Case file · Haunting
Kuldhara, the cursed village
An abandoned village near Jaisalmer whose Paliwal Brahmin families, legend says, left in one night and cursed it so no one could live there again.
1825 CE · 26.81, 70.80 · status: legend
The account
Kuldhara was founded around the 13th century and deserted by the early 19th. The popular story blames a tyrannical minister's demands. It is now a heritage site and a stop for ghost tours.
The sceptical view
Historians point to water shortage, earthquakes and heavy taxation as reasons villages in the area were left.