If you believe in life, you must believe in death. If you believe in God, you must believe in Satan. If you believe in the alive, you must believe in the dead. And if you believe in the dead, the real ghost stories in India that have been mentioned in this piece are going to scare the hell out of you. Everybody has heard a real-life tale or two about some of the scariest places in India. Some people act brave, but the fact remains that a few uncanny stories are spooky, like really spooky. Blame it on circumstances, but spine-chilling accounts confirm the presence of ghosts and spirits, especially when they come from locals.
Let's take a look at top 12 haunted places in India:
1. Bhangarh Fort – Ajabgarh, Alwar, Rajasthan
Bhangarh fort is located in the ruined city of the same name, somewhere between Jaipur and Alwar, in Rajasthan. The place is so haunted by paranormal activities that even the Archaeological Survey of India has put up a board that restricts people from visiting the fort area before sunrise and after sunset. Legend has it that a tantric named Singhiya fell in love with a princess from the fort. He tried to use black magic to get her to fall in love with him, but it backfired and he died. Just before his death, he cursed the fort saying all who lived within it would die. Today, villagers who live in the area continue to build roofless dwellings because everytime they do build a roof, it inexplicably collapses. People have also mysteriously gone missing after-hours inside the fort. It’s an hour and a half by road from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Alwar road.
2. Kuldhara – Rajasthan
Known to be a deserted ghost village, Kuldhara is located near Jaisalmer and has been abandoned since the 19th century. It was established in 1291 by Paliwal Brahmins, known for their business acumen and agricultural knowledge. One night in 1825, all the people of Kuldhara and 83 nearby villages vanished all of a sudden. The mystery of the vanishing villagers is quite intriguing. Though a story talks of Salim Singh, then minister of state, who fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the village chieftain. He threatened the villagers of huge taxes, should they fail to get him married to her. The chief of the village, along with those of the nearby 83 villages, decided to abandon their villages. It is also said that the villagers, before leaving, cursed the village that no one could ever inhabit the land.
3. D’Souza Chawl in Mahim – Mumbai
Owing to D’Souza Chawl, Mahim has acquired the status of being the most haunted place in Mumbai. It is said that a woman fell into the water and died crying for help in the well. Probably that is why most people say that they’ve witnessed a woman lurking around the well and the nearby area.
4. The Shaniwarwada Fort – Pune
The story goes that a young prince was brutally assassinated in this famous Pune fort when he was still a teenager. While the prince was chased by his assassins, running for his life across the fort, he shouted, ‘Uncle save me.’ On full moon nights, people in and around the fort claim to hear these same words reverberate around the fort walls.
5. GP Block – Meerut
GP Block in Meerut is also very notoriously known for all the paranormal activity it beholds. Despite being a popular zone, there have been reportedly a lot of strange sightings. For instance people who pass this place claim to have seen four males sitting together and enjoying an alcoholic beverage by the light of a single candle. At first, this was not considered spooky for it could just be four friends having a good time but once it was established that it was indeed four ghosts, people in and around the area became increasingly interested. In addition, some claim to also witness a young girl coming out of the house in what many people believe to be a red dress. With time people have abandoned that place for obvious reasons but it continues to catch the fancy of those who love the paranormal.
6. Dumas Beach, Surat- Gujarat
As soon as they enter this beach area, dogs are known to behave strangely. This might not come as a surprise to you once you learn that this beach is where Hindus were cremated and, after dark, people on the beach claim to hear whispers on the wind telling them to return home. They say it’s the voices of the tormented souls that have remained behind after cremation and now haunt the beach. Fly to Ahmedabad and take a train to Surat. Dumas beach is about 20 kilometres southwest of Surat and you can get a bus from Surat railway station to the beach.
7. Jatinga – Assam
Having a population of around 2500, this village is popular worldwide for its unexplained phenomenon of bird suicides. Most of the migratory birds visiting the area never leave the village, dropping dead for no rhyme or reason on the streets. The case gets even more inscrutable as these birds always plummet to their death between 06:00 p.m. to 09:30 p.m. on the moonless nights of September and October. These mass suicides only occur on a specific 1 mile by 600 feet strip of land and this phenomenon is said to have occurred year after year without a break for more than a century. Many theories have been offered by scientists to explain this phenomenon, the most popular one being that these birds are attracted towards village lights which later confuse them, along with many others. None of them have yet been able to prove any of the theories behind this phenomenon though, which is why it continues to haunt and intrigue the minds of the residents and travellers just the same.
8. Tunnel No. 33, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Hill stations already have the reputation of being atmospheric, mysterious places due to their relative isolation and silence. Tunnel No. 33 (also referred to as Tunnel 103) is one of the tunnels on the Shimla-Kalka railway route. This is where the friendly ghost of Colonel Barog loiters, in search of friendly chats with people who take the tunnel. Colonel Barog was a railway engineer during the British Raj who committed suicide due to a gross miscalculation while the engineering work for the tunnel was ongoing. He was fined but the humiliation of his error and reprimand turned out to be too much for him. They say his spirit lingers on in the tunnel, albeit he’s the chattiest ghost around for miles!
9. Agrasen ki Baoli, Hailey Road, New Delhi
An Ancient Step Well situated right in the heart of central Delhi takes you by surprise if you are out on the streets for a walk. Ironically, it is actually quite impossible to miss having a unique blend of architecture with a signature design known to have existed only centuries ago. Although there are no known historical records to prove who built the beautifully designed step well, it is under the protection of ASI for being a rare historical specimen, one of its kinds. It is not known for any kind of supernatural activities but for its mystic feel and the hearsay stories about how some felt like they were being followed by an invisible somebody and the intensity of the same increased if they started walking faster. This is definitely something you need to experience first hand to really believe it.
10. Dow Hill in Kurseong – Darjeeling, West Bengal
Kurseong, a hill station located about 30kms from Darjeeling, has a place called Dow Hill which is reknowned for its spookiness within some boarding schools. People have claimed to hear inexplicable footsteps around the empty corridors of the boys' boarding school during school vacations. Woodcutters working in the forested areas nearby have seen a headless boy walking around, who then vanishes through the trees. The odd sightings are attributed to various murders that have taken place in the area. Kurseong is one of the stops on the Darjeeling Himalayan railway, which you can board at New Jalpaiguri railway station. Arrive at Bagdogra airport and take a taxi or rickshaw to the railway station.
11. Ramoji Film City – Hyderabad
Ramoji Film City, one of the biggest film cities in the country, is actually a haunted place in India. According to witnesses, the spotlights have been seen falling off, light men have been pushed, strange marks have appeared on mirrors, and many crew members have had severe injuries. Females are more targeted by the ghosts than the males. Girls reported an invisible force tearing their clothes off, some said they felt someone knock their washroom doors while the rooms remain locked from the inside. They create havoc. Many preventive measures have been taken but in vain. Must visit haunted place in India in case you want to experience the paranormal for yourself.
12. Bengal Swamps – West Bengal (Aleya Ghost Lights)
While it's not clear if the marsh ghost lights (also Aleya lights) are benign or harmful, a lot of deaths have been attributed to them. Some claim these 'ghost lights' are the spirits of fishermen who've drowned in the marshes, while others suggest that these lights warn them of danger. A lot of dead bodies that have washed ashore don't help the matter much.
