Some buildings are fortunate to stand to tell their centuries-old stories and versions of their past lives. They are often shaped by a legacy, prosperous times, and feelings of grace and grandeur. This 16th-century fort is not well known for those factors but for different kinds of heightened feelings and tales. Often considered one of the spookiest places in India, Bhangarh Fort in Alwar has found its relevance in this century for visitors local and foreign alike owing to the thrilling folklore, spooky atmosphere, and locals around. Stories aside, this place holds a reminiscence of a once great city and surroundings along with mansions, shops, and bazaars in a planned network of elements. The beautiful valley bordering the Sariska Tiger Reserve is bringing new life to the fort in the monsoon seasons which is believed to reflect the medieval city of Shahjahanabad (Singh, n.d.).
The folklore behind the Bhangarh Fort, Alwar has two sides to it explaining the reasons for its abandonment and haunting stories. The Fort was believed to have been built for Madho Singh by his father Raja Bhagwant Das in the 16th century (culturetrip, 2018). The folklore goes on to say that an ascetic who lived near where the Fort was planned to be built, has then stated no building in the vicinity would cast a shadow on his property. By building the Fort violating his likings, the ascetic has cursed the fort to its misfortune.
The other tale from locals involves a tantrik who falls in love with a princess called Ratnavati and tries to gain her love by casting a spell on a perfume. However, the princess, aware of the tantrik’s evil intentions, throws the perfume away. Fallen perfume hitting a boulder eventually crushes the tantric himself. As the tantric dies, he curses the Bhangarh Fort in Alwar where the local haunting stories come to life (Bhowal, 2022). Despite the folklore, the ruins themselves tell a story of once an engaging city, the history of rulers and families.
The Atmosphere
Locals still frequently visit temples within the fort which are in their best shape compared to other buildings such as Havelis, Chattaris, Markets, and Gateways.
The layout of the Fort is focused on the Palace at the far end of the main road and opposite the main gate (Bhowal, 2022). The whole fort area sits in a valley where the palace overlooks the rest of the structures and the fields beyond. One prominent characteristic all the structures in Bhangarh Fort have in common is the absence of roofs apart from the temples. Some structures are believed to be two-storied and tall stone walls with deteriorated steps are evidence of it. Stonewall arches can be seen in many structures which signify the last remaining architectural elements of the place.
It is believed that the fortification for the fort comprised of three layers and five gateways in the outermost fortification. The main royal palace, which is the grand building left amidst the ruins, is said to be 7 stories but survived by only 4 stories. The palace in its current condition still captures picturesque views of the fort and beyond as well as frames views inside through arches, passages, and gateways.
Preservation of Ruins
Being in North India the Bhangarh Fort Alwar follows the Nagara style of temple architecture (J, 2018) and comprises Alwar Quartzite (Kaur et al., 2021) as a building material. The decayed stone and mortar in faded buildings still hold majestic views in some places as a resistance to fading beauty.
The Archaeology Survey of India restored the main entrance gate, some parts of the Bazaar complex and fortifications in 2001 along with the Gopinath temple, and has developed the garden with lawns, shrubs, trees, and flower beds (Indian Archaeology 2000-2001 – A Review, 2006). Apart from the palace that stands tall, temples and ruined streets, gateways and buildings sit in a greenish valley.
The Tale to Follow
Bhangarh Fort in Alwar has seen some decent restoration and maintenance in recent decades. The place is mainly kept alive today by the locals with their stories, and tourist-related activities since it helps the community to thrive as well. Being close to New Delhi and its notoriety in the name also attracts people frequently. However, there is so much potential for restoration and bringing more life into the place. Making the place suited for tourists with public amenities, strengthening the local community participation, and most importantly restoration of some prominent structures in its past glory would bring back depth to this historic place amidst the folklore.
With its lush background, in the monsoon season, the fort looks in a new form. A visit to Bhangarh Fort Alwar is a must if you love to walk among stone ruins in a picturesque environment with a bit of spice of spookiness. And the palace will be waiting to give you an unforgettable view of the valley while the journey to the palace will have its vistas.
References:
Bhowal, T. (2022). Desperately Searching for a Ghost in ‘India’s Most Haunted’ Bhangarh Fort. [online] India Today. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/travel/story/desperately-searching-for-a-ghost-in-india-s-most-haunted-bhangarh-fort-1989263-2022-08-18 [Accessed 22 Dec. 2023].
culturetrip (2018). The Story of Bhangarh Fort Indias Most… [online] Culture Trip. Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/the-story-of-bhangarh-fort-indias-most-notorious-haunted-site.
Indian Archaeology 2000-2001 – A Review. (2006). [online] Janpath, New Delhi: The Director General Archaeology Survey of India, pp.260–261, 325. Available at: https://asi.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Indian-Archaeology-2000-2001-A-Review.pdf.
J, M. (2018). A tour of Bhangarh fort in India and its temples built in Nagara style architecture. [online] PolkaJunction. Available at: https://polkajunction.com/nagara-style-of-architecture-temples-bhangarh-fort/ [Accessed 22 Dec. 2023].
Kaur, G., Agarwal, P., Garg, S., Kaur, P., Saini, J., Singh, A., Pandit, M., Acharya, K., Rooprai, V.S., Bhargava, O.N., Kumar, M. and Ahuja, A. (2021). The Alwar Quartzite Built Architectural Heritage of North India: a Case for Global Heritage Stone Resource Designation. Geoheritage, 13(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-021-00574-8.
Singh, A. (n.d.). Bhangarh Fort Haunted Stories – Most Haunted Fort in India. [online] www.holidify.com. Available at: https://www.holidify.com/pages/bhangarh-fort-most-haunted-place-in-india-1322.html [Accessed 22 Dec. 2023].
