Kuldhara: A Ghost Village
- Aditya
- Nov 4, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 6, 2022
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
-William Shakespeare
Kuldhara. A ghost village in Rajasthan abandoned 200 years ago. A tourist spot by day and desolation by night. The entire place has the ruins of multiple houses, the temple, and three cremation grounds. The houses are all roof-less piles of bricks with vegetation growing among them, with only a few buildings standing. It is situated 18 kilometers away from the city of Jaisalmer. There have been several occurrences in which eerie sounds, footsteps, etc. have been heard inside the village premises. Many contractors, who tried to build new roofs for the houses, always found that the roofs have collapsed and also claim to have experienced paranormal activities. Even the Paranormal Society of India named it a haunted place. But others disregard the fact that the place is haunted.
This prosperous village once belonged to the Paliwal Brahmins. They escaped from their homeland when the Delhi Sultanate started to massacre them and drive them out. Soon, the Paliwals reached the outskirts of Jaisalmer. Each Paliwal Brahmin was given bricks and gold mohurs (gold coins) – the former to build a house and the latter to start a business or own a farm. The first one to come into Kuldhara was a Paliwal Brahmin named Kadhan. The Paliwals were well-known, but they were oppressed by the rulers of Jaisalmer. For generations, they prospered. Arabs, Afghans, and other travelers passed through the village. Hence, this increased the wealth of the village, and trade improved.
After Vasco da Gama entered India, the Portuguese conquered the trade routes in the Indian Ocean, and trade began overseas. This reduced the travel of Afghan and Arab traders into India by land, due to which the village lost its former glory.
The Paliwal Brahmins were Vaishnavites (devotees of Vishnu). They were pure vegetarians. They built temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Durga. They also worshiped bull and a local deity who rode a horse. The men in the village used to wear turbans, paijamas (a type of lower garment), cloth belts, and carried daggers. On the other hand, the women wore lehengas (dress for women), necklaces, and tunics. The villagers consisted of farmers, agricultural traders, and bankers.
The Legend
The legend of the abandonment starts in the early 19th century (c.1825). There was a powerful diwan (prime minister) named Salim Singh. He was a cruel man and was even able to control the juvenile raja of the state. He was known to tax people at high rates and also abuse them, but he belonged to a lower caste. According to various sources, Salim Singh once went to Kuldhara. When he was sitting inside the temple, he spotted a beautiful young girl sitting alongside her father, the chief of the village, praying with him. After they finished their prayers, the diwan approached the father and daughter pair. He asked whether he could marry his daughter. The chief was outraged. He humiliated at the diwan and rejected his proposal. He said that he couldn’t hand over his daughter to the diwan because he belonged to a lower caste, and was not fit to marry a Brahmin's daughter. Salim Singh was upset. He grabbed the girl’s hand and tried to abduct her, only to be stopped by the chief. He said, ‘Salim Singh, you cannot take my daughter! You are not a Rajput! Hence, you cannot marry her.’
However, as Salim Singh was more powerful, he warned them, ‘When your daughter is fit for marrying, I will make her my wife! If you refuse, I will burden your and every surrounding Paliwal village with heavy taxes, and I will make sure that every villager starves to death!’ Enraged, the diwan rode back to Jaisalmer. The villagers, who heard the conversation, were terrified. The already suffering village was soon to perish if the girl was not married off to the diwan. The chief was worried as well. So, he decided to call a meeting of all the village elders of the Paliwal community from different villages.
Every Paliwal Brahmin village was situated a hundred kilometers away from Kuldhara. Since Kuldhara was the largest and most prosperous Paliwal settlement in the area, the elders from each village gathered to meet the Kuldhara chief. The chief explained the entire conversation with the diwan to the elders. The elders did not tremble on hearing the incident. Everybody knew that going to the raja with the problem would be stupidity as the diwan had more power in court than the king himself. Soon, a brilliant plan was carved. The elders decided to abandon their own respective villages and leave Jaisalmer within one night. They did so to protect the honour of the girl and the Paliwal community.
So, the inhabitants of Kuldhara and all the surrounding villages disappeared within one night. This is very confusing! Many legends say that the villagers disappeared into thin air. But, there is something which the Kuldhara villagers left behind – a curse against the diwan and also declared that no person can ever settle in their village. This led to beliefs that till today, the spirits of the ones who died in Kuldhara still roam in the village premises at night. Perhaps, because of the curse, the roofs of several houses collapsed when they were put up by contractors. Though many believe that the Paliwal Brahmins settled down in different parts of Rajasthan, the mystery behind the disappearance and the fate of the villagers still remains unknown to this day.
Other than the legend, it is also said that the village was abandoned due to an earthquake, which destroyed all the buildings and killed masses. The date of the earthquake is unknown, but geologists suggest that an earthquake of unknown magnitude occurred in the area. It was so fatal that it was impossible for any person to survive it, and those who did might have been gravely injured. After that, the people might have stopped living in the areas due to the deaths of people. Though there is no documented evidence, the theory is kept alive. It is certainly known that the Paliwal community does not celebrate Rakshabandhan, as the calamity occurred during this auspicious festival and they name it the 'Black Day'.
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