Located 18 km away from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, Kuldhara village is known for its dark and haunted history.
The village was home to rich Paliwal Brahmins, originally called the Brahmins hailing from Pali, who later migrated to Jaisalmer.
But today, it is a deserted village that has turned into ruins and has left a mystery which to date remains unsolved.
About 200 years ago, Salim Singh, the former Prime Minister of the state wanted to marry the daughter of the Sarpanch (head) of the village. He then threatened the village with dangerous consequences if they did not comply to his wish.
The Paliwal community decided to leave their ancestral homes rather than fulfilling the minister’s demands. The whole cluster of 85 villages of Kuldhar with over 1500 population vacated the village overnight.
However, the sudden disappearance of the mass sparked mystery, as there were no traces of them leaving.
It is also believed that when the people of Kuldhara were leaving the village, they cursed the village to never get inhabited by anyone and would forever be deserted.
Since then, the village has remained barren. There's a prevailing notion that those who have tried to settle down there have been haunted by inexplicable, strange events.
Over the years, people began to refer it as the haunted spot. The government decided in 2015 to develop the area as a tourist attraction. However, people are not allowed to enter the village after 6 pm as locals in the area still believe that unseen spirits still haunt the place.