Kuldhara Village

Kuldhara is an abandoned village in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India. Established around 13th century, it was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins. It was abandoned by the early 19th century for unknown reasons, possibly because of dwindling water supply, or as a local legend claims, because of persecution by the Jaisalmer State's minister Salim Singh. Another least explored place around Jaisalmer city that is located in the outskirts is the ruin of Kuldhara village that dates back to the 13th century. It was the largest village in the community that consisted of 84 villages but in the early 19th century all the people in Kuldhara and nearby 83 villages vanished in the dark. The reasons are still being undisclosed, but it is being said that the village was cursed and hence is considered as one of the haunted villages in India. Nonetheless… the place still retains some fine architectural works like temples and step wells that assures a planned settlement over 7centuries.

History of Kuldhara
Ghost towns and villages hold a charm very different from the ruins of castles and fortresses. Mostly because they give us a chance to peep right into the lives of the people who once inhabited them. Kuldhara is an abandoned village in the city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Established around the 13th century, it was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins. The villagers were mostly agricultural traders, bankers and farmers. And would use ornamented pottery made of fine clay. It was abandoned by the early 19th century for unknown reasons. Possibly because of dwindling water supply, an earthquake, or as a local legend claims. Because of the atrocities by the Jaisalmer State’s minister Salim Singh.

A British officer by the name James Tod recorded the 1815 population of Kuldhara as 800 (in 200 households). Based on information from “the best informed natives”. By this time, the Paliwals had already started deserting the village. By 1890, the population of the village had declined to 37 people; the number of houses was recorded as 117. Over years, Kuldhara acquired a reputation as a haunted site. And the Government of Rajasthan decided to develop it as a tourist spot in the 2010s.

Haunted 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 village 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.

How to Reach Kuldhara Village
Kuldhara Village is almost 18 kilometers away from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. So once you reach Jaisalmer you can easily take a taxi or take your own car. For reaching Jaisalmer from Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore, you can pick any of the following mode of transportation.

By Air
The Jaisalmer airport is located at a distance of 5 kilometers from the city and is well connected by air from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. This airport is managed by the Indian Air Force and is only functional from September to March. The best alternative is Jodhpur airport which is at a distance of almost 285 kilometers. The nearest International Airport is in Delhi.

By Train
Almost 2 kilometers away from the city is Jaisalmer’s railway station. It is well connected with Delhi and other major Indian cities including Mumbai and Bangalore.

By Road
Buses by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation run to and fro from Jaisalmer on daily basis. The main bus stands in Jaisalmer are Roadways and Golden Bus Terminals. Travellers can easily avail taxi services from here on.