It was one of my most awaited destinations in Jaisalmer. The haunted village of Kuldhara intrigued me with its strange story – one where a hustling town was reduced to rubble, where walls still shared their stories & restless souls wandered in the abandoned streets. A medley of emotions hit me as I took my first step into this ghost town. These are best described as below:
Eerie Silence through the rumbles,
Shivers through your spine as you explore the crumbles,
They say it existed, it isn’t a story,
There used to be a village in its times of glory.
From the first time that I had heard of this village in Jaisalmer, I was gripped. It was an unsolved mystery that I needed to see for myself. Kuldhara always left me with a lot of questions.
Why was it abandoned?
What was the real story?
What is still there?
Is it really haunted?
The hope of finding answers to these made this village an uncompromisable destination for me. I am pretty sure that once I share my experience, it will add itself to your list of things to do in Jaisalmer. It is bound to bring out the Indiana Jones in you!
Wondering what else you can do in Jaisalmer? Read through this post that showcases the best places to visit in Jaisalmer.
Story of Kuldhara Village
The story of Kuldhara starts with the settlement of Paliwal Brahmins. They are a tribe that flourished in trade and were well settled here over several generations. Salim Singh, one of the ministers here, had an eye on the beautiful daughter of the village chieftain. He gave the entire village an ultimatum that either they hand-over the girl to him or be ready to face the consequences of not acquiescing to his demands.
The village elders asked for a few days to come to a decision. Instead of handing over the girl, the chiefs packed their belongings and vanished from the village overnight. The entire settlement consisting of over 83 villages disappeared – and no one knew where. While leaving they cast a curse on the village of Kuldhara that no one will ever be able to inhabit the place. Therein, starts the story of the ghost town.
Another version of this story available online is that Salim Singh increased the taxes on the village. He raised them to a point that the villagers could not take the load. They hence, abandoned Kuldhara overnight. Yet another rational reason states that the village faced a severe famine and thus, was left behind by the Paliwal Brahmins.
It wasn’t the 2nd and the 3rd explanation that held my interest. I could not get over the first one – it just seemed so mysterious . I wanted to know if there was any truth at all in that explanation. Did Salim Singh actually, ruin an entire village for a girl? And with that on my mind, I set off for Kuldhara.
Heading to Kuldhara Village
3 centuries later, I found myself heading 18 km away from Jaisalmer – towards Sam Desert. As I entered the gates of the Kuldhara Village, I could not help those little tingles of excitement and curiosity. Not many people visit this village, considering the eerie stories of the ghosts roaming around. The lack of people frankly, added to the mystique of the place.
As I walked along the roads, all I saw were ruins. Homes that had decayed and fallen, dusty roads and overgrown shrubs were pretty much the scenario. I ventured into a few of these- to figure out the layout. All the while I kept wondering, what would it have been like when the Paliwal Brahmins actually lived here. Where would the kitchen have been, who would have lived in this room, what would have been the view from these windows etc… the questions kept popping in my head – adding further mystery to this town.
Exploring a reconstructed home of Kuldhara
My travel companions and I reached a set of re-constructed homes. These were being re-created by the Rajasthan tourism is trying to emulate the homes before Kuldhara Village fell to its decline. You can venture into the re-constructed homes to get a feel of the layout and in my case, get a few answers to the questions that were running through my head.
This is where we met this little boy, who self-appointed himself as our guide. He insisted that since his parents are from thereabouts and he knew every little story, legend and nook and corner of this town. He re-affirmed the story of Kuldhara village after adding that the elders in the village did not go with the rest of the families owing to their age. They slowly died in the village, leaving behind the curse. According to him, the reason for their leaving was the story of Salim Singh falling for the village belle!
While he shared his version of the story, we explored the rest of the house – taking in the views from the terrace, the balconies and various rooms. He insisted that we go atop that building to see a small temple-like structure. This might have been a shrine but apparently was a feature of only the important homes.
Our little guide told us that the restoration team was trying to piece together the same designs that existed 300 years back. The typical Jharokha styled windows, the intricated carvings around the doors, the open kitchen and the multi-floored homes.
He also told us that in a hurry to leave, the villagers are said to have left behind quite a few of their belongings. When this abandoned village was discovered, the remains were pilfered and taken away by the local residents, leaving behind just rubble and ruins that one can still see on their visit.
Other Significant Ruins of Kuldhara Village
Walking away from the reconstructed house, I stumbled upon a few significant ruins that gave clues to the village of yester-years. Like this pavilion which was possibly the village shelter. Further down the twisted lanes, I came across a huge step well that lay abandoned . While there was no restriction on entering the same, somehow the state of disrepair told me to exercise caution and avoid being too adventurous.
Ahead of the step well, was a regular well – that has not been fenced. I tried taking a peek into the same to see how deep it was but honestly, my heart skipped a beat – for two reasons. One – there was no protection or a handrail to hold while I attempted peeking into the well and two – there did not seem to be an end or a bottom that was visible from where I tried standing. Adding on to the goosebumps, were the shivers of a desolate ghost town.
Amid the various wells around this area of Kuldhara, I found these artistic poles, erected in honor of the dead. In other words, these were cenotaphs of Kuldhara Village, possibly representing the village elders or headmen.
When it comes to cenotaphs, you got to see the Royal Cenotaphs of Jaisalmer. The Bada Bagh will thrill you with its beauty.
Below the beautiful carvings of the Hindu deities was a strange text that indicated the dates 1217 CE. After a bit of research, I realize that the text was in Devali, paying tribute to the person who died in that particular year.
There wasn’t anything more our little guide could point out to. It was as if the whispers of the crumbling walls had ceased. They say that they are even more active in the nights when the ghosts of the past roam around this abandoned village. There have been reports of inexplicable lights and sounds within the village.
I might have wanted to stay back to check that. Maybe then, I might have known –
What happened really?
Is there really a curse?
Where did the Paliwal Brahmins go?
What happened to the girl?
How did they escape without noticing – all 83 villages, disappearing overnight is a feat…
Or maybe not. I guess, I may never know the answer but it is precisely the reason why this place will always remain intriguing for me. I bid goodbye to my little guide with a small tip and set out feeling incomplete. I might return for another adventure here or maybe you can get me some of your ghostly stories by sharing your adventure in Kuldhara in the comments below. Or maybe, you might like an even more ghostly site –Bhangarh – one that I hope I can get to soon!
How to get to Kuldhara Village?
- Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, is the closest town to Kuldhara. It is 18 km away and the best approach to this is road.
- There are no buses that take you here. You need to hire a cab to reach here. Cabs are easily available in Jaisalmer for the same.
Where to stay?
- The best place to stay around Kuldhara is the main Jaisalmer city. There are plenty of hotels in Jaisalmer that can fit any kind of budget that you have.
- Another option is to head out for a desert stay in Sam Desert. You can stay in tents and enjoy an overnight in the cool dunes of Rajasthan.
Travel Tips:
- Kuldhara is often, covered by the Desert Safari operators as a part of your Desert Safari package. Make sure you check on the same.
- Like any other town in Rajasthan, the best time to visit Kuldhara or Jaisalmer is between October to February.
- A lot of my general tips on Rajasthan can be accessed here. A lot of these would hold true for your visit to Kuldhara.
- A visit to Kuldhara is permitted only during daylight owing to the rumours of a Ghost town. Hence, you can plan your visit in such a manner that you visit it on the way to the Sam Desert for this is just a small diversion on the same road.
- Sure it is a ghost town, but there isn’t anything spooky about it. So, stay chilled and calm. Remember not to venture out on your own, especially near the well as the entire area is desolate and there are no safety precautions or fencing around.
- The tickets to enter this town is available at the entrance. It is a minimum of INR 10 per person and INR 50 for a vehicle.
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Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug.
I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you don’t find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including Lonely Planet India and Jetwings.
Sri Kri
Lovely shots Ami.We had been to Jaisalmer but not to this place.Really missed this place.Thanks for taking us to the haunted place virtually.Really a place to be explored.The travel tips are really helpful.
You could also visit the link about Jaisalmer in the link given below.
http://www.srikri.com/2011/04/jaisalmer.html.
Cheers,
Sriram & Krithiga
Arun Prasadh
An interesting story. I have heard about this place before. I too heard the little girl version as the correct one. Nice pics.
Ami Bhat
Thanks Sriram and Kritiga….pity you missed out on Kuldhara. In fact a lot of people do miss out on it. Next time maybe….
Ami Bhat
Thanks Arun….it is indeed the story around the place that makes the place interesting.
Indrani
Such mystery!
I hope some truth comes out some day.
A beautiful place otherwise.
Steps Together
Very interesting post..
Mridula
Guess what? I have visited it at night too 😀 And it was doubly eerie!
VJ Sharma
Lovely post and beautiful photographs. Such places have different versions of stories but I love hearing these tails, especially if there is an interesting guide around 🙂
Dale Cody
Great story and photos Ami!! What a fascinating mystery. I've always been curious about ghost towns and even old abandoned buildings just sitting out in the world. I wonder about who lived there, what their lives were like and why they left. If only those buildings could talk…
Alok singhal
This is exactly the sort of place where I would like to go often. Historical sites, especially ruins, are my favorite.
I would have those questions too…maybe I will be there some day to experience these beautiful, yet spooky, sites again.
Ami Bhat
Yep, it is the mystery that makes the place really attractive
Ami Bhat
Thanks
Ami Bhat
Wow…lucky you, I was informed that the entry is barred after 6pm 🙁
Ami Bhat
Thanks VJ…it sure was fun, thanks to the tales by the little fella
Ami Bhat
Thanks Dale. Rightly said, if only the buildings could talk….
Ami Bhat
It sure is fun Alok, the mystery adds to the thrill of visiting these places.
Richa Singh
Ami I have obviously read about Kuldhara being a huge rajasthan enthusiastic but never before have I read such a well outlined post 🙂
Ami Bhat
Thank you so very much for this appreciation. Glad you found it interesting.
Saru Singhal
Whatever was the reason – taxes or girl, it definitely arouses my interest. I would love to go there and get a feel of it. Tourism should promote such places more rigorously.
Jatin Adlakha
Great pics and writeup Ami. We drove to Jaisalmer last year from Ahmedabad, and Kuldhara, definitely was one of the highlights.
Ami Bhat
Hey Thanks for dropping by Saru…I tend to agree…these kind of places really pique the interest of tourists and one must promote them aggressively
Ami Bhat
I am sure Jatin…the place and the mystery around it makes it a highlight alright.
shilpi3005
I had read about this village only last year and thought about visiting it. But did not get a chance to. You well written post made me visit it virtually 🙂
Ami Bhat
Thanks a ton Shilpi… am glad that at least you managed to see it in some way. 🙂
2 Travel Dads blog
This looks like a movie set, but much more interesting! You find the coolest places 🙂
Ami Bhat
Thank you Guys, I don't know if I find these places or they find me 🙂
nellivagabond
Well written! I read a lot of posts about Kuldhara but your story sums up everything. Thanks for the detailed yet chrisp information: )
Ami
Thank you. Glad you liked it.
2traveldads
I did a search for ghost towns and this came up! Which I love, but is so different than what we’re visiting in Colorado today. So cool and beautiful! I would love to visit Kuldhara.
Ami
🙂 Thanks Rob. Kuldhara is fascinating for the fact that no one has any answers 🙂 It is like a quest
Fly With Shaunak
Yeah I heard about this too. There was one Bollywood film shot in this town. The cover pic is very nice. Thanks for posting. Thinking of visiting this place, along with another ghost town called BHANGARH, also in Rajasthan.
Ami
I have heard of Bhangarh and wanted to visit the same in this trip. Unfortunately fell short of time. Keeping it for next time 🙂
Samarpita Sharma (@write_to_travel)
This is definitely eerie. My post is below yours on Travel Blogs Promotion and my post talks about Kuldhara too! Loved the post, what else can I say! 😀 Wish to explore Bhangarh as well but a friend went there recently and as it is in the daytime, there was nothing eerie 🙂
Ami
I would still want to do Bhangarh. Hope to do it some day. Kuldhara was a mystery and continues to be. Someday hope someone can solve it.
The Spirited Sloth
Wow, this really does look spooky! Your shots and descriptions make me all the more curious! I’ve been hearing of a few ghost towns that I’d love to visit and I might just add this one to the list. Thank you for a great post!
Ami
Ghost towns are full of mystery. They sure are interesting and am sure you will love this one.
Joe
I’ve been here! Agree that it’s a very evocative place to visit, with a very real sense of the eerie supernatural in its atmosphere. Thanks for providing the two separate accounts of why the village was abandoned – I think I prefer the first one. I’m a bit of a romantic at heart 😉
Ami
Me too…I like the first one better. But well, who knows what is the truth. Someday hope to know.
Sandy N Vyjay
Kuldhara is really fascinating. The stories behind that town is really what makes it worth visiting.Rajasthan has so many haunted towns with different stories. The ruins in this one have an aura of their own.
Ami
Indeed and the tale behind it is even more mysterious. Thanks for stopping by.
Rashmi and Chalukya
Agree these stories of haunted villages sounds so fascinating. We had been to Kuldhara some 3 years back when these structures were still under construction. 83 families disappearing overnight is really huge we really wonder where and how it must have been for them to resettle somewhere else without the knowledge of the king!
Ami
It really puzzles me everytime i think of it…how they disappeared. I guess some questions are never answered 😀
Adam Biernat
Kuldhara is such a magical place! I’m fascinated by this magnificent architecture and I hope to see it this year. Very helpful and really informative post 🙂
Ami
I hope you get to it soon. Kuldhara is eerie but lovely.
Soumya Nambiar
In most old stories, pretty girls are the reason for everything. I pity the pretty girls of yester years. I am also wondering now where the Paliwal Brahmins vanished too. I love all the photos and the well does look scary.
Ami
Thanks Soumya. Pretty girls back then did not have such a glam life as one would imagine. The more I visit these places, the more I realize that.
Marlene Marques
This is such a crazy place. Kind of makes us wonder how it was like when it was fully inhabited. Of course, when I read that there are ghost stories or paranormal activity, I have some doubts about a visit. But I guess going during the day, with the sun high, can help. 😉
Ami
Yep, and the eerie bits is all about the stories there. It is a weird but nice feeling.
Ana Ojha
What a fascinating place! Usually, I avoid going to doomed places or Ghost tours on my trips but I really liked the beautiful architecture of traditional Kuldhara’s balcony!
Ami
Doomed places for me make the best of travel stories. 🙂 Hope you get to Kuldhara. I am sure you will not be disappointed.
Neha Verma
Ghost towns are so intriguing. And on top of that, those India have such interesting stories besides them. The whole cluster of villages got abandoned to protect one girl!! I feel so much respect for the tribals. I will definitely visit this ghost town when I plan a trip to Jaisalmer
Ami
I think that is exactly what made me curious about this village. A mystery that still remains. Thanks for stopping by.
TravelPeppy
Love hearing stories behind the places. And this is a ghost story ;). But i really avoid visiting a ghost palace. Your pictures have beautifully captured the architecture of the building.
Ami
It is fine to get there in the morning. I definitely would recommend a visit here. It is fascinating.
Dane
I love the history behind this! Ancient stories of ultimatums and abandonment. Your photos are really beautiful as well!
Ami
Thank you Dane. I think these stories is what makes the place so attractive. Glad you liked the post.
travellingslacker
Although I visited Jaisalmer, I missed out on the nteriors of the desert. I have heard many stories about Kuldhara but I guess I will have to wat for the next winter. BTW Did you come accross any paranormal activty? 😛
Ami
None at all…though the whole atmosphere was just eerie…:)
Joanna
I wish I would have known about this place when I visited Jaisalmer. For some reason, Jaisalmer still remains one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to in India. I have spent a few days there and I would have loved to go to Kuldhara as well. I like legends and stories and I would have walked through the ruins and imagine the layout of the houses, same as you did.
Ami
Am sure you will enjoy this place. It throws more questions than answers. Thanks Joanna for stopping by.
Nerdventurists
This is so neat! I’ve always been fascinated by ghost towns. It’s especially great when there’s a story behind why it was abandoned. Thanks for sharing the backstory! Wonderful photos, as always!
Ami
Thanks guys. Kuldhara is a unique village and very interesting too.
Indrani
I didnot enter the village but have heard similar stories. Good that Rajasthan Tourism is doing its part to revive tourism there.
Ami
It was quite an experience. Maybe the next time you should.
AllGudThings
Lovely pictures. Whatever may be the reason for abandonment of this towns but it is quite fascinating for me. i want to explore this town. And good to know that Rajasthan Tourism is making efforts to revive this place. One more thing did you find any paranormal activity there?
Ami
Nope…no paranormal activity. But a lot of curiosity 🙂
nadine cathleen (@karateandcaviar)
Oh I love mysterious places like that! Really beautiful photos! Must be so spooky when it gets darker 🙂
Ami
I suppose it must be. Possibly that is why it is not allowed to enter here after 6
awaradiaries
Interesting story. Would love to visit the place for the curiosity. Is it possible to stay there overnight? Camping or something like that? Or its the government of Rajasthan who doesn’t allow it?
Ami
Nope, the place closes down by 6 pm and you are chased out 🙂 Makes you more curious right?
Ankita
I liked the article but leaving a village instead of handing over the girl seems too far fetched to me. Handing her over as a sacrifice to the village would have been easier and more popular given the patriarchal system in Rajasthan. Maybe the romanticism in the myth is made up.
Ami
Possibly but you cannot deny that it is quite a tale. And honestly, that is what I wanted to know…whether it was the truth or not!
rupam { xhobdo }
Wonderful place. Amazing pics.
Ami
Thank you Rupam
Parul Jain
Thank you Ami for sharing this. I visited this place last dec. I had a very different feeling when i visited this place. I was feeling very emotional and sad thinking about what the villagers had to go through during that time. It must have been very hard for them to leave their home land in one night. All i can sense is their grief. I think it’s a beautiful place and i felt so connected and totally empathise with them. All i wish is peace for these people now. Thank you!
Ami
Indeed, there is a rational explanation to their leaving and like you said, I did feel pretty sad about it. The curiosity of the tale surrounding the village is something that draws people here. I am not sure if we will ever find the truth.
Parul Jain
Btw there is third story that i have heard about Kuldhara. The reason behind abandoning this is severe drought that year and this could be the reason that till date that place in still abandon.
Ami
Indeed, like I said, there are three reasons in play. However, it was the first that drew me there.!
Sinjana Ghosh
I love to read about places with such mysterious appeal. The first folklo