3 Haunted Forts of Jaipur for an Unconventional Travel Experience

The royal ambience, untouched natural beauty, regal cuisines and the numerous places to visit in Jaipur makes it the most loved destination in India. This epitome of vibrancy was established in the year 1727. Its authentic handicrafts and antique jewelry are world famous. These reasons have made planning a weekend getaway to Jaipur from neighboring cities a trendy affair. The captivating attractions of this city include forts, palaces, markets and festivals. The forts are known to depict a variety of architecture, views and some spooky stories. Here are the three haunted forts of Jaipur and stories behind them:

1. Nahargarh Fort

Offering an uninterrupted view of Jaipur, Nahargarh Fort stands on the verge of Aravali hills and is counted among the best forts in Jaipur. Originally called Sudarshangarh, this fort was built by Sawai Raja Man Singh for his queens in 1734. Many disturbances during the construction brought into the conclusion that the place was haunted by a spirit. After introspection, it was found out that the spirit was of Nahar Singh Bhomia, the former Rathore Prince. In order to calm the spirit, the king ordered to build a small fortress inside dedicated to Nahar Singh.

2. Bhangarh Fort

Not only of Jaipur, but Bhangarh Fort is surprisingly the most haunted fort in India. The story revolving around this place goes as follows: A magician, known as tantric in Hindi, was in love with princess Ratnavati, daughter of King Chatr Singh. The tales surrounding her beauty became the talk of the town and the tantric knew that he didn’t stand a chance in front of her. Being a follower of black magic, he decided to cast a spell on her by gifting a perfume with the aim of making her fall in love with him. When Ranavati came to know about this, she poured it away over a massive stone, which then caused to the death of tantrik. Before dying, he cursed the entire area surrounding the Bhangarh Fort that no one will be able to live in peace here. Till date, the Archaeological Survey of India has cautioned the visitors not to explore the fort before sunrise and after sunset as lots of paranormal activities have been experienced here. 

3. Jal Mahal

Known as the jewel of water and built in 1734, Jal Mahal is surely among one of the places to visit in Jaipur. Beautifully resting in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, the architecture was carved showcasing the Indian culture. The 4 floors of this 300 year old fort are hidden under the water and 5^th floor is the only visible part of this architectural marvel. Surrounded by Aravali hills, it is also one of the best forts in Jaipur. The palace was known to be covered by water after the King of Amer constructed a dam to prevent the possibility of flood surrounding the hills. After that the building was abandoned, the stories of loud screams from inside the Mahal prohibited people from visiting it after sunset.