Every sibling trip, friend sleepover, or trip to an isolated location eventually leads up to a chain of horror stories, leaving everyone feeling the tingles. Funnily enough, we can never run out of scary ghost stories and there are always new claims or superstitions you learn. Isn’t that crazy!
We all know someone or have been that person, who no matter how spine-chilling will sit through a scary movie or story just for the thrill and adrenaline rush it gives.
India is a place that thrives on ghost lores and superstitions, these fables spread from amidst the locals in the remotest regions to populous urban cities.
Here are a few of the haunted spots that span across India, packed with bizarre stories you’d only believe if you experience them firsthand.
Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan
As soon as you surf the web for haunted spots, the Bhangarh fort placed in the Alwar region of Rajasthan is collectively considered to be one of the spookiest of the forts. Regardless of its supernatural history, this fort lives up to its name owing to its picturesque but ruinous, daunting architecture. Locals here suggest the tourists return before sundown, the fort is mysteriously barred for visitors in the night until sunrise. One of the common folklore is the curse of the tantric.
Based on the story, Princess Ratnavati, daughter of Chatr Singh, was considered the most beautiful princess of Bhangarh, a literal gem. Enchanted by her beauty, a local tantric named Singhia tried to capture her attention by casting a black spell on the perfume she would use. Luckily, the princess caught a whiff of Singhia’s deeds and made him face the consequences. Before his last breath, he cursed the land of Bhangarh to be miserable. Multiple events post this have coincidentally aligned to the cursed words, which has further fueled the fear of the living masses. We are all massive suckers for a good, all-consuming love story, it seems love stories have weaselled their way to the domain of the dead too!
Dumas Beach, Gujarat
Dumas Beach of Gujarat is as beautiful and ominous as it could get. The black sand along the shore is the unique feature that attracts multiple tourists or it could be the ever-present ghosts calling them in! (plays aaja gufaon mai aa in the background).
The beach was previously used as a burial ground and after sundown, it is believed that the unrest souls wander the beach calling out to the living. There have been multiple reports of missing tourists and at night the neighbourhood dogs can be found howling warning their owners of a foreign presence or entity. The dumas beach is not for the weak-kneed.
Kuldhara Village, Rajasthan
Also called the abandoned village, Kuldhara village is quite literally abandoned, unoccupied and in ruins to date, reminding us of the incident that occurred one fateful night. The recurring oral lore, recounted by the many locals, is Salim Singh's story or ‘Zalim’ Singh, a wordplay on his unjust and unrighteous tax retrieval methods.
Unfortunately, he fell in love with the chief’s daughter and used that as leverage to bulk up on his tax demands. The Paliwals were faced with an ultimatum to pay the ridiculously high charges or get the chief’s daughter married to him. Having left with no other choice and to safeguard the girl’s honour, the Paliwals and 84 neighbouring settlements fled overnight. It is said before leaving, the enraged villagers cursed the place, making it uninhabitable to date. The ruins here are an honour to the once flourishing Kuldhara village.
Shaniwar Wada, Maharashtra
We can all recall the alluring beauty of Shaniwar Wada from SLB’s masterpiece ‘Bajirao Mastani’. The stories of Shaniwar Wada are wholly brimmed with family political drama, betrayal, brutal and gory murders.
It is said that Narayan Rao, the 5th of the Peshwa rulers was brutally killed into pieces by the Gardi’s (a tribe of hunters), an attack orchestrated by his uncle (Raghunath Rao) and aunt (Anandi bai, she is believed to have maliciously tweaked the details of the command). According to the people living close by, post 6:30 P.M more so on full moon nights, Narayan Rao’s woes of help can be still heard, through the hallways.
Ramoji Film City, Telangana
One of the country's largest and famous film studios, the Ramoji film city of Hyderabad has a supernatural flair, adding to it being a tourist and recreational centre. The horror charm of the film city is because back in the day, the ground was the war zone of the Nizams and before that a graveyard for looters. Hence, frequent hauntings of the dead soldiers are said to have been experienced. The activity is noticed to be a peak in one of its hotel rooms. Dare a visit?
If you are fascinated, feeling bold, or if those conjuring marathons just aren’t enticing you anymore. If you want to don the hat for being a myth/ghostbuster, venturing into any of these places sounds like just the thing to do. Of course, adhere to the necessary guidelines and safety precautions, and curb your reckless side no matter how bad it gets your adrenaline rushing.
If you are dazed and frightened, The Travel Blueprint is here to your rescue. It consists of a collection of blogs guiding the masses of the best trips for a traveller with an explicit understanding of each destination. From helpful tips on transportation and accommodation to the exchange of numerous entertaining stories to a complete itinerary-building, it does it all. Something like a truly the Saviour!!