Bhangarh Fort is a historical fort located in Rajasthan, known for its eerie reputation as one of the most haunted places in India. Built in the 17th century, the fort has a rich history and architecture, but it is also surrounded by legends and myths of curses and ghostly apparitions. According to the legend, a sorcerer cursed the fort after he was killed by the princess he was in love with. The fort's haunted reputation has made it a popular tourist destination, but visitors are prohibited from entering the fort after sunset and before sunrise. Despite its spooky reputation, Bhangarh Fort remains an intriguing and fascinating historical site.
Preface
This one is for the journey to the unknown, unexplored with
no google maps, no roads and not even a touch of human beings. Yes, it is about
the journey to Bhangarh. Sometimes, journeys are adventurous than the
destination and this one is about that only.
With all the excitement to explore the horror territory we
penned down to Bhangarh, Rajasthan, for this time and trust me the journey was
also the same scary that we imagined for Bhangarh.
Planning the Journey
While searching for the ways to reach there we got to know
that the best way is to go there by roads only. Train connectivity is not too
good being in a very interior part of the country.
The Journey Itself
With a well chalked out plan, I searched for Bhangarh in
Google map, set it and off for the trip. We started our journey 6 in the
morning with a time line to reach there latest by 12 noon. The plan was perfect
as the distance from Delhi was only 255km and we are very comfortable to drive
this distance. The entire Rajasthan was surrounded with the Aravali Range and
give a mesmerizing view. I was so happy about it that my excitement got
uncontrollable. I even forgot that with interior part, comes some different
challenges as well.
It was a nice and quick ride till we reached Rewari. We
decided to take a quick break of 15-20 min. and then drive the rest of the
distance. After having our chai (tea) and biscuit we started from the dhaba.
From here, we must follow the google map intensely as now starts the interior
part of Rajasthan. The road condition is
not very good and there were very less road sign boards as well. In this
condition following the map is the best thing.
When you are on road journeys, you learn the most important
lessons of life. And when you are traveling to unknown/untouched locations,
then it gives you more opportunities and learning lessons. And Bhangarh took a
fair share of it.
Sweet and Sour Experience of the Trip
Once we crossed Rewari, the challenges begun. With no mobile
networks, no roads, and not even human beings we were now in the middle of
nowhere. Only a few villages and the distance between them are not marginal at
all.
Once you cross Beror the road conditions get worsen. There
is around 5 km stretch which does not have roads as well. It was only small
stones and dust – this is the road, that’s it!! This 5km took almost 2 long
hours to cross as speed is something that cannot be risked. Because there will
be no mechanic also if any breakdown needs to be addressed.
Road Maps Ahead
By now, we were completely baffled. No
human beings mean no food, no water, nothing. And remember we only had tea
because we planned to have our lunch at Bhangarh!!
After that stretch was crossed, by now I saw a small sign
board “Gola Kaa Baas”. We got a bit confused with this name as google map did
not show any name like this. However, I can see that the direction that we are
following by map was same as the sign board was. This saved our soul.
In this entire journey, you can see the magnificent view of
Aravali Range which definitely a food for a traveler’s soul. I always admired
the foot hills and this one took my heart away.
Once we reached Shahpura, now we can see some ruins of forts
along with the Aravali Range. Here onwards, we can see some tiny small villages
so few lives as well. By this time, we were completely hungry. But no dhabas
here (forget about any good restaurants). These are very small hamelets and after
crossing, the situation is again the same.
By this time, we can see “Gola Kaa Bass” a very prominent
road sign and we followed it blindly. Google map is, of course, showing the
same route, however, the name it is showing is Bhangarh.
A Sign of Relief
Finally, we reached our destination at around 3:30 in the
afternoon. At the entry gate, we got to know that the gates are open until 5pm
in the evening so we decided to visit the fort and then only find something to
eat.
Mesmerizing fort View
Inside the premises, at the entry gate, there is a Hanuman
temple. Locals mentioned that nobody is allowed to stay inside the fort at
night due to its horror stories. There are many stories famous and one of them
is the story of a tantrik, who cursed the king and his family and from then
onwards, everything here finished.
Bylanes of Johri Bazaar
After you cross the temple, there are few small temples, a
big ground and a market known a Jauhari Bazaar. As per the stories, this is the
place where the Tantrik saw the Princess whom he wanted to marry. And when the
princess rejected his proposal, he tried to kill her. And when that plan also
failed, he cursed the entire empire for destruction. And till now, life is not
possible here.
After crossing all these we reached the main Palace of the fort. It was in a completely ruined condition, with no maintenance and proper care. Though it’s almost finished, there is a lot to explore inside the Palace. The rooms of Princess Ratnawati was huge, a big Puja room and so on. We reached the top of the Palace and enjoyed the beauty of it.
By the time we came out of the fort, it was 5pm and we now
were so hungry that we started searching for some food. Luckily, we discovered
a small food joint, opened recently on the way back to “Gola Kaa Baas”. We
enjoyed some piping hot tea with Poha which was worth waiting.
No comments:
Post a Comment