Bhangarh

Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan is counted among the topmost haunted places in India. Combine the trip with a visit to an ancient stepwell, Chand Baori in Abhaneri, and you have an experience that you are unlikely to forget. NAVNEET MENDIRATTA braves a trip and suggests you do the same post lockdown

“DOyou believe in ghosts?” Deepta Roy Chakerverti, the Wiccan author of Bhangarh to Bedlam asked me as I sat down to interview her post her book release. This was a long time ago, 2015 to be precise. The book was about paranormal experiences, collated from her visits to the “haunted” spots in the country. Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan was one of them. She shared the detection of paranormal activity involving a young dancer inside the haunted fort complex, immediately capturing my imagination. Did it make me want to explore the place for myself? I was not sure. At least, at that time.

For several years, Bhangarh was off my travel list. Somehow, I never felt inclined to explore this old fort despite being a regular visitor to the area. The Alwar District of Rajasthan is a travel-rich destination with more than 23 tourist attractions to explore, including a wildlife sanctuary, biodiversity parks, ancient palaces, temples and baoris or ancient stepwells. It is, in fact, one of my favourite winter escapes, given its proximity to Delhi. And then one day, just like that, I found myself driving up the road leading to one of the “most haunted places in India”.

THE HAUNTED FORT EXPERIENCEis but an extension of our imagination. Perception and imagery have a great role to play. This perhaps best describes my first impression of the place. A narrow winding, deserted road dotted with

TANTRIC CURSEOF THE TANTRIC CURSEOF THE

sparsely-populated villages leads up to not one but two haunted forts in this area —Ajabgarh being the other. Somehow, it has always been Bhangarh that caught the visitors’ fancy more than the other. Unlike the rest of the area, not many people head in this direction. A lone shepherd grazing sheep is the sight that you are most likely to see along the way. Ruins of once beautiful havelis line the road, interspersed with stone/marble carving workshops. But there are never too many people.

A “no visitors post-sunset” sign by the Archaeological Survey of India stands ominously outside the tall iron gates that hold the remains of an unhappy past. Interestingly, this is one of the few spots with strict verification of foreign travelers. Locals say that this is because many went missing in the olden days for reasons unknown. Truth or fiction, there really is no way to confirm.

Inside, the space opens to a cobbled pathway neatly lined with the ruins

A small stone hut atop the hill, known as tantric ki chatri, overlooks the ruins of Bhangarh fort

Inside the fort, the space opens to a cobbled pathway neatly lined with the ruins of what may have been a bazaar in ancient days. The structures are without rooftops, as if ‘swept off’ by strong winds. (below) a local water woman waits to quench the thirst of the visitors

of what may have been a bazaar in the ancient days. A small Hanuman temple to the right of the entrance has a few locals offering prayers. The pujari tells us that the idol is as old as the temple which was established in the 1700s.

As I walk down the cobbled path, the ruins of what look like village shops get dense, indicating that we are now approaching the town centre. All of these structures are strangely without rooftops as if they had been ‘swept off’ by strong winds in one go. A local boy tells me that this market was called Johri Bazaar and had the dwellings of dance girls (Nachni ki Haveli). Beautiful banyan trees are well-inhabited by the monkeys and langurs alike. In fact, the simians cause quite a scare for the visitors and are often chased away by the stick-wielding guards. An old temple without a deity lies to the right, the stone carvings intact. Further to the left, the Someshwara temple, with its beautiful stepwell, offers a serene space for the worshippers, mostly local.

The ASI board mentions that this fort was built by the Kachwaha ruler of Amber, Raja Bhagwant Singh, for his younger son Madho Singh in 1573 AD. Madho Singh was the brother of the celebrated Man Singh, Akbar’s general. Madho Singh was succeeded by his son Chatr Singh whose son Ajab Singh built the Ajabgarh fort.

THE LEGENDARY CURSE THEstory goes that princess Ratnavati, daughter of Chatr Singh, was a woman of great beauty and intellect. More popular than her stepbrother Ajab Singh, she possessed a delightful temperament. As she reached a marriageable age, she was flooded with proposals from far and wide. It so happened that a tantric (a priest well-versed in black magic) fell in love with her. He reached out to her with his proposal and was turned down. Furious with the rejection, he tried to cast a spell on her. The princess learnt of his evil intentions and was able to ward off the spell. But the power of magic was such that the bottle he used to cast a spell turned into a boulder and hit the tantric who was

crushed under its weight. But before he died, he cursed the princess, her family and the entire village. It is said that a battle was fought between the forces of Bhangarh and Ajabgarh the next year, killing Ratnavati and the king’s army. The entire place turned into a ghost town overnight and the souls of its inhabitants were trapped inside the fort. The place is said to be haunted to date.

There is another story as well. It is said that before Raja Bhagwant Singh decided to build the fort, there lived a sadhu, Guru Balu Nath on top of this hill. Before allowing any construction, he set a condition that the fort must be built in a way that it should never cast a shadow on his dwelling. This condition was honoured by all except Ajab Singh, who added columns to the fort that cast a shadow on the ascetic’s house. The angry sadhu’s curse led to the ruin of the fort and the surrounding villages. Even today, a small stone hut, known as tantric ki chatri, overlooks the fort.

History, however, attributes the desertion of the fort by its inhabitants to the construction of the new fort, Ajabgarh, by Ajab Singh and later, the famine of 1783. But before that in 1720, Raja Jai Singh, grandson of Man Singh, attached Bhangarh to his estate.

History or fantasy, the ruins of Bhangarh carry an aura of spooky mystery.

STEPWELLS OF ABHA NAGRI ABOUT64 km from Bhangarh, in Dausa district of Rajasthan, lies one of the world’s oldest, deepest and most beautiful stepwells, called Chand Baori. Situated in the Abhaneri, or Abha Nagri of the yore, the baori has 3,500 steps built on 13 levels with the most

Chand Baori was built between the 9th and 10th century by Raja Chanda of the Chauhan dynasty

The baori has 3,500 steps built on 13 levels with a symmetry of perfectly cut and stacked stones without the use of any holding agent. (Right) Blocks of disfigured Hindu deities point to plundering by invaders

FOR BHANGARH FORT

The distance from Delhi to Bhangarh Fort is around 245 km. You can take a bus or a train to get there. The nearest railway station is at Dausa (30 km away from the fort).

The best time to visit is between the months of October to March. The weather is pleasant which means, you can comfortably tour the place at your own pace.

FOR ABHANERI

Abhaneri village is on the Jaipur-Agra road (NH-11). It is 30.9 km from Dausa and nearly 90 km from Jaipur by road. The nearest railway station is at Dausa, on the Ahmedabad Delhi railway line. The closest railway station for passenger trains is the Bandikui Railway station in Jaipur district.

The best time to visit Abhaneri Stepwells is between October and April. During October or November, one can also experience the three-day Abhaneri Festival. Some tourists also recommend visiting the place during monsoon as the stepwell is filled with water. amazing symmetry of perfectly cut and stacked stones without the use of any holding agent.

Not much is known about this baori except that it was built between the 9th and 10th century by Raja Chanda of the Chauhan dynasty, thereby getting its name —Chand Baori. This baori was once attached to the adjacent Harshat Mata temple that was razed during the 10th century by invaders. The temple of Harshat Mata still stands today and the goddess (considered to be the harbinger of happiness) is worshipped by the people.

The baori consists of double flights of steps on each of its 10 landings on the three sides. The fourth northern side consists of a multi-storeyed corridor supported on pillars and two projecting niche shrines which have beautiful images of Mahishamardini and Ganesa. There is also a very small room known as Andhera-Ujala. The baori is enclosed by a high wall with a gateway to the north. The enclosure has a verandah on all four sides.

The temperature at the bottom of the baori is said to be five-six degrees cooler than the top. Separate quarters of the king and the queen indicate that the baori was frequented by the royalty and the locals alike. Blocks of carved figures of Hindu gods and deities that are disfigured point to plundering by the invaders, but are somehow conserved.

Nevertheless, the splendour of the baori attracts thousands of visitors from across the world and has been a favourite site for Hollywood and Bollywood films. The Dark Knight Rises and Bhool Bhulaiya being two popular ones. And yes, the locals claim the baori is haunted.

AAGMAN CAMP AT ABHANERI THElocal market outside the baori completes the rural shopping experience. An old lacquer bangle craftsman can be seen making fresh wares for his shoppers while showcasing the age-old craft at the same time. Embroidered fabrics with patch and mirror work, brass artefacts and trinkets, there is something for everyone to carry back home. Prod a little and someone will guide you to the house of a local dhurrie weaver who makes the most amazing designs on his pit loom. I am told a lot of his dhurries get exported. Walk a little further into the village and you will cross a potters’ cluster with different shapes of kulhads and other creations left to dry out in the sun.

The village offers limited homestay options for those who wish to break the journey or extend their visit. Surrounded by wheat/mustard fields, a beautiful luxury site, called Abhaneri Village Safari Camp by Aagman, beckons the tired travellers. The campsite has an inventory of 28 well-furnished airconditioned tents, replete with modern-day luxuries including a permanent bath space with fitted amenities.

There is a lot to do for a relaxed traveller around the camp, including village safaris, pottery workshop, cycling trails and curated visits to the local artisan spaces. It is an excellent place for rare bird sightings at any time of the year. The camp follows the policy of employing locals, contributing to the local economy, and encourages the use of local organic produce in its meals. The menu is carefully planned out to include local delicacies made with fresh produce.

As the evening sets upon the camp, a group of local men dressed in white dhoti kurta and coloured pagris gathers to showcase the traditional music and dance. Interestingly, the troupe does not include a single woman. The programme opens with an invocation to the local goddess and largely comprises folk songs dedicated to the deities. There is something very rustic and moving about the music and it gradually moves to upbeat, enough to lift weary spirits and break into a dance.

The temple bells offering the evening prayers and the beats of the drums invoking the local goddess complete the surreal experience of the trip. We are done with the daily —or should I say infinite —dose of mysterious spaces. Now is the time to put my feet up and call it a day.

Surrounded by fields, Abhaneri Village Safari Camp offers 28 well-furnished air-conditioned tents, equipped with modern day luxuries including a permanent bath space with fitted amenities, for weary travellers