The Pearls of Catharsis Times Issue 04, July 2017 | Page 70

The unexplored side of Rajasthan: ghosts, gory and more…
Rajasthan has always been a
land of royals, warriors and
fortresses. It is also a place
where a plethora of spooky
tales and folklores are born.
Some of these stories have
seeped in so deep within the
Rajasthani roots that they
are narrated, retold and
passed on from generation
to generation.
When villagers settle down
under the banyan tree every
evening, accounts of people
getting possessed by evil
spirits or getting freaked out
at haunted places are the
key topics of gossips.
One such supposedly
haunted place is Bhangarh
Fort, which of course, most
of us know abo ut. It is
believed that this fort was
jinxed by a magician who, rejected by the princess of Bhangarh, cursed the
entire village. Very soon, everything crumbled into ruins. The famine of 1783
worsened the situation and since then, the village lies abandoned.
Archaeological Survey of India has strictly prohibited the entry to this place
before sunrise and after sunset. As per locals, clinking of bangles and giggles of
princesses can be heard in the wee hours of night. Some even claim to see
apparitions and headless ghosts strolling across the village. As the region is
close to Ranthambore, the hooting of owls and monkeys add to the creepiness
of this place. However, nobody really knows if it is really haunted or the entire