In the heart of Rajasthan lies the abandoned village of Kuldhara, now shrouded in legend.
The rectangular site (861 x 261 metres) was organised around a temple dedicated to the mother goddess. Three main roads ran longitudinally, intersected by narrow alleys, while the remains of the city walls are still visible on the north and south sides. To the east flowed the small seasonal river Kakni, now dry, while to the west the village was protected by the walls of the houses themselves.
The origins: the Paliwal Brahmins
Kuldhara was founded in the 13th century by the Paliwal Brahmins, who migrated from Pali to Jaisalmer. According to the chronicler Lakshmi Chand (1899), the first to settle there was a certain Kadhan, who also dug one of the village’s main reservoirs.
The inhabitants, also known as “Kuldhar” or “Kaldhar”, formed a prosperous community, active in trade, agriculture and water management.
Life and culture
Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the population reached approximately 1,500 inhabitants, distributed across more than 400 dwellings. Excavations have unearthed temples, inscriptions, three cremation areas and numerous commemorative steles (devalis).
The predominant religion was Vaishnavism: the main temple housed statues of Vishnu and the goddess Mahishasura Mardini. The inscriptions show invocations to Ganesha, symbols of bulls and local deities.
The depictions on the memorials also provide a picture of the fashion of the time: men wore Mughal-style turbans, tunics (jamas) and belts, often with beards and daggers, while women wore tunics or lehengas with jewellery.
Economy and water management
The economy was based on agriculture, crafts and banking. The ingenuity of the Paliwals was particularly evident in their water management: they exploited the Kakni River, numerous wells and artificial reservoirs (khareen), capable of retaining soil moisture even after evaporation.
These systems allowed the cultivation of cereals such as jowar, wheat and chickpeas.
Gradual decline or sudden exodus?
Starting in the 19th century, the village was gradually abandoned. The reasons remain controversial:
• Famine and drought: the wells dried up and agricultural productivity collapsed.
• Political oppression: legend has it that the cruel minister of Jaisalmer, Salim Singh, imposed exorbitant taxes and attempted to kidnap a young woman from the village, forcing the inhabitants to flee in a single night.
• Seismic hypothesis: a 2017 study suggests that an earthquake may have destroyed the structures, causing the decline of the entire Paliwal community.
The curse of Kuldhara
Oral tradition has it that the inhabitants, as they fled, cast a curse: no one would ever be able to inhabit the village again.
Over the centuries, this legend has fuelled stories of paranormal phenomena: shadows, voices and presences. In the early 2010s, even the Indian Paranormal Society conducted night-time investigations, claiming to have recorded unexplained activity.
Kuldhara today: tourism and memory
Today, Kuldhara is one of the most visited sites in Rajasthan, presented as a “ghost village”. In recent years, the government has invested in developing the area as a tourist destination, with cafés, cultural spaces and folk performances.
Its ruins have been used as a film set for several Indian films, but there has been controversy when some productions have damaged the historical remains.
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Khaba Fort: guardian of the desert
A fort of the Paliwal Brahmins
Not far from Kuldhara stands the evocative Khaba Fort, also linked to the Paliwal Brahmin community. Built in the 14th century, it served as a frontier fort along the ancient Silk Road, controlling the passage of trade caravans.
Architecture and water engineering
The fort, now in ruins, was home to around 80 families. The roofless dwellings are still visible and bear witness to a well-planned settlement, with a temple and complex water systems.
Like Kuldhara, Khaba was also abandoned around the 19th century, probably due to drought and water shortages.
A place suspended in time
Today, Khaba Fort appears as a natural terrace overlooking the desert, dominating a vast expanse of ruins. The peacocks that still roam among the stones make the atmosphere even more surreal.
The fort, together with Kuldhara, is one of the most fascinating stops for those who love urbex tourism: a journey into the memory of a vanished people, amid myth, ingenuity and mystery.
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