Road to Kuldhara

By Amandeep Kaur

It was 2015’s pleasant summer; I and my husband were few months old couple on a small vacation to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The spectacular Sam desert, camel safari, it is not easy to forget, how effervescent and free me and my husband felt during that time there. On one starry evening, my husband, a romantic, surprised me with a beautiful dinner date at one of the leading Hotels. The mesmerising folk dance, ambience, local delicacies and each other’s company was everything we could ask for. It was magical summer evening, perfection of thought in magnificent Jaisalmer, until a foreign tourist couple sitting next to our table just stormed out of the place in distress without having anything. It was very awkward. We enquired the waiter if the couple were feeling alright, as hesitant he was he said, “KULDHARA”, before he could say anything more the manager pulled him away, apologised to us and said,” Please enjoy your evening, sorry for the inconvenience”.

This whole incident left us puzzled. We couldn’t help but curiosity took us over. That whole night we surfed internet about Kuldhara also known as ghost village of Jaisalmer. The village was abandoned by its inhabitant overnight over a curse. There were plenty of stories about the haunting of this village after sunset. We both wondered and started correlating - Did that foreign couple at hotel visited Kuldhara? Did they experience something supernatural? Is Kuldhara and stories related to it real? Lot of thoughts were coming to mind I felt little negative. I was sure about one thing, I have no desire to explore this place and I do not want to ruin my vacation. On the other hand, my husband had some other plan.

Next day, we woke up fresh. We decided to explore the local market. I insisted my husband to take me to the golden desert once again before we leave .I wanted to experience the spell bounding sunset. He agreed and we left. It was a very enjoyable day, we shopped, went back to our room took rest and again we were ready for Sam Sand Dunes. Amidst that golden barren land, the local people adorned in their traditional colourful outfit was a delight to watch. The spectacular landscape, the drive in itself was an enthralling experience. On the way we saw the road distance sign board which said Sam Sand Dunes 34km, but what caught our attention was “Kuldhara“written under it. We didn’t read its direction or distance, but for those few seconds till we drove past it, our eyes were just stuck on that name Kuldhara. There was this awkward silence between us for a while. I looked at my husband and somewhere somehow I knew what he was thinking.

We sat in the dunes barefooted holding each other’s hand, witnessing the ethereal beauty of sunset. We had tea and some snack at the local tea stall nearby, it was getting dark, everyone was in hurry to return and so was the tea stall vendor. They all had to walk their home back. We sat inside the car, and my husband said something which I never wanted to hear. He said, “Let’s explore Kuldhara”. I was not ready for this, I expressed my displeasure on his thoughts but whatever I said, knowing him, I knew he has made his mind and willingly or unwillingly I am part of this adventure.

It was getting darker and darker, the same drive which I enjoyed so much while coming had become quiet an unpleasant one. We could see no one. There was no street lights, no signal, it was like we were gypsies roaming directionless. I was angry at my husband; I just wanted to get back to the real world with people around. I was feeling uneasy, I just wanted to go back to my room, curl up in my bed and sleep. On other hand, my husband was amused with this escapade.

Suddenly we saw a man in traditional attire, white Dhoti Kurta, a colourful turban walking with the help of a long stick. My husband looked at me and said, “And you said no one is around!” I was in dilemma and just wanted to go back, I said,” No don’t stop the car! We are not asking anyone. Let’s just go back”. He looked at me and gave me a smirky smile and animatedly said, “Someone is scared!” The next thing I know is my husband drove past him a little and then stopped the car.

We waited for him to come near our car, my husband lowered the window shield on my side and said, “Uncleji! Uncleji!” he seems not at all interested in listening and walks past the window when my husband called out again, “Uncleji! Which way to Kuldhara?” for which he stopped immediately stood still for a couple of seconds and turned around.

He was a tall, dark and quiet fit old man with typical long Rajasthani moustache. He must be in his late 60s. But it was his eyes, red big eyes which caught my attention. He did not blink, staring straight through us. There was something about this man which was not right. When my husband repeated the question,”Uncleji ! Which way to Kuldhara?” .He bent down to the window and in Rajasthani accent said “Go straight for 20km, take right, 14km from there!”. I experienced anxiety and distressed listening to that husky voice. That awkwardness broke when I heard my husband say, “Thank you, Uncleji!” and lifted the window shields up. We drove for 5 min quietly and then my husband said,” That was intense”. I thought he was mocking me but when I looked at him I saw a similar expression of distress on his face as on mine. It was summer but for our surprise we were feeling cold. I asked my husband once again not to go the place and let’s return but he just kept on driving in silence.

It was an intense 20min drive, we located a road distance sign board which read ‘KULDHARA 14km, left.’ I told my husband, but that old man said to take right, it was when my husband pointed to towards right direction and said, “We go by the sign board”. There was no right, it was just bushes. We thought to ourselves, “May be the poor old man must have got confused with directions” And we took the left turn.

It was pitch dark, clear sky, moonless but stars all above twinkling in glory, the only source of light was car headlights. We were feeling colder now. We had driven for more than 14km but there was no sign of Kuldhara village, when we spotted another man. May be he was a shepherd, taking his heard of sheep back to their shelter.

My husband again stopped the car, he lowered the window on my side and said, “Bhaisahab! Bhaisahab!” He too seems to have ignored us and was making some sound, might be asking his sheep’s to stay closer, when my husband asked again,” Bhaisahab! Which way to Kuldhara?” He still showed no interest, my husband asked again, “Bhaisaab! Which way...” We were not ready for the happenings; we couldn’t believe what we saw. He suddenly turned, bent down, looked straight through us --our heart started pounding heavily, I felt cold shivers down my spines, I could see from the corner of my eye a dark blob, it was him, yes it was him. I turned a little to see that man, oh god! Those big red eyes which did not blink, it was him, it was that old man. I was falling short of breath, my husband on other hand by now was trying to start the car but was unable too, we were panicking and just wanted to flee from there, we were cold yet sweating heavily. My husband tried to pulled the window shield up, I was on verge of screaming and was asking my husband to hurry, when that old man, put his creepy hand with black nails on our window, looked straight through us in anger, tilted his head, it was as if everything has stopped. It was unreal. In his Rajasthani accent with that husky voice, he said “I told you to take a right!!!!!!!!!!” and vanished.

By Amandeep Kaur