Haunted hunting lodge.

Hi all, I am very excited to tell you all that it is my first haunting post. I mean it is the first time I am sharing such thing. And the biggest joke I would say that I never knew about the fact though it is in my native place. I’ve grown talking about it and picnicking around it but still didn’t know that it is haunted and this makes  me share this post with you.

Odi Haveli or Lalit Vilaas

First, I will share a little history about it, actually it’s a historical monument, then will tell you the haunting part of it or as people like to believe. May be this is a recent development as I never heard of such thing till now and I bet my brother too, is unaware of the developments.

Well,as I know of the place as a hunting lodge of the royalties of Pink City. This place has three parts, two cottages like structure which look new addition to the original existing building. The actual name of the hunting lodge is ‘Lalit Vilaas’ or ‘odi haveli’ built by Jaipur ruler in the early 15th century. The location of the lodge, itself will give you the idea, how apt it was to build it there, in mid of the forest(then dense and inhabited by many wild animals like leopards, tigers, boars and other animals) is surrounded by the ‘Aravali’ ranges. When the king and his men went for hunting, they used to take halt.

But as the hunting was banned, the usage of the building was declined. Finally a time came when it was totally abandoned. And as we know, all the abandoned buildings must have story and surely have a haunted angle to them. This place also developed a haunting story.

The first Courtyard

The reason behind this is mostly two inhouse temples situated in the building which are destroyed by time and in one of them idol is missing. The big temple is of mother godess and the smaller one is of Lord Shiva. There you can find pious markings on the wall and in the godess’ temple you can find things used for worshiping. As these two are worshipped by evil forces as well, thus people established a belief that the witches have occupied this place, thus it got it’s new name ‘Chudailo ki Haveli’ or the ‘witches’ mansion’.

When you cross the temple, you reach in a courtyard where on the walls you will find ‘ chants’ written everywhere. What does they mean or the purpose, is not known. People who have gone there have heard strange sounds coming out of the main building. The main entrance door of the building often moves even though there is no wind. Inside, in the first courtyard you can see smoke markings, as if some fire is made, one or two belongings have been found.

As the building is amidst forest, it comes under the authority of Forest department, who has put a lock on it after developing a wildlife park in that forest, some years back. A social worker has reported that the movement of people and tourists, who visit the other historical monuments nearby, disturb the wildlife. People from the village used to come and offer prayers and sing. He also mentioned that there lived an elderly lonely woman in the ruins till two years back. She used to take care of the deities and after she left from there the forest department locked the place because some anti social elements used to gather there.

Some YouTubers go there just for adventure and to find some paranormal activity. And the place has become popular with adventure seekers. Some of them do feel bad for it. Because the building and the location are good and of historical importance but the government is not paying attention to it. It could be developed beautifully and play its role in development of tourism of the area.

View from one of the numerous windows

Whether ghost or no ghost, it does attract interest but needs attention or will fall.

Image courtesy: Devavrat Shekhawat

Dead or in delusion.

I lived in a big ancestral house I used to call home and have splendid memories of my childhood , if not detailed. Of playing with cousins and friends, children of tenants. I lived with my grand parents, uncles and aunts along with my parents and brother. Though have not been to the place since long, may be from the year 1995. The thread or the rope tying me to it might have weaken but still a weak strand still tugs deep at the heart.

It’s a fine evening. Me and my husband are sitting in our 5th floor terrace garden having coffee. Rain is falling and cool gentle breeze is flowing.’ I don’t know why but every time I see my home in dreams since leaving it back then, it seems quiet and lonely. It’s calling me infact pulling me. When we are next in my home town, we are going to visit.’ ‘Who do you think will welcome you there. Why don’t you understand this point my love, there’s no one now’ he is putting his point but what he doesn’t know is I am going through a strong pull since years and this is high time that I should visit. Well, the good news is now after half an hour he has given in.

I am packing up my bags. Hurrah! We are going to my home town tomorrow with children. Actually the domestic flights are open now so it will be quick annual summer vacation trip. ‘ Hello. Bhaiya, we are coming. Just for few days like a change of atmosphere’

We are in my home town. ‘ mmmm…haaa.’ There, my brother is standing in the parking lot. We are driven to a camp. Here we are staying for 5 days. It’s actually a nice guest house where we are putting up but it’s not costly. Only concern is about children. How will they cope.

Today is the second day and children are already exhausted. They are draining my energy too. May be to some of you it might seem a wrong decision but believe me, they are completely safe here as the place we are in, is not used as camp, before us and we got this because of my brother’s connection with the health team and the police staff present at the airport.

This is fourth day. Yesterday it was very boring. I scolded kids because they were shouting and running in the gallery. This all is because we are the only ones in this guest house till now. No new upturns. My husband has kept himself busy in his script writing work. He puts on his headphones and dives into his thoughts. So yesterday was no different from past two days, on his front. Today, after lunch I have asked the manager of the guest house to let me peep out of the window if possible as I am cluster phobic and the situation is taking on my nerves. Out of pity, he allows a brief moment to look out side. Me and the children are clinging to the window. They are pressing so hard as if they will go out through the mash of the windowpane.

Well today is the last day. Finally tomorrow we are going home. I mean to my brother’s place. At last we will be out in the open air. Today I am late in making the entry as children had the phone to make video calls to their grand parents back home and to their cousin, my brother’s son.

We are having dinner. The current is out but they have a generator here, so no problem. I am done with the dinner and want rest of the three to finish off soon so we can call for the night early. Naturally, next day will come early. Don’t they say,” early to bed early to rise, makes a good person.” In my case it will be free from isolation.

Here is my brother with his MUV, to pick us up. ‘We will be home in not more then five to ten minutes’ he is telling my husband. ‘Well, bhaiya we are here for a very short stay. Hope we don’t bother you much. It’s all your sister’s stubborn idea.’ My hubby is looking at me while saying so. ‘ I can understand that very well. She is like this since beginning.’ Now my brother is winking at me. Both the children are laughing. They are enjoying my leg pulling. Naughty children.

Here we are at my home. Yes still I call it as my home too, because it’s my papa maa’ s home. Brother says till he is alive I can call it and feel it as my home. Because we are one.

Today is the day when I am going to enter this ancestral home after twenty five years appropriately. The bushes and shrubs have grown here so wild. I am shocked. ‘ care taker, our distant relative has passed away ages ago. His mother and family stayed here but now the mother is also not alive. Only the wife and her sons are here.’ My brother is telling my husband. ‘ she seems too busy in her life. But what about her sons? Why dont they take care?’ My hubby is asking.

We entered the house. My heart throbbing as fast Express mail. Crushing and pressing the wild bushes and shrubs we are making our way. This is the first yard with all the garage and houses and a small factory built for the tenants, I am telling my children and hubby. ‘Look that is the entrance to the farm, where we had cows, buffaloes and farming land.’ My brother is showing kids.

From here we are entering this big gate. The first one to the main building but it leads to the small yard, where on one side old rooms built for the estate staff are there which were later converted to parking and other side had a small area surrounded by brick wall and a small entrance to the berry garden. This all is dried. Nothing is here. From here we cross another small entrance which has a wall in front of it with a small window. Now this is also crumbling. Twisting and turning I am entering the third yard where on the front of it we had our rooms, the second section. I am moving towards the area where caretaker’s family is living. But I think they are either sleeping or out of the house as cannot see them.

Leaving the place I turn back to the main stair cases. One takes to my elder uncle’s portion and the other one takes to the main building. I take this one and taking one step at a time climb to the final entrance. From here I turned back to look at others. They are coming right behind me and are at the bottom of the steps.

I am now standing in the big courtyard. To my left is a veranda and rooms of my grand parents. And small granary opposite to which, means slightly opposite to me is the old kitchen. Adjacent to it and opposite me is a small room, for my great grand mother and in front of me is her veranda. I was looking at fallen gazebo between granary and kitchen.

A light streak of smoke is coming out of the kitchen and I am moving towards it. I am standing at the kitchen door and opening the mash door. The scene inside took my breath away. Sitting there is the maid who was nanny to my elder uncle and used to cook for the family with a group of house helps and maids. I am not able to believe because she is dead ages ago. She cannot be here, not at any cost. She is giving me a look, as if saying you have come at the right time. Have lunch. ‘Screech’ and I am startled. Then hoping to see my kids, hubby and brother, who might have opened the door to grand parents room, I am half dead to see my cousin who died young. I am having goosebumps and it is a hair raising experience. He is smiling and signalling me to come over. I am in a trance I think. My legs are moving towards him. At the door I stop and I can see my grand parents sitting there with the lunch served and they are about to eat and I interrupted. They are now looking at me. My grand ma is scolding,’late as usual’ but grand pa is smiling the loveliest smile ever. He has softness in his old eyes. ‘But how could you be here. All of you. You’re gone long back and you- you cannot come back!’ ‘ Then go back to your room’ grand ma said,’ across small veranda.’

I am taking swift strides. It’s like gliding. Or floating in the air a few inches above the floor. I am crossing the small veranda or my great grand mother’s room and veranda. I am bending down to exit when I hear some whispering from behind. I am trying to hear but all I can make out is whispering of two or at most three old ladies, from great grand ma’s room. As if rest of the house maids were trying to give her a bath as she is paralysed.I am not able to take all this. I am trying to run away but all I can do is go forward.

This is my room. The wooden door is open but the old mesh door outside is ajar. This is the room I have been dreaming of since left visiting the house. I didn’t mention till now, that whenever I had it in my dreams I fell ill. It always used to pull me in and never let me out. It used to shake and tumble but today here I am, standing in front of it. Inert. Again my hair while mentioning the past dreams, raising.

I am opening the mash door by the handle. Still I am freezed. I don’t have the guts to peep inside. I am still standing at the door, half open. I don’t know what’s in there. Why I am so afraid of this room where I have lived from birth to teen age and have returned to it many times in young days till last of the family members lived here and vaccated in 1995. What if it locks me inside in real. With all these thoughts going on in my mind and heart thumping in my mouth I am entering the room. And here I get the shock of my life. I cannot breathe now. It is so gloomy here. As if the opening door has let out the years of loneliness, it has suffered. And in front of one of the two windows facing private court yard of my room till now where I was standing sitting here for lunch are long gone Maa Papa. On the centre table there are three plates. Two served one empty. Papa is looking happy to see me and maa is serving food in the third plate.’ Come. Why so late?’ And she is looking at me with maternal love. I am blank. Maa Papa… really? Am I dead or my life till now is a delusion.

Spooky Incident

Dim lights in the plane,on the runway suddenly I see a reflection of a girl smiling, in the window of plane
I sit up straight with a jerk and look again but nothing and realize that flight was raising from the ground. I doubted my eyes as I was half asleep and looked around for a girl inside the flight whose reflection I might have seen. But no one to be seen in the flight with same features. Just then I realised the eyes had strange twinkle and the smile too was quirky with a twisted curve at the right corner. But what bothered me the most was that how can she show up to that height. Even if she stood on the stairs to board the flight then also she cannot come up to the windows. Even if the plane started to move and she crossed over to the window,but then this is also not possible because she could not be permitted.
After going through all the possibilities and logic behind the appearance of the smiling girl’s face, I gave up and slept. After fifteen or twenty minutes later I awoke by a strange sound. To my relief it came from landing. I turned to look out of the window and to my utter shock, on the glass of the window ‘Boo’ was written with finger tip. Strange feeling returned.
Flight came to halt and I descended. But till to date I could not make out what was that. The journey is a remember-able one and still gives me goosebumps.

FOWC : SCARY DREAM

Yesterday night I had a dream which made me scream.

I saw me and my children were in my bedroom discussing something and suddenly I felt fearful and as if something trying to harm us so I asked children to leave the room and when I tried to leave the room the door was stuck and the space was not sufficient for me to pass.

When I tried to open it a bit more it was not moving. Someone was holding it in place but was not visible. I started to scream but couldnot move a inch. At thus moment I realised I am dreaming and all this is not true but still I couldnot move or wake up. So started to scream louder hoping them to escape my dream and wake my hubby sleeping next to me, who in turn will pull me out of the situation. He is always a savior in such conditions…when he is around or else I suffer longer until the spell breaks on it’s own.

Some of these episodes were more hellish and unimaginable. I suffer this since childhood. FOWC:SCARY

Sleep Paralysis and Hallucinations : Back 2 Back appearence.

I had two back to back episodes of sleep paralysis and hallucinations.

It was starange that in the wee hours of morning it occured and when i was not even sleeping. I woke up at 5.15 am and drank water and returned to bed and before closing my eyes i watched time in my phone…it read 5.20 am and just closed my eyes and felt the feeling comming over so sttetched my hand towards my son and hold him and still i felt that someone is pressuring me from side and i couldn’t move but I tried to move my toes and fingers and curled up my noes, then suddenly could open my eyes but still was not able to move so staryed blinking my eyes fast and aftet gew seconds I was awake. I sat up on the bed, took a couple of deep breaths and then slept sideways, though first also i was lying sideways but not completely so this time completely turned sideways and closed my eyes. I could hear a laughing sound immidiately and some presure on my back as if some one was intentionally doing it. Whispering, first time you were saved but now caught ya! And then I could feel something touching my right palm behind my back so tried to grab it but nothing happened only the laughter increased and suddenly I remembered my daughter was there so it might be her leg i was feeling than i tried to turn aside but xouldnt so startef to laugh my self but only a little squeak came out or a whisper to match that laugh then suddenly flattering my palms and toes I came back to my senses. The time was 5.35 am. Since then I didnt sleep.

The other reason for calling it strange is, though I am considering it since long back but couldnot bring myself to mention about it, that iys said when you sleep on your back it occurs but I never sleep that way, o ly tirned to my left is my sleeping position, still I get these episodes since my childhood. Thirdly, sometimes due to work I donot sleep whole night and when I try to take rest at any given time, just like today, it occurs. My question is that when I am not sleeping how can it happen, on just closing your eyes?! Is it possible? It is too horrible. That too twice back to back. Though now I am not that afraid as firstly I know what it is and secondly most of the time I am in full sense of my surroundings.

I don’t know what to say? Still sharing my experience wirh you all. If you know something please do tell.

Supernatural or what?

Bhilwara a city in Rajasthan famous for clothing, suiting and shirting, is a district headquarters. A moderately developing city. I’ve been there couple of times. I liked it there as it was very quiet in comparison to the city I lived in.

While going there, on the way the car driver was telling a story of a house in the vicinity, which was notoriously famous for some unexplained activities. Though we stayed there for a week or so, on the third day got the chance to see that house. Not exactly from inside as my mom was completely against.

Actually my distant aunt invited us for dinner, who lived in the same area. The so much talked bout house was just in the opposite lane and was on walkable distance from her place. It was night when we reached there and after dinner I asked aunt about the house. She told that the house first belonged to a business man’s family who lived there with his wife two children and parents.

They often used to hear some sounds in the house. At first they didn’t take it seriously but as the time passed some wired things started to happen. The son of the owner was a merit holder in his school, he was the first victim. The boy complained of some one disturbing at night and this resulted in his merits going down and made him mentally ill. The parents see ked help of a priest, who performed some pooja. It seemed pooja had effect, for some days. Then one day the old father of the owner expired in suspicious conditions. After the incident the owner sold the house to a couple, thinking it might be not good for him but may suit them. Everything went well in the starting but as the days passed the weird sound and unexplained activities started. The man men met with an accident and went unconscious for several days. Then the parents of the man sold the house to another family and they performed big pooja and ‘yagna’ and a month went quietly but the family started to see some shadows after the evening fall. Some sounds of someone shouting and cursing were heard. On one or two occasions the old parents of the owner saw an angry man in white Kurt a pyjama, warning them. But when they asked the priest to look into the matter, he refused to perform any pooja saying it was not in his powers to deal with this entity or entities (as by now people also started noticing two people on the boundaries after sun sat).

When we saw that house, I didn’t find anything peculiar about it. Only the place was deeply quiet and dark. The shadows of trees and the moon light was playing a role in its weird appearence. Aunt said that the house was by then sold to a Muslim family. They were two brothers who asked the sufi and a Muslim priest to purify the house. After that they demolished the house completely and made two duplexes same in looks and were connected through a balcony way. Though everything was done to purify the house, the family had not shifted into it as they were affraid of the entities they called as ‘djinns’ who were residing in the space.

Now years have passed and I heard that the family didn’t moved in and finally decided to donate the space to some public welfare unit. But the curse or the entities whatever it was, didn’t left. When the construction for a mall started, one evening suddenly the 12 feet high wall collapsed on the labour working there. The ones who survived said that they used to hear some warnings but didn’t take seriously, and one final day a white dress wearing person with big white beard blowed the wall.

So this is what I knew but I don’t have information of the advancements. But I hope everything is fine on that front.

Highway No. 79 Dudu village

National highway number-79. Night 0800pm. ..pitch dark…winters of November 1991. Double lane road with very scanty traffic. Road side tea stalls too were very few in this Stretch. No honking of horns, not a single sound of engines. Quiet was so engrossing that the sound of three cars coming in a convoy was merely a humming.

Three Ambassador cars in a row, one behind the other, in first car were sting the officials of state minister for tourism, second car had minister himself, DIG and District Magistrate with the driver. The third car had DM’s family with their driver. They passed a mile stone that read 80kms. The men in the second car were so involved in talking that they did not notice the passing of the mile stone the second time, the same mile stone which read 80kms.

After 1 hour of crossing the 80kms. mile stone for the first time, the car with DM’s family stopped as they could not see the other two cars. It was pitch dark on the road without the pole lights in those times. The wife of DM got the gun man to wireless the message to the gunman in the minister’s car ro know their whereabouts. The gunman from the other car asked them to wait where they were till they come.

After another 15 minutes the other cars appeared. DM got down of minister’s car and sat with his family and waved good bye to others. Though they asked him to stay with them but he didn’t listen and took their leave. By half past 1 they reached their home.

Next day when they called the DIG to ask did they reach safely, the story he told was spooky. The moment DM changed the car and drove off, the horrifying incident started. After  dropping him when they started, they crossed the milestone for the third time and this was noticed by the driver and he told this to others. First none believed him then 15 minutes later when the same mile stone again came everyone was dumbstruck. The driver then turned the car and started again but within 5 minutes the car skid and faced towards the way they were coming from. The drivers gain turned the cars but again the same thing happened.

It was late in the night when they finally managed to pass the stretch where this all was happening. Thus got late to reach their respective homes.

Later it was known that it was the same patch where many such weird incidents occur and is said to be haunted. It’s hardly 15 minute zone but is very accident prone area. It’s a curve on the road. Many other incidents came into light then. One doctor was returning to his home from the city where he was posted. It was evening 0500pm when he came to the same stretch of NH-79, when he saw a brick wall in middle of the road and tried to avoid the collision but his bike skid and fell down. With the bike he was drawn for few mts. He got bad bruises on hands, fractured leg. In some incidents the drivers have felt the presence of some Un visible person sitting right aside them and urging them to crash the vehicle. Some have reported of seeing a lady with a child asking for lift and then getting vanished into the thin air. One such incident mentions a lady covered with blood holding a little child asked for lift and sat in the back seat of the car and then guided them out of the village too but when the three friends who were in the car looked for the lady, saw she vanished into thin air. The friends tried to forget the incident as a nightmare but that haunts them till date. Those 15 minutes of horror are unforgettable for anyone who has faced this.

The story behind all this goes like this….time was when child marriages prevailed in Rajasthan. In the village named Dudu, near Ajmer, in a family a infant baby girl of 5 days was to be married off to a toddler of 3 years. But the mother of the girl was against this marriage. So to save her child she ran away from home taking the baby with her. On the road she met with an accident and both mother and child died instantly. It is said all this haunting and accidents on this road started since then.

The haunting still continues and may be first of its kind where a road stretch is haunted.

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Inspired by a Theme on TPIB

I am a die hard fan of horror and spooky stories. But what if they are for real…means not mere stories but something people believe in…though I won’t believe in them nor would ask anyone to do so but for satisfying my thirst of mystery, fear and all at once…I would love to read them and feel the hair rising and tickling at the back of neck experience.

If they are folklore or legends from the past it is more thrilling, as I love history. It gives a dash of romance with the thrill, sometimes. This week at TPIB we have theme of writing about a legend…and I got the chance to indulge in my favourite genre. That gave me a new topic to write about on my blog, apart from my depressed mind’s ramblings, i.e. about horror or haunted legends wrapped in mysteries.

There are so many of them around us, so I thought to first start with my homeland, then will slowly move towards others. Hope it will entertain you as much as it’s thrilling me to write.

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A dutiful ghost of Brijrajbhawan, Kota.

Today I choose a city where I have spent 2 years of my childhood, the city of River Chambal, Kota Doria sarees, Masala Limca, Palaces and gardens, KOTA city from Hadoti region of Rajasthan.

The one I choose to narrate today is about a haunted palace or shall I say a haunted hotel? Well I will call it a heritage hotel run by the royal family of Kota!

The story takes place in the colonial India. Yes the so called ghost in this lore is a British Major.

The palace where our story begins is called “Brijrajbhawan” a residential palace of former royal family of Kota, having a resident ghost of Major Charles Burton, who was then British resident to Kota and was killed while serving by the sepoys of 1857 freedom war.

Image courtesy : google

Our story begins when Major Charles Burton of 40th Bengal Native Infantry  was posted to Kota as Resident and Brijrajbhawan Palace was British Residency and now home to Major and his family for 13 years.  In May 1857, at the outbreak of the mutiny, Major Burton was summoned by the British General commanding the nearby Neemuch cantonment for the protection of Neemuch, a town in Madhya Pradesh. Burton was accompanied to Neemuch by his family. On the request of Kota ‘s king Major along with his two sons returned to Kota on December 13, 1857. After two days Major Burton saw a large party approaching the Residency. He assumed that these troops of the Maharaja had come to pay a friendly visit. But soon the mutinied  soldiers surrounded and entered the palace. All the servents of the Residency abandoned the Residency,leaving The Burtons alone with few arms that they were able to snatch. They ran to the upper storey and took refuge in a small room and waited there for the help to arrive while the loot was going on in the lower portion. But after 5 hours of firing The Burtons surrendered and kneeling down said their prayers. In March 1858, Kota was again annexed by British government and the bodies of the Burtons were disinterred and buried in the Kota cemetery with full military honours.

Image courtesy:google

After independence the palace became private property of the royal family of Kota, to which they later converted into a heritage hotel after renovating. Today, it is not only a heritage hotel but also a haunted destination in India where the ghost of Major Burton prevails. It is said that Charles Burton’s ghost still haunts the old building and susceptible guests have complained of distinctly “discomforting and oppressive feelings”. Though the staff is reluctant to the complaints yet acknowledges an English voice being heard often by the drowsy watchmen that says, “Don’t sleep, no smoking” followed by a sharp slap if they are not performing their duty properly. Seems that the ghost of Burton still patrols the mansion!

Image courtesy : google

Image courtesy : google