The Land of Royals and Kings and Palaces has no dearth of exciting stories. Some of them are well-known and familiar and some are still hidden under some century-old sandstone Forts or under the mighty sand dunes of Thar. One of those unmistakable fairy tales and yet as real as it gets spreads over the ‘mysterious’ village called ‘Kuldhara’ in Rajasthan. Just 18km from the famous Golden fort of Jaisalmer Kuldhara bears the legacy of a strange and mysterious past.
From a distance, one can not differentiate this lonely village, in the middle of nowhere, from any other villages in the heart of the desert kingdom. However, one step inside and you would most certainly feel an eerie silence, unlike the peace and tranquility of those little villages of western Rajasthan.
There are a number of tales around Kuldhara. It was formerly a thriving village in North-Western India, but for various reasons, it was abandoned suddenly. Its history dates back to the 13th century. You can see the effects of time on the ground as you stroll among the village’s ruins in Kuldhara.
It was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins. The villagers were mostly agricultural traders, bankers and farmers. And would use ornamented pottery made of fine clay. It was abandoned by the early 19th century for unknown reasons. Possibly because of dwindling water supply, an earthquake, or as a local legend claims. Because of the atrocities by the Jaisalmer State’s minister Salim Singh.
Yet, the location’s legend is not supported by any supernatural events; instead, a cloak of melancholy hangs in the air. describing the terrible history of its residents, who were compelled to flee their homes under cover of night. According to local lore, the Paliwals cursed the village as they left it, making it impossible for anyone to take it back. In 1815 the population of Kuldhara was recorded as 800 (in 200 households) by a British Officer. Based on information from “ the best-informed natives”. By this time, the Paliwals had already started deserting the village. By 1890, the population of the village had declined to 37 people; the number of houses was recorded as 117.
However, the village is still desolate. The village has been the subject of numerous ghost stories. Kuldhara has a reputation as a spooky place throughout time. In the 2010s, the Rajasthani government made the decision to turn it into a tourism destination.
The Rajasthan Government declared it a tourist destination in the early 2010s and since then there have been a number of productive steps taken to bring Kuldhara back into the tourist maps for all the right reasons.
Kuldhara Village is currently a historic site. The ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) looks after this village. The community has undergone numerous renovations during the past few years. An old, small temple located in the middle of a row of homes has recently undergone renovations to a large extent. A lovely set of stairs lead to the temple premises. Little recesses that originally housed miniature lamps can still be seen in its walls. The community, shrouded in mystery and mythology, is in ruins, with nothing but different open buildings and a desolate landscape devoid of any traces of human habitation or activity. You feel as though time has stood still for the last 200 years, as you approach the grounds of this historic settlement.
NOTES FOR YOU :
The village gates remain open every day of the week from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Because the place is known to be haunted, the locals close the gates after sunset. The entry fee for Kuldhara Village is INR 10 per person and INR 50 if you are going in by car.
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