The village of Kuldhara is a ghost village that has been abandoned since 1800s. It is said to carry a curse of the villagers who migrated to other places. Kuldhara lies about 15 Km west of Jaisalmer in western Rajasthan(India).No one lives in Kuldhara, as well as its adjoining 85 villages, as these are believed to be cursed. The village now lies in ruins.
The village was established in 1291 by the Paliwal Brahmins, who were a very prosperous clan and were known for their business acumen and agricultural knowledge[They knew the technique of cultivating water intensive crops like wheat on a desert. They were well settled in those villages]. But, the question remains, why did they abandon their homes and that too overnight?. One night on the day of rakshabandhan in 1825 all the people in Kuldhara and nearby 83 villages vanished in dark(that is why some of the Paliwal Brahmins do not celebrate this festival).
According to folklore, Salim Singh, the minister of the state, once visiting this village fell for the beautiful daughter of chieftain (Paliwal Brahmin) and wanted to marry her. The minister threatened the villagers that if they did not marry the girl to him, he would levy huge taxes. The chief of the village with those of other 83 adjoining villages decided to abandon and migrate elsewhere as against marrying the girl to Salim Singh. Nobody saw them leave nor did anyone figure where they went, they simply vanished.
The first look of the village is very haunting and sad with ruins all over. On reaching this village, you will be welcomed by a sand stone gate built just before the village was abandoned. Once in the village Kuldhara, you will feel as if you have stepped into an entirely different world. Wide dusty roads and sand stone houses on either side of roads depict the architectural marvel of the Paliwal Brahmins. Few houses have been restored and these restored houses display courtyards, kitchen, along with other rooms. The Kuldhara village also has temples.
Once a prospered village, Kuldhara has now turned into a place full of ruins all over.
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