Kuldhara, Abandoned village in Jaisalmer district, India
Kuldhara is an abandoned village in Jaisalmer district, India, located about 18 kilometers southwest of the city. The remains form a rectangular street grid with three main roads crossed by narrow alleys, and among the crumbling houses stands an old temple.
Paliwal Brahmins migrated from Pali in the 13th century and founded the settlement. They lived here for several centuries until they left the village in the early 19th century because of a dispute with minister Salim Singh.
The name Kuldhara recalls the Paliwal Brahmins who once lived here, a community known for their farming skills in the desert. Today visitors can walk through the abandoned houses and see how residents collected and used water in this dry region to irrigate their fields.
The site lies about 18 kilometers southwest of Jaisalmer and is open to visitors who can walk through the old streets and buildings. The paths between the ruins are mostly flat, but some houses are heavily deteriorated, so take care while exploring.
All residents left the village in a single night and abandoned their belongings, making the place feel like a frozen snapshot of the past. The number of people who fled at that time was around 800, and no one has returned here since.
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