Bhangarh

The cenotaph near the fort entrance

The ruined town of Bhangarh lies in the Alwar district at the edge of the Sariska Tiger Reserve and is famous for its excavations. The place is beautiful – surrounded by tall mountains on 3 sides. The ruins help you get a glimpse of the grandeur of the bygone era. It is said to be a haunted place and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has put up a signboard by the main gate stating "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited." The reason for this may be that there can be wild animals and it could be unsafe because there is no artificial lighting.

The doorway of the fort is guarded by the monkey god – Lord Hanuman. You enter and walk through the ruins of old settlements and various markets. The central avenue is dotted by banyan trees and temples of various gods. The most remarkable of these are the temples of Gopinath, Shiva (Someshwar), Mangla Devi and Keshava Rai. There are loads of langur found here who are lovingly fed by the locals. Further ahead a walkway leads to the palace which was said to be the main dwelling places of the kings. Other more or less preserved buildings are shops, several havelis and a mosque. The palace was protected by two inner fortifications across the valley.

Bhangarh was established in 1573  during the rule of Raja Bhagwant Das as the residence of his second son Madho Singh. The next ruler of Bhangarh was his son Chhatr Singh. Bhangarh slowly declined after Chhatr Singh's death in 1630.

Legends record that Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, causing the towns evacuation. Other myth was that a wicked magician was in love with the princess Ratnavati of Bhangarh, who was never allowed to see her. He tried to hypnotize the princess by the scented oil. The plan failed as the pricess had seen him doing so and she threw away the oil. It touched a stone which rolled towards the magician killing him. While dying he cursed the palace with death of all who dwelt here and in the next battle the same happened.