildings are e.g. shops along the main road, several havelis, a mosque, and a palace. The palace was protected by two inner fortifications across the valley. The town is separated from the plain by ramparts with five gates. Bhangarh is also a pre-historic site.

This town was established in 1573 (VS 1631) during the rule of Raja Bhagwant Das and it became the residence of his second son Madho Singh. Madho Singh was younger brother of Emperor Akbar’s General Man Singh I of Amber. Madho Singh participated in many campaigns with his father and brother. The next ruler of Bhangarh was his son Chhatr Singh. Bhangarh slowly declined after Chhatr Singh's violent death in 1630. Near Ajabgarh was founded by Ajab Singh, the son of Chhatr Singh. When Mughal Empire became weaker after the death of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh II attached Bhangarh to his state by force in 1720. After this Bhangarh diminished in population, and when the famine of 1783 (VS 1840) fell on the land the town was abandoned, and has remained a ruin ever since.


Entrance To The Fort
Legend has it that due to a curse of Guru Balu Nath, the whole town was vacated overnight. Balu Nath sanctioned the establishment of the town but said: "The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!" Ignorant of such foreboding, one ambitious descendant raised the palace to such a height that its shadow reached Balu Nath's forbidden retreat and the town was devastated. The small samādhi where Balu Nath lies buried is still there.
The other myth is as follows: The charm of princess of Bhangarh Ratnavati was said to be matchless in all of Rajasthan. Being eighteen years old, the princess started getting matrimonial offers from other states. In the same region there lived a tantrik, a magician well versed in the occult, named Singhia who was desperately in love with the princess knowing that he would never be allowed to even see her, let alone meet her. One day, he saw the princess' 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. The princess foiled this plan though. She had seen the tantrik enchanting the oil, and she therefore threw it away, whereupon the flagon rolled over a stone. 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 between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh and no one survived, not even the princess Ratnavati.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has put up a signboard at Bhangarh stating (among others): "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited."

Some people who visit this place say that there is a strange feeling in the atmosphere of Bhangarh, which causes symptoms of anxiety and restlessness. Nevertheless, most of people like Bhangarh, and even those who went there at night didn't notice anything strange.



Entrance to the Fort Premisis
Ruined Temple.
Lord Shiva Temple
King's Palace(Now Ruined)
Old Store Room
Manually controlled machine .

This machine was basically made for crushing and mixing the stones and sand for construction purpose.Roller and sticks are the two major parts that works.
Old Gate
Old Gate
Architecture
Holy Cow Statue

Villagers worshiping God
Pond Near to Temple
Monkey's Eating
Old Shop
Old Shop
Umbrella

These umbrellas were made outside the fort for soldiers to take rest and to keep eye on the enemies .
Camel Kid

Me On the Top

Finally Another trip is over..Hope you All Will Enjoy it.
Data Source:Wikipedia

78 comments:

Babzy.B said...

Beautiful serie , thanks for the visit !

Olivier said...

encore une superbe série, j'adore la photo du temple en ruine, il est magnifique.
still a great series, I love the picture of the temple in ruins, it is magnificent.

walk2write said...

The stories you tell are fascinating, and you weave them in with the scenery so well. I thought I could smell the essential oil in the flagon as it spilled onto the stone that rolled over and crushed the evil sorcerer. Sandalwood?

Prospero said...

This all reminds me of A Passage To India, with the feelings of uneasiness, the monkeys...

Cezar and Léia said...

Very interesting post! Great pictures!This place is fantastic!
Léia

James said...

You get to see such amazing places. I'm so glad that you are kind enough to share your wonderful pictures.

Bergson said...

beautiful story that makes us travel

Kavita Saharia said...

WOW......the place sounds very interesting and you got just the perfect pic to support your story...Rajasthan is so very rich even in its ruins....magical Rajasthan.....thanx for such an amazing story.

Lois said...

What a beautiful place! The history is fascinating.

Shawna said...

Great post!

Shawna's Study Abroad

Debra Trean said...

Awesome travel images my fav is baby camel of course

humanobserver said...

It is like a story the way you presenteed it was quite wonderful :)

Wolynski said...

Not only are your photos beautiful, your stories and research and sense of history show India in a fascinating light.

joo said...

Hi, wonderful post! Thanks for showing all those wonderful places and telling us about your fascinating country:)

2sweetnsaxy said...

What a beautiful place and such an interesting story behind it. Thank you for the tour and guide through this amazing place.

Giselle said...

This place really is very beautiful ! Just to see these pictures I'm very willing to visit personally!

Rajesh said...

Beautiful. I will visit it on my next trip

Yoli said...

Your photos are breath taking.

Maggie May said...

Wonderful photos and very intriquing legends!
I love those little doorways shaped like a key hole!

Lowell said...

Wonderful series and excellent photographs...so much information and history, too.

I'm amazed again, how superstition can actually impact people's lives for good or ill.

And that's true all over the world!

Unknown said...

Wow what a wonderful old building. I Don't think I would want to be there after dark though.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Bharat: Wonderful captures at the castle and such a neat story. That baby camel was out of control. I liked the big crushing wheel and the explanation.

Emery Roth said...

A wonderful tour with terrific stories. You make it all visual. Is the site preserved in any way? Is entry controlled or is it just there?

Wenche said...

Fascinating history and great photos. Thanks for the visit!

Carver said...

Looks like a wonderful place to visit. The stories were very interesting.

Urmi said...

Very interesting story with wonderful pictures.I liked the pictures of the temple in ruins and also the baby camel.I have not visited this place and after reading your beautiful post I feel like visiting the place.Keep it up!

SandyCarlson said...

Haunted? That makes me nervous. I very much like the keyhole-shaped gateway. What a neat place.

Janet said...

Thanks for sharing these photos and historic sites. You have an interesting blog. I appreciate you visiting my blog as well!

Rusted Wings said...

Thank you for taking us on this wonderful journey with you! Also, thank you for your sweet comment on my post!
blessings,
abigail

nobu said...

Nice photos in historical place.

Maria said...

Wow... that was some story! The people of Bhangarh had it very difficult! Such beautiful surroundings though...with such a past! ~Maria

Danielle said...

Your photos are simply fantastic! You do a wonderful job on your blog. I loved the story about the princess and the oil. Very neat! Thanks for your nice comment on my blog :)

Pietro Brosio said...

Beautiful sequence! What amazing places and architectures! I like so much the King's palace and the Old Gate! Thanks for sharing this wonderful realities.

??? said...

Great shots and again, I learned a lot. The photo of the Shiva temple is my favourite.

Regina said...

Wow,I always like India's ancient architecture and design, so intricate.

Unknown said...

it's fun to follow what u're doing. awesome blog! the first picture on the top looks like prambanan temple in indonesia.. they've got some scary myths too..

Lisa Wilson said...

Thanks so much for posting the photo of the monkeys!!! I'm sure they are mostly seen as pests in the city, but I never get tired of seeing them.

maryt/theteach said...

An extraordinary post about a magnificent place! Wonderful job and thanks for your comments on Paintbox Pictures! :)

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

What a wonderful post on the wonderful place!

Tree At Height

Tammie Lee said...

wonderful series of photos!
It is always interesting for me to look at a famous haunted place and wonder at it's history!

Giane said...

Hello!

Thanks for the visit in my blog - You are welcome!

Great pictures and this a beautiful place!

Million kisses!!!

Joshy and belle said...

fantastic post, i love the old myth's
felicity xx

Ken Mac said...

that full size top shot is stunning!!!!!!!!!!

Rick (Ratty) said...

A great story that goes along with the pictures of this city. I read a fictional story once of a city very much like this one.

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

Hey Bharat, I have tagged you! Click here to know more and enjoy the game!!

cieldequimper said...

This and the last post are amazingly beautiful and interesting.

Lee Spangler said...

I wrote you and told you I just got back from Rajasthan (November) and loved it. I enjoyed Udiapur and Pushkar and especially Fatipur Sikrit. Write me again soon. THANKS FOR THE GREAT PIX.

George said...

Thanks for the visit to and history of another fascinating destination. I enjoyed the photos very much.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

SO interesting... I love reading the history. Thanks so much for taking us on your trip. It was almost as good as if I had have been there. Don't think I want to go to Bhangarh at NIGHT... Yipes!!!!

Have a great day.
Betsy

Ice said...

That's a very nice story you just told. Enjoy reading it. The template (1st photo) is very pretty.

Pyzahn said...

You have a beautiful blog. One of my best friends is from India.

Thanks for visiting Prattle. Lola the Queen sends her regards.

Renee said...

I totally enjoyed it. Thanks for the trip.

Renee xoxo

Unknown said...

Thanks for visiting my blog today and leaving a comment.

This post is just amazing. I love your descriptions and the photos are fabulous!

Jane

Eleonora Baldwin said...

What fascinating stories about a stunning place! The lore that surrounds the site contributes to the strange feeling of discomfort it elicits. I love that.

Thank you for stopping by my place and leaving your kind comment. I'm very glad I came here; I have in fact signed up as a regular, so expect to see me tagging along on your next journey!
Ciao,
Lola

Wine and Words said...

Well, after 54 comments I don't imagine this one will mean a whole lot, however, the "strange feeling in the atmosphere of Bhangarh, which causes symptoms of anxiety and restlessness" has decended upon Stockon California...one small lonely office in particular and one lonely woman. How do they deal with it in India, because in here....I just want some trouble. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Love your pics! Take me away Unseen.

Anonymous said...

Exceptional post with a lot of interesting photographs of a place and a culture that so many of us know nothing about. Thanks for showing me.

janis said...

Oh! How beautiful! I can not wait to read and see more! Thank you for taking us with you on this journey! Also thank you for popping in on my little Blog!

Sarah Laurence said...

Nice architectural photos and an interesting history.

Butternut Squash said...

Excellent tales thank you for the tour. I really enjoyed it.

Whitney Lee said...

This is fascinating. Beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you also for your kind comment.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for dropping by my blog.
your post are very beautiful and stunning!!!!

Anvilcloud said...

You have a very impressive blog. Keep up the good work.

foongpc said...

Interesting place with an interesting story. I would love to enter the place after sunset to see if it's really haunted : )

Lady Di Tn said...

My favorite photo was the old gate. Thanks for sharing. Peace

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

These are all wonderful and interesting images! Great series!

If you want comments on individual images, you might post them individually or in smaller groups.

Clytie said...

Wow, I'm glad I stopped by. Your postings are excellent and your photos are breathtaking. I loved the way you wove the stories and history into your posts. Excellent.

Anonymous said...

As always, a stunning presentation and a learning experience. The monkeys, gosh. Tell me, do you get those feelings of anxiety when you visit?

NPT said...

Really nice fotos...

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

Good story behind a great monument / sight!

Deepak chhatbar said...

hey awesome pics dude......nice compose of dat od gate pic i liked dat a lot........

floreta said...

india definitely has some of the most interesting art history i have ever seen!

Ayie said...

another remarkable architecture

Robin said...

You have such a beautiful country, I would dearly love to visit someday. Your ruins are so different than the ones I see here in Israel, it's really fascinating.

Frank said...

The fort is magnificent. What a spectacular place.

raghavendra said...

nice story .....!!!!

raghavendra said...

bhangarh is very nice place....i visited dat place last month with my frnds.....its amazing place but be careful at night coz something wrong in dat area..... me nd my frndz also felt something unusual in that environment.....we heard a bad screem at night for 15 min....u wil feel strange in there's environment......we red Hanuman chalisa whole night......nd if ur going in dat place then dont make noise in night nd dont bring anything from there.....nd be carefully its beautiful but dangerous place....!!!

raghavendra said...

bhangarh is very nice place....i visited dat place last month with my frnds.....its amazing place but be careful at night coz something wrong in dat area..... me nd my frndz also felt something unusual in that environment.....we heard a bad screem at night for 15 min....u wil feel strange in there's environment......we red Hanuman chalisa whole night......nd if ur going in dat place then dont make noise in night nd dont bring anything from there.....nd be carefully its beautiful but dangerous place....!!!

Anonymous said...

wow! amazing its so nice ,beautiful,i think no one more place like it in india
i like it