The Story of the Cursed Temples of Kiradu Would Send a Chill Down Your Spine

Situated 35-40 km west of Barmer District, Rajasthan, the town of Kiradu is a low-key and very quiet place, so much so that despite its historical prominence, you don’t get to see a lot of tourists flocking here annually. However, what many people don’t know about Kiradu is the story of its cursed temples.

The ruins of Kiradu Temples have been a perpetual topic of curious discussions among historians as well as history enthusiasts. It is believed that this group of 108 temples was built between the 11th-12th centuries by the Chalukya Kings.

However, at present, out of those 108 temples, only five ruined temples are left, one of them being Someshvara Temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the aforementioned is in its best architectural integrity. 

Till today, the locals are gripped by fear, myths, and a sense of mystery when it comes to visiting these temples; the reason being the numerous stories that haunt them and have been weaved around them. It’s the mixed effect of all these stories and legends that no one dares to enter the temple after sunset even until today. 

The Mystery Behind the Haunted Kiradu Temples

There is no scientific evidence that the temples of Kiradu are haunted or cursed in any way. However, it is also true that no one enters these temples after the sunset.

According to the legends, it is said that after the perilous attacks of the Turks and other foreign invaders, King Someshwar invited a great sage for restoring the prosperity of the entire kingdom. After completing all the rituals, the sage left behind one of his disciples to ensure the complete happiness and prosperity of the locals there even after he was gone.

However, as time passed and days transitioned into months and years, the locals almost forgot about the disciple, thus, with the passage of time and lack of proper care, the disciple became sick. Only a potter’s family took care of him and nursed him back to good health.

Hearing the condition of his disciple, the sage became furious with anger and cursed the whole village to turn into stone but before that he made sure that the potter’s family had left the village safely. It is since then that the village is believed to be under the sage’s wrath including the temples.

The Architectural Finesse

The architectural prowess of these temples will simply blow your mind; the finesse and detailed work on the walls of these temples is a notable example of our Hindu way of living, the cultural impact, and glory of our Kings.

However, despite their beauty, these temples have largely remained unknown until now, perhaps because of their remote location, or maybe it was a conscious decision to not let the people know about them much.

On the temple walls, you will find various intricate carvings of Gods and Goddesses along with several animal forms as well. All of these may remind you of your previous visits to other Indian temples of the same age in other cities and states.

History of Kiradu Temples

It is believed that these temples were built by the Kirad or Kirar clan of Rajputs in the 11th and 12th centuries. However, some people also claim that the temples were built by Chalukya kings.

The legends state that there used to be 108 temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. However, as the attacks of foreign invaders increased in their frequency, these temples were destroyed one after the other.

Today, only a shell of what used to be the glory of our culture remains in this region, i.e., the five temples of Kiradu which don’t even have their deities in place.

Open Timings and Tickets

For tourists, the temple premise is open from 9 AM to 6 PM. However, with the permission of the ASI department, you can also stay back to the twilight hours for photography. As far as the ticket price is concerned, foreign nationals need to shell out INR 200. For the locals, the ticket price is INR 50 and the students just need to pay INR 5.

So, this was the story of the cursed temples of Kiradu in Rajasthan. Like Kiradu, there are several other places that are still not known to the masses. 

However, we at Adotrip have pledged to bring out the best and most interesting travel content to quench your travel thirst. Stay tuned for more such stories. For planning your travel itinerary, you can always count on Adotrip’s Trip planner.