Bhangarh Fort Alwar

The Bhangarh Fort is a seventeenth century stronghold worked in the Rajasthan territory of India. It was worked by Man Singh I for his more youthful child Madho Singh I. It was named by Madho Singh after his granddad Man Singh or Bhan Singh. The stronghold and its regions are all around safeguarded.
It is situated on the outskirt of the Sariska Reserve in the Aravali scope of slopes in Alwar area of Rajasthan. The closest town is Gola ka Baas. The stronghold is arranged at the foot of the slopes on slanting territory. The remains of the King's royal residence are situated on the lower incline of the slopes; trees encompass the lake territory and a characteristic stream falls into the lake inside the premises of the royal residence.

The fort and the town of Bhangarh are believed to be haunted since many centuries. There are several legends associated with the palace. According to one story, the town was cursed by a magician Guru Balu Nath who had sanctioned the construction of the town on one condition that the city will be destroyed the moment the shadow of the palaces touch him. In ignorance, Ajab Singh, son of Madho Singh, raised the height of the palace, causing the devastation of Bhangarh. Balu Nath is said to be buried there to this day in a small Samadhi. As per another story, a tantrik who fell in love with Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati, cursed that the whole area be destroyed.

Bhangarh Fort, now in ruins, is surrounded by a ruined wall. It has four gates namely Lahori Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Phulbari Gate and Delhi Gate. Inside the fort, there is a Dancer's Haveli and Jauhari Bazar. Natural springs, waterfalls, gardens, havelis, banyan trees and temples of Lord Someshwar, Gopinath, Mangala Devi and Keshava Rai can also be found in the fort. There is also a secluded chhatri, atop an elevated hill that overlooks the town and fort of Bhangarh.
The Archeological Survey of India has put up a board on the fort gate that it is prohibited for tourists to stay inside the fort area after sunset and before sunrise.

History of Bhangarh Fort
As the name suggests, Bhangarh fort is situated in Bhangarh village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. A quick check on the Bhangarh Travel Guide will give you the technical details about its latitude and longitude, weather, temperature and about the hotspots of the area. What it will fail to highlight is the presence of the Aravali hills that act as a guard to the Bhangarh fort. A lesser-known fact is that Bhangarh itself is a prehistoric site with several temples in Rajasthan havelis that are the crowns of Rajasthan royalty.
Being a prehistoric site, the town of Bhangarh is an archeological site and is under the protection of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and the same has a board placed at the borders of Bhangarh, stating that staying in the borders of the town before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited.

The Ghost Stories – Legend of the Fort
India is a land of mysticism and paranormal stories. At every turn, you come face to face with something ancient and mysterious. Bhangarh with its royalty, setting in Rajasthan and a prehistoric presence is no exception to this. While you can hear all about the roaming spirits of the restless or impure souls from the locals or from tourists who claim to have felt a presence, all these stories have their roots at two of the legends that surround the fort and its ruins.

The first legend is that within the fort walls lived a sadhu named Guru Balu Nath and his permission to build the fort was sought first by Man Singh I and that while the sadhu did give the king permission, he also laid a condition that under no circumstance should the fort create a shadow over his house and if that happens then the city will perish. The king swore on this but his descendants failed to keep the oath and as a result of the broken oath, the curse befell Bhangarh.

The second and more popular legend is that Princess Ratnavati who was a very beautiful woman caught the attention of Tantrik Singhia, a well-versed magician, who practiced dark arts. He tried to win her over but she kept refusing him. He then resorted to using magic on her by hiding a love potion in her perfume. But, the princess came to know of this and she poured the entire bottle over a huge boulder which crushed the tantric. Before breathing his last, the tantric placed a curse on the town which led to its destruction.