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Kuldhara is an abandoned village in the
Jaisalmer district Jaisalmer district is the largest district in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and the third largest district in India. Located in Marwar (Jodhpur Division), the city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is around ...
of
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
, India. Established around the 13th century, it was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s. 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 The Kingdom of Jaisalmer was a kingdom of Bhati Rajputs in the far-western part of present-day Rajasthan, India, from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. In 1156 CE, Rawal Jaisal moved his capital from Lodhruva to Jaisalmer because the fo ...
's minister Salim Singh. Over the years, Kuldhara has acquired a reputation as a haunted site, and the
Government of Rajasthan The Government of Rajasthan is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Rajasthan and its districts of Rajasthan, 41 districts. It consists of an executive branch, led by the governor of Rajasthan, as well as judiciary and legis ...
decided to develop it as a tourist spot in the 2010s.


Geography

The former village site is located about 18 km south-west of the
Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed ''The Golden city'', is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur, in the heart of the Thar Desert. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer district ...
city. The village was located behind murari house and colline house an 861 m x 261 m rectangular site aligned in the north-south direction. The township was centred around a temple of the
mother goddess A mother goddess is a major goddess characterized as a mother or progenitor, either as an embodiment of motherhood and fertility or fulfilling the cosmological role of a creator- and/or destroyer-figure, typically associated the Earth, sky, ...
. It had three longitudinal roads, which were cut through by a number of latitudinal narrow lanes. The remains of a city wall can be seen on the north and the south sides of the site. The eastern side of the town faces the dry-river bed of the small Kakni river. The western side was protected by the back-walls of man-made structures.


Establishment

The Kuldhara village was originally settled by
Brahmins Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
who had migrated from
Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
to Jaisalmer region. These migrants originating from Pali were called Paliwals. ''Tawarikh-i-Jaisalmer'', an 1899 history book written by Lakshmi Chand, states that a Paliwal Brahmin named Kadhan was the first person to settle in the Kuldhara village. He excavated a pond called Udhansar in the village. The ruins of the village include 3 cremation grounds, with several ''devali''s (memorial stones or
cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
s). The village was settled by the early 13th century, as indicated by two ''devali'' inscriptions. These inscriptions are dated in the Bhattik Samvat (a
calendar era A calendar era is the period of time elapsed since one '' epoch'' of a calendar and, if it exists, before the next one. For example, the current year is numbered in the Gregorian calendar, which numbers its years in the Western Christian era ...
starting in 623 CE), and record the deaths of two residents in 1235 CE and 1238 CE respectively.


Demographics


Population

Ruins of 410 buildings can be seen in the former village. Another 200 buildings were located in the lower township on the outskirts of the village. Lakshmi Chand's ''Tawarikh-i-Jaisalmer'' (1899) provides statistics about Paliwal population and households of several villages. Using the figure of 3.97 persons per household based on these statistics, and considering the number of ruined houses as 400, S. A. N. Rezavi estimated the 17th-18th century population of Kuldhara as 1,588. The British officer
James Tod Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod (20 March 1782 – 18 November 1835) was an officer of the British East India Company and an Orientalism, Oriental scholar. He combined his official role and his amateur interests to create a series of works ...
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.


Social Groups

There are several other ''devali'' inscriptions at the site. These inscriptions do not mention the term "Paliwal"; they only describe the inhabitants as Brahmin ("Vrahman" or "Vaman"). Several inscriptions mention the caste of the residents as "Kuldhar" or "Kaldhar". It appears that Kuldhara was a caste group among Paliwal Brahmins, and the village was named after this caste. Some inscriptions also mention the '' jati'' (sub-caste) and ''
gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotr ...
'' (clan) of the residents. The various ''jati''s mentioned in the inscriptions include Harjal, Harjalu, Harjaluni, Mudgal, Jisutiya, Loharthi, Lahthi, Lakhar, Saharan, Jag, Kalsar, and Mahajalar. The ''gotra''s mentioned include Asamar, Sutdhana, Gargvi and Gago. One inscription also mentions the ''kula'' (family lineage) of a Brahmin as Gonali. Apart from the Paliwal Brahmins, the inscriptions also mention two '' sutradhars'' (architects) named Dhanmag and Sujo Gopalna. The inscriptions indicate that the Brahmin residents married within the Brahmin community, although the ''jati''s or sub-castes were exogamous.


Culture


Religion

The residents of the village were
Vaishnavite Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
s. The main temple of the village had sculptures of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
and
Mahishasura Mardini ''Mahishasura Mardini'' ( ; a name for Durga) is a 1959 Indian Kannada-language film, directed and produced by B. S. Ranga. The film stars Rajkumar, V. Nagayya, Udaykumar and Narasimharaju. It was dubbed in seven other languages and is retro ...
. Most of the inscriptions start with an invocation to
Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
, whose miniature sculptures also appear on the gateways. The villagers also worshiped
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
and a local horse-riding deity.


Fashion

If the idols on the ''devali''s are considered as representatives of the contemporary fashion, it appears that the men of Kuldhara wore
Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...
-style turbans and jamas (tunic-like garment) with kamarband (a type of waist belt). They generally sported a beard, wore a necklace and carried a
khanjar A khanjar is a traditional dagger originating from the Sultanate of Oman, although it has since spread to the rest of the Middle East, South Asia and the Balkans. Worn by men for ceremonial occasions, it is a short curved blade shaped like t ...
(dagger). The women wore tunics or
lehenga The ''lehenga'', ''lehanga'' ''or लेहंगा'' (also known as a ghagra, chaniyo, Paro, ''paavada'', or ''lacha'') is a form of ankle-length skirt from the Indian subcontinent. Different patterns and styles of traditional embroidery are ...
s, and some of them wore necklaces.


Economy

The villagers were mostly agricultural traders, bankers and farmers. They used ornamented pottery made of fine clay. For agricultural purposes, the villagers used the water from the Kakni river and several wells. They also tapped the water using ''khareen'', an artificial depression dammed on three sides. When the water in the ''khareen'' evaporated, it left soil conducive for growing
jowar ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the grass genus ''Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain is used as food by humans, ...
,
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
and
gram The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined in 1795 as "the absolute Mass versus weight, weight of a volume ...
. A 2.5 km2. ''khareen'' was situated to the south of Kuldhara. The Kakni river branches into two streams near Kuldhara. The first branch is called "Masurdi nadi"; the second branch is now a drain. The Kakni river is a seasonal river. When it went dry, the villagers tapped groundwater using wells and a step-wells. A pillar inscription states that Tejpal, a Kuldhara Brahmin, commissioned the step-well in 1815 VS (1757 CE).


Decline

By the 19th century, the village had been deserted for unknown reasons. Possible causes proposed in the 20th century include lack of water and the atrocities of a Diwan (official) named Salim Singh (or Zalim Singh). By 1815, most of the wells in the village had dried up. By 1850, only the step-well and two other deep wells were functional. When S. A. N. Rezavi surveyed the village in the 1990s, the only water remaining at the site was the stagnant water at some portions of the dried-up river bed. The dwindling water supply would have greatly reduced agricultural productivity, without a corresponding reduction in tax demands from the
Jaisalmer State The Kingdom of Jaisalmer was a kingdom of Bhati Rajputs in the far-western part of present-day Rajasthan, India, from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. In 1156 CE, Rawal Jaisal moved his capital from Lodhruva to Jaisalmer because the fo ...
. This could have forced the Paliwals to abandon Kuldhara. A local legend claims that Salim Singh, the cruel minister of Jaisalmer, levied excessive taxes on the village, leading to its decline. As stated earlier, the historical records suggest that the population of the village declined gradually: its estimated population was around 1,588 during 17th-18th century; around 800 in 1815; and 37 in 1890. However, a variation of the legend claims that the village was abandoned overnight. According to this version, the lecherous minister Salim Singh was attracted to a beautiful girl from the village. He sent his guards to force the villagers to hand over the girl. The villagers asked the guards to return next morning, and abandoned the village overnight. Another version claims that 83 other villages in the area were also abandoned overnight. A 2017 study by A. B. Roy et al., published in ''
Current Science ''Current Science'' is an English-language peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It was established in 1932 and is published by the Current Science Association along with the Indian Academy of Sciences. According to the ''Journal Cit ...
'', suggests that Kuldhara and other neighbouring Paliwal villages (such as Khabha) were destroyed because of an earthquake. According to the authors, the ruined houses in these villages show evidence of earthquake-related destruction, such as "collapsed roofs, fallen joists, lintels and pillars". Such extensive destruction cannot be attributed to "the normal processes of weathering and erosion". The authors further state that their theory is supported by "the evidence of recent tectonic activities and the observed ground movements along several major faults in the region".


Tourism

The local legend claims that while deserting the village, the Paliwals imposed a curse that no one would be able to re-occupy the village. Those who tried to re-populate the village experienced paranormal activities, and therefore, the village remains uninhabited. Gradually, the village acquired reputation as a
haunted place This is a list of locations that are (or have been) said to be haunted by ghosts, demons, or other supernatural beings throughout the world. Reports of haunted locations are part of ghostlore, which is a form of folklore. Argentina * Cinco ...
, and started attracting tourists. The local residents around the area do not believe in the ghost stories, but propagate them in order to attract tourists. In the early 2010s,
Gaurav Tiwari Gaurav Tiwari (2 September 1984 – 7 July 2016) was an Indian paranormal investigator, UFO field investigator and ParaNexus representative in India who appeared on television shows such as MTV Girl's Night Out with Rannvijay Singh, ''Haunte ...
of Indian Paranormal Society claimed to have observed paranormal activities at the site. The 18-member team of the Society along with 12 other people spent a night at the village. They claimed to have encountered moving shadows, haunting voices, talking spirits, and other paranormal activities. In 2006, the government set up a "Jurassic Cactus Park" at the site for botanical studies. In 2011, some scenes of the movie '' Agent Vinod'' & In 2017 climax scenes of the Tamil Movie
Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru ''Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru'' () or simply ''Theeran'' is a 2017 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by H. Vinoth and produced by S. R. Prakashbabu and S. R. Prabhu under the banner Dream Warrior Pictu ...
were shot at the site. The film's crew raised new structures for their set. They painted the ruined walls with
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
insignia and
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
words for their shooting requirements. They also covered some of the walls with
cow dung Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow poop or cow manure, is the waste product (faeces) of bovine animal species. These species include domestic cattle ("cows"), bison ("buffalo"), yak, and water buffalo. Cow dung is the undigested residue of p ...
to get the rustic look. Many tourists accused them of defacing heritage property, and subsequently, the Rajasthan government stalled the shooting. The police booked cases against three of the crew members. The producers defended themselves blaming the episode on a misunderstanding, and stated that they believed they had the necessary permissions. The Archaeological department imposed a fine of 100,000 on the producers, and also asked them to deposit 300,000 for restoring the defaced structures. After three days of restoration, the Taliban pictures, the Urdu phrases and the cow dung were removed from the walls. In 2015, the Rajasthan government decided to actively develop the village as a tourist spot. The project is being undertaken as a public-private partnership with Jindal Steel Works. The plan includes establishment of visitor facilities such as a cafe, a lounge, a folk-dance performance area, night-stay cottages and shops.


In popular culture

In 2010, a Hindi language feature film was released titled Kaalo - The Desert Witch. The film was based on folktales of the village. The 2023
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
language
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
film '' The Eken: Ruddhaswas Rajasthan'' was shot in this village.


See also

* List of reportedly haunted locations in India *
Akal Wood Fossil Park Akal Wood Fossil Park is a National Geological Monument of India located in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. It is also a Biodiversity Heritage Site. It is 21 hectares in extent and is located in Akal village, 17–18 km southeast of Jais ...
*
Desert National Park Desert National Park is a national park in the Indian state of Rajasthan, near the towns of Jaisalmer and Barmer. It is one of the largest national parks, covering an area of in the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form around 44% of the park. The maj ...
* Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School at Kanoi * Sam sand dune safaris and resorts


References


Bibliography

* * {{cite journal , author=S. Ali Nadeem Rezavi , url=https://archive.org/stream/TheMedievalSiteOfKuldharaInJaisalmer/KuldharaSocEconImplications#page/n0/mode/2up , title=Kuldhara in Jaisalmer State — Social and Economic Implications of the remains of Medieval Settlement , journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 56th Session , year=1995 , pages=312–338 Reportedly haunted locations in India Former populated places in India Villages in Jaisalmer district Medieval Indian cities