Rajasthan displays a picture of mystifying desert kingdom with many glorious forts, palaces and villages. Apart from this, Rajasthan has a marvelous history, culture, and legacy. This state has many renowned tourist places. But one more thing can be added to Rajasthan; its various abandoned and haunted places, palaces and villages. One such place worth mentioning is the village of Kuldhara. This village is located 18 km (approx) west of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Kuldhara was the name of the largest village in this community consisting of 84 villages. The village was established in 1291 by the Paliwal Brahmins and was a rather prosperous community due to their ability to grow bumper crops in the rather arid desert.
Paliwal bhramins were a very prosperous clan and were known for their business acumen and agricultural knowledge. But one night in 1825 all the people in Kuldhara and nearby 83 villages vanished in dark. Why did the villagers decide to leave their settlement after having lived there for more that 7 centuries. The evil dewan or the minister in the ruling kingdom saw the young daughter of the village chief. He wanted to marry her and forced the village chief for marrying his daughter. He gave them a deadline for the marriage after which he would forcefully enter the village and take their daughter. All the chiefs of 84 villages met one night and for pride and honor decided to leave the villages in the dark of the night. Many stories floated around.
Some say the “chudails” or ghosts walked around in the night, haunting the place. Others say that no body lived here anymore as mysterious deaths have occurred. The silence was not comforting . And then the voice of the old man floated in the air .“No one knew anything about them, some say they came from Pali in Jodhpur, some say they went back to Pali but only their souls now rest in Kuldhara .”
This place is a protected monument and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
