The fort was built in 1613 CE by Raja Madho Singh I, younger brother of Man Singh I of Amber, on land granted by the ascetic Guru Balu Nath on one condition: no structure could cast a shadow on his hermitage. When a later Rajput noble raised a column that violated this condition, the saint cursed the city to permanent ruin.
The more popular legend centres on a tantrik sorcerer named Singhia who became obsessed with Princess Ratnavati. He enchanted a bottle of perfume with a love potion intended for her. The princess saw through the trick, hurled the bottle at a boulder — which rolled down and crushed Singhia. Dying, he cursed the entire settlement: no soul within it would attain peace or be reborn. Within a year, the fort was sacked in battle and the princess killed.
The Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains Bhangarh as a centrally protected monument, has posted official notices at the site prohibiting entry after sunset and before sunrise. This administrative acknowledgment is unique in India — no other ASI monument carries such a prohibition based on its supernatural reputation.
- [1]Bhangarh Fort. Wikipedia, citing ASI monument records and regional history.wiki