Feb 7, 20234 min read

Haunted Stories of Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal | Most Haunted Places in Delhi

In this Blog:

Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal
The architecture of the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal
Past Haunted Stories of Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal
Myth Busted of Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal

Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal

Delhi is a place with an extensive rich history. Some of the best-handcrafted monuments and world heritage sites are present in Delhi, making the place travel worthy for many travelers. Every corner of this place has something to offer everyone. For people who love haunted stories and are curious about ghosts and other spiritual natural inanimate objects, Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal is one of the most haunted places in Delhi.

Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal is a 14th-century ruin located in the heart of the city, right next to the Jhandwalan Metro station near Karol Bagh, and it is deemed to be most haunted places in Delhi. It is known for its association with legends of ghosts and haunted stories. Some believe the palace was built for a queen and is haunted by her ghost.

Architecture of the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal

Today the whole structure stands ruined. There are very few visitors. Even signs outside the mahal say it is unsafe for visitors after sunset.

The monument has a very peculiar and distinctive name. Even the name of it suggests that the mahal may be haunted. According to one theory, it is thought that this place became home to a very famous Sufi saint, Bu Ali Bakhtiyari, and Bhuli Bhatiyari is simply a distortion of that name.

Another theory suggests that this place is named after a Bhatiyarin (a tribal lady from Rajasthan), who forgot her way and ended up at this place, because of which this place acquired her name.

Constructed in the 14th century by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, this is among the most haunted places in delhi. There is no longer too great a deal of architectural splendor to the place. It appears fundamental but eerie.

As you enter via the masonry gate, it takes you to other arched doorway that opens to the large courtyard that speaks of remnants and a range of haunted stories. Towards the northern side, there’s a semi-circular structure that you can go only via a flight of stairs.

On one side of that semi-circular structure, the Delhi government has built a modern toilet to promote the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal as a tourist place. Still, their efforts have been largely unsuccessful due to the place being haunted.

In the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal you will find many architectural and building similarities, such as designs of tombs and ceilings with Islamic constructions like mosques and palaces of that era.

Past Haunted Stories of Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal

It is said that the hunting lodge that Firoz shah Tughlaq constructed was taken care of by Bu Ali Bhaqtiyar, who stayed there all his life and suddenly disappeared one day, never to return, maybe eaten by some carnivorous animal in the forest or only God knows what happened to him. But some believe that he still lingers around the mahal as a caretaker.

Delhi government has tried appointing various security guards for the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, but no one has been able to complete one night at the mahal. As respect for him, the king later named the monument after him, i.e., Bu Ali Bhaqtiyar ka Mahal.

Another very peculiar story among many local people of the place is that one of the begums of Firoz shah Tughlaq wanted to visit the mahal. And after reaching the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal , she fell in love with it. She stayed there for most of her life with the best possible facilities a begum could have had. But it is believed that Firoz shah Tughlaq once caught her with another man, which made him furious. He left her stranded in the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal surrounded by dense forest with animals. People have reported seeing a woman dressed in white, and some have heard strange noises coming from the ruins at night. However, these are just tales, and no concrete evidence supports them.

Many believe there used to be a Sufi saint in the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal. And one part of the Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal used to be a madrasa where students of nawabs used to come to him for teaching, and when he died, his soul didn’t completely leave the mahal and now roams around the mahal.

Another says that a woman named Bhuri from the Bhatiyar tribe in Rajasthan lost her way and reached this palace. She was in dire need of water, so she went to King Feroz shah for some water, and he refused it. It is believed that she had forgotten her way due to hallucinations, and she possessed this place named after her.

Myth Busted of Bhuli Bhatiyari ka mahal

After hearing stories from all over the internet, many pessimistic archeologists, journalists, and bloggers have come to Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal at least once to bust the myth.

Many went inside and felt absolutely nothing, while some experienced something unusual. But there was something special about it. Maybe the stories that were running through their minds during the tour were the reason for making it a memorable experience. There was no such heavy patrolling of police, but most police officers did not wanted to enter the forest. They were told it was not safe. Not because of any ghosts or anything but due to the presence of wild animals.

A writer who once visited the haunted Bhuli bhatiari ka mahal described the place as, "there are just police barricades, and you are not allowed to enter at night, not because of the ghost but due to the risk of wild animals. A guard on duty, working here for four years now, told me that nothing had ever happened to him. And that busted another myth. Once, I left my night vision there for three hours, and I thought I would get the footage if there were anything. I even performed planchette (an ancient technique to instigate paranormal energy, if any) but got nothing.'

Ultimately, it is hard to say whether Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal has some haunted past or just a story.