Spooky Times

Huge ornate, un-oiled gates to the cemetry creak open with an ominious sound Cheeeeeen. It strikes terror in the hearts of the five boys who have chosen to creep into the abandoned old place post a few drinks. They walk in, looking here and there, trying to talk and laugh among themselves to keep the fear at bay. The shadows of the graves and crosses loom up to break the dark night. They spot a small slab in one corner, maybe the grave of a child. One of guys showing bravado , lies down on the slab. Another looks at the cross at the head of the stone and whispers; “I think the cross just leaned towards us.” That sobers them instantly and they flee back to their car parked outside.

This is a true story, it happened in an old cemetery in Dagshai. We are all fascinated by ghosts. If you believe in God, say some, you have to believe in ghosts. In the cities, the ghosts are probably run out by the heavy concentration of living people and the metallic maniacs who rule the road. But go off the road a bit, the villages with open spaces and trees that cast weird shadows in the night, and it’s a different ball game altogether. The hills are even more conducive to the health of ghosts. The air is rarer, the mists are sharp, you can probably see only till the next bend in the road. What lies ahead is unknown to you.

Fear can get adrenaline rushing through your body, and provide a thrill. Stories of the supernatural are eagerly exchanged when the topic comes up. Another friend described what happened on a recent visit to Shimla. A group of three friends were on their way to visit a fourth who lived a little way off the town. They were walking on this secluded road and saw an old man approaching them, hat on head. Just to check if they were on the right path, they asked the old man the direction. The old man turned and pointed out the place in a remote direction. They boys looked but could not see anything. They said so and the old man pointed again. They could still not see anything and turned to talk to the old man. But there was no one there.

Going on to Kasauli, you can expect to ‘hear’ the ghost of Khetarpal Marg. You won't be able to see anyone, but hear footsteps following you, at night of course. Then there is the tale of the ghost of the lady who took it upon herself to scale the Monkey Point on her horse. The lady tumbled down and there lies a grave where her remains fell. Some people say, it wasn’t the lady who died, but her horse. The famous ghostly grave was in fact the remains of the horse. The lady lived to a great age, and died of natural causes, despite being fond of her drink.

On to Shimla, the Charleville mansion ghost is the most popular. He is said to throw the belongings out of the house. He is said to have killed his young wife, suspecting her of infidelity. Then there was a ghost at Dukhani who was decidedly sighted, standing at the window, looking out. On making inquiries, it was found that an old man had shot himself years ago on the same spot. 

But these are sophisticated ghosts, who just sort of drift into your vision, scaring but not doing much harm.The legend of mummaaee wallas is more potent. Not only do you get scared, but also killed if you encounter one. The modus operandi of these evil spirits was to blow some hypnotic powder on the faces of their victims, after which they were taken to a secluded spot. Here they were hung upside down over a simmering fire and the oil dripping from the body collected. This was the ram tel (Ram Oil) which could be used to glue together limbs cut off from the body. 

You could, however, save yourself by glancing at the feet of the strangers who approached you. It was a dead giveaway. The feet were backwards. (An old legend of course) If you ever spotted that, you could run for your life.

There are multitudes of ghost stories associated with Shimla, dating the Raj. In recent times, the most creditable sighting occurred outside Ava House where disappearing pedestrians were spotted in a particular lane. The tenants of this house reported that they would see people walking by, a few steps later, they would vanish !!!

Coming down from the hills, in our own Chandigarh, the only scary spots are the cemeteries. There is a cemetery near Industrial Area as you go towards the railway station. There was a time when these roads were not frequently used. A colleague used to take this road to on the way home. After a graveyard shift, as he passed the cemetery, he spotted a man standing close to the road from far off, as he drove nearer, the man wasn’t there. 

It was enough to spook him into taking a longer route via Transport Chowk during late hours. But nights are not the only times when the spook strikes. Going past the same cemetery, over the newly constructed overbridge from railway to Panchkula road, another colleague felt a huge pressure on her skull that lasted for about a minute. She has taken the road many times consequently, but never had that feeling again.