The Haunting Legend of Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal in Karol Bagh

At the Central Ridge in Delhi, you’ll find Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal, a haunted old hunting lodge said to be haunted. But who of the many people that have been connected to this Mahal is still lingering?

In the bustling neighborhood of Karol Bagh in Delhi lies a monument that carries with it a legend away from the busy market. Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal (भूली भटियारी का महल), a ruined fort palace in the dense forest with a haunting past.

The Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal has mostly been left on its own devices inside of the thick forest, falling into disrepair over time. Although some restorations have been done to it, it seems like it will never be able to shake its haunted past off it.

History and Legend of Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal

Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal, also known as Bhuli Bhatiyara Palace, was built during the Tughlaq dynasty in the 14th century by Emperor Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It is said this fort was built as a hunting lodge, most likely in 1354.

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After the Tughlaq dynasty The Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal was abandoned and became the place for a Sufi saint named Bu Ali Bakhtiyari. The name of the building is said to be a distorted version of the Sufi’s name, or even one of the female caretakers called Bu-Ali Bhatti. It is also said she was a tribal woman from Rajasthan that got lost and ended up here.

At the Central Ridge in Delhi, you’ll find Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal, a haunted old hunting lodge said to be haunted. But who of the many people that have been connected to this Mahal is still lingering? — **The Forgotten Castle:** Today The Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal is overgrown and mostly forgotten about by the world outside. No one is allowed near it after nightfall as it is said that is when the ghosts comes out to haunt the place. //Source: Mohammedqqasim/Wikimedia

The Queen Haunting the Grounds

Perhaps it is the woman called Bu Ali Bakhtiyari or the hermit Sufi that are today haunting the grounds. Perhaps it is something to the legend about the ancient queen haunting the place according to one of the legends that has grown from the place.

One of the enduring legends told about The Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Maha is about a queen that lived in the hunting lodge and died there around 600 years ago. She apparently liked the palace so much she made it her residence.

Another version of the legend tells a more sinister story. Once the king saw the queen in love with someone else and imprisoned the queen in the forest and palace where she ended her days. Some local residents say that the queen had committed suicide in this fort out of a desire to take revenge from the king and if you happen to meet her in the forest,you might become another victim for the queens revenge as well.

No name has been given to this particular legend though, and we have no proof that a queen set foot in this place at all.

According to this enduring haunted story though it is said that after her death, she has been seen haunting the place at night. But perhaps she isn’t alone in haunting the Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal?

Ghostly Encounters and Haunting Stories

File:Bhuli Bhatyari Ka Mahal 01.jpg — Source: Pinakpani/Wikimedia

Over the years, there have been several reports of ghostly encounters and haunting stories associated with Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal. Visitors have reported feeling a sense of unease as soon as they enter the palace.

Many have claimed to have heard strange noises, footsteps, and whispers coming from the corridors. Some visitors have even reported feeling a cold breeze or a sudden drop in temperature, despite the hot and humid weather outside.

It is said that no one of the guards wants to stay at the the Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal or in the surrounding woods after dark and many are said to have quit after only a matter of days. There is supposedly a note written at the entrance warning people to come after dark. The Delhi Police is also said to patrol the area frequently and try to deter people from entering.

The Mystery of the White Wall

There is also a strange story about some people that claimed that they saw a huge white wall in the woods next to the building. This must have been many years ago since they didn’t use a digital camera. They took a picture of it with an analog though, but when they developed the picture, there was no wall there.

When they went back to the place they claimed to have seen the wall, they found no trace of it, and what it could have been.

The Mystery of Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal

Where the legends of it being haunted comes from is difficult to pinpoint. Some claim that there have always been stories about it. According to one of the guards that have been there for 34 years, people started talking about it being haunted first after people started posting about it on the internet.

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As to why we can only speculate. Perhaps to attract tourists, perhaps to make an overgrown ruin a little bit more interesting? Or perhaps there is something lurking between the trees or just behind the gate of the old Mahal?