Welcome to my blog - A Date With the Past!
Ghost towns and villages hold a charm very different from the ruins of castles and fortresses, mostly because they give us a chance to peep right into the lives of the people who once inhabited them.
Situated around 18km South-West away from Jaisalmer, Kuldhara is an abandoned village since the early 19th century. Ghost towns and villages hold a charm very different from the ruins of castles and fortresses, mostly because they give us a chance to peep right into the lives of the people who once inhabited them. Today, we share another haunted tale of yet another place in Rajasthan. The abandoned Kuldhara village, where no one lives.
Yes, you read it right, no one lives in this village and ruins of houses, temples, etc still stand here reminding people of one fateful night almost 200 years ago when all the villagers fled Kuldhara.
Once a home to rich Paliwal Brahmins, the "haunted" village was abandoned by its inhabitants because of atrocities committed by a powerful minister of Jaisalmer, Salim Singh. In an era of powerful kings and ministers, about 200 years ago, Kuldhara was home to the Paliwal Brahmins. It was during this time that Salim Singh, the Diwan of Jaisalmer, known for his debauchery and unscrupulous tax-collecting methods, set his eyes on the beautiful daughter of the village chief. The Diwan was absolutely hell bent on having the girl and he told the villagers if they came in his way he would levy huge taxes on them.
Fearing the wrath of the Diwan, the residents of the entire village fled one dark night, leaving behind their homes and everything within them. Kuldhara was abandoned by its very own people. According to the folklore, the original inhabitants had cursed the village due to which it remained uninhabited. No one saw the thousand-odd members of the village leave. For generations now, no one knows where the Paliwals have resettled. All that is known is they cursed the town when they left – that no one would ever be able to settle down in Kuldhara again.
To this date, the village remains barren; left almost the same as its inhabitants had left it centuries ago. It is also said that people who have tried to stay there at night have been chased away by strange paranormal phenomenon.
Another, more plausible reason can be that Salim Singh raised the taxes to such an extent that it became unviable for the local community to survive in the village; and they thus decided to migrate to greener pastures. However, people love the former story; after all, who doesn’t want a tinge of romance and mystery in their tales!
To this day, the village remains abandoned and no one really spends a night here. A team from Delhi’s Paranormal Society once decided to find out if this place is indeed haunted and spent close to 12 hours in Kuldhara at night. With their gadgets and equipment, they did spot unusual activity in the village. Many of them felt someone tapping their shoulder when there was no one around. Some spirits even revealed their names and they saw shadowy figures and movements.
It has dilapidated houses. Amid the ruins stands a renovated temple. A few houses have also been renovated to give the visitors an idea of the structures there. There is no commercial activity around the area, which is located in the Thar desert.
Kuldhara, an archaeological site, is frequented by many tourists during the daytime, particularly during the tourist season.
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