Khaba Fort, Jaisalmer (2024) - Images, Timings

Khaba Fort, Jaisalmer Overview

Khaba Fort in Jaisalmer is ruined citadel situated amidst the scorching heat of the Thar Desert. The history of this barren, eerie, and mystic village, dates back to the 13th century. The architecture once belonged to the Paliwal Brahmins of the Kuldhara village who fled the town in the 19th century leaving behind a ghost town. The stairs at the fort entrance lead to the focal point of the entire village and the surrounding countryside. You can also walk through the ramparts and the quiet streets of the fort to the mystical Kuldhara village that stretches from the base of the fort for a spooky experience.

The turreted towers, intricate latticeworks, and the beautiful windows add elegance to the structure. Its charm is enhanced by a muster of peacocks. It also houses a small museum with ancient artifacts and various kinds of rock fossils. The Shiva temple, mud huts are the other remnants of the place. The staircases that lead to the underground is home to 80 deserted sandstone abodes. Here is something uncanny- before anyone leaves the fort, its former residents cast a spell to prevent anyone from settling in the village ever again. Till date, the fort is nothing but ruins of what was left behind 200 years ago.

Etymology of Khaba Village

The hamlet of Khaba or the citadel was occupied by 80 families of Paliwal Brahmins from around 1291 AD. It is believed that one night in 1825, all of them deserted their houses to go and settle in Jodhpur, although this fact is unverified. There are several myths and stories as to why the village was deserted. The most prominent one goes to say that the King of the region wanted to marry a beautiful girl from this village. But the villagers were against it as they were Brahmins and the KIng was Kshatriya i.e. the Brahmins follow a strict religious protocol and are vegetarians whereas the king ate meat. So to avoid the wrath of the King for refusing to the proposal, all the villagers fled their houses. It is also believed that the Brahmins cursed the village before going and as a result till date, the place is in ruins and is has not been inhabited by anyone.

Structure of the Khaba Fort

The village was based around an ancient temple surrounded by a cluster of houses. All of these houses strangely enough, do not have a roof. The entire space is deserted, crumpled and in a dilapidated state giving it a look of an eerie horror site. There are ramparts and broken fortifications and lately an effort has been made for the restoration of the same. It is believed that the traders coming from the Silk Route stayed at the fort for the night and had to pay taxes, after which they were allowed inside the city.

Museum at Khaba Fort

Currently, the Khaba Fort houses a geological museum for all its visitors and tourists which has a vast and varied exhibit of fossils found in the region. There are also some rock formations and with each is a sign board displaying the information about the same.