Ghost Towns in India

It is said, “Ghost towns are not merely empty houses; they carry the weight of forgotten lives“.

A ghost town refers to a town that was once thriving with life and activity but is now in a state of complete or partial decay. Such a town is abandoned by most or all of its residents due to a variety of reasons. Ghost towns can be found in every continent. In today’s time, there would be around 500 ghost towns all over the world. Out of these approximately 15 are listed in India. Here I will talk about the top 3 ghost towns in India; Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu, Lakhpat in Gujarat and Kuldhara in Rajasthan.

Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu is the most famous ghost town in India. It was washed away in a massive cyclone in 1964. After the cyclone it was declared unfit for living by the Madras government. Its name, which literally translates into ‘end of the bow’, talks of the legend of Ramayana. It is believed that Lord Ram used his bow (Dhanush) to break the stone bridge that he had constructed to reach Lanka from this place. You can spot the ruins of yesteryears here, including a church and the railway station’s water tank. When you take a walk across the beach, the whooshing wind sounds and vast stretches of white sand can present picturesque backgrounds for a montage of memories.

Lakhpat Village

Lakhpat Village in Gujarat on the west coast of India is a ghost town that was abandoned due to an earthquake in 1819. The earthquake made the Indus River change its course, no longer flowing through this town and bringing its downfall. With remnants of a massive fort, it is home to many intriguing stories of life and death. It has now been in decay for more than 200 years. You can spot vast expanses of uninhabited land here. The highlight of this remote location is the clear night sky, perfect for stargazing owing to the clean desert air.

Kuldhara

Lastly, Kuldhara is a ghost village about 17 kilometres west of Jaisalmer. Centuries ago, it was a wealthy town, but now it is an uninhabited village. The village was discovered in 1291 by the Paliwal Brahmins, and was an affluent community thanks to their ability to grow bumper crops. But one night, in 1825, all the people in Kuldhara and the nearby 83 villages vanished in darkness.

It is believed that Salim Singh, the evil prime minister of Jaisalmer, set his eyes upon the daughter of the village head and decided he would marry her, with or without her consent. He threatened the villagers with terrible consequences if they did not agree with his wishes. Rather than agree to his demands, the group of the villagers decided to leave their ancestral homes overnight. But before leaving they cursed Kuldhara so that no one would ever be able to settle there. True to the curse, the village remains abandoned and haunted even today.

Overall, Ghost towns may be haunted and scary yet always filled with the memories of the forgotten. Ready for adventure and thrill of a ghostly kind, these ghost towns can be the perfect destinations for you if you love to explore beyond the normal 🙂

Writer  : Sharanya Rawal

Grade   : 7 (Year 2024)

Place    : Gurugram, India