When one hear about Mumbai, what come to the mind are skyscrapers, local trains, beaches and busy crowds. Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, is always bustling with energy and activities and it is very difficult to picture any part of the city as lull or quiet. But here is a twist. Within the busy metro, amidst all the chaos and noise, there are many places best left to their own devices, since they are believed to be haunted. Of course, the place being Mumbai, some of the places that are famous as haunted are post buildings which are filled to their capacity. Maybe the ghosts and human beings have found a way to live with each other.
Anyway, even in these buildings, people like to stay indoors at night. If you are already feeling a chill down your spine, then read about the top 10 places in Mumbai where human activities cease to occur post sunset and other invisible forces take over.
1. D’Souza Chawl
Located in Mahim which itself is said to be a haunted place with its many old buildings, churches, chawls and wells, D’Souza Chawl has to be in the top list of haunted places in Mumbai. It is said that many years ago, a woman accidentally fell into a well that is even now present in the area and that the woman died after screaming for help. Though there are residents in the area, no one dares to be anywhere near the well after sunset as they believe that the ghost of the woman wanders in the area at night. Many even claim to have seen the ghost. Many curious citizens visit the area after having heard the ghost story but nobody dares to lurk around at night.
2. Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Though national parks are famous for wildlife sightings, the Sanjay Gandhi national park is famous for a different kind of sighting and that is of a ghost. Neither locals nor visitors roam around the part at night because of the supernatural activities at the place. It is said that a woman appears from nowhere at night and asks for lift. Many have laughed off the stories but the forest guards who work nightshifts at the park have corroborated the story. That is the reason no one likes to drive down the park at night.
3. Tower of Silence
The name itself is spooky, right? Nestled in Malabar Hills, the Tower of Silence is actually a cemetery of the Parsi community. As per Parsi custom, the bodies of the dead are not buried or cremated. The Parsis leave the bodies in the open here for the vultures to feed upon. They believe that because of this ritual, the earth is not polluted and the environment remains clean. The mere thought of vultures feeding on dead bodies is eerie enough, and that makes this place fearsome. Though no one has spotted any mysterious figures or heard any sounds, those who walk past the place have said that they feel uncomfortable.
4. Nasserwanj Wadi
It is said that the love for earthly possessions comes to an end after death, but not for the ghost of Nasserwanj Wadi. Located close to the Mahim Railway Station, Nasserwanj Wadi was once owned by a Parsi man. It is rumoured that he was murdered brutally near the well over a property dispute. But even after his death, no one could take possession of the property as it is believed that the ghost of the man is still within the property guarding it against trespassers. Many people have also reported being hurt by some invisible force after they tried to wander here after sunset.
5. St. John’s Baptist Church
There are several St. John churches in Mumbai, but the one located at Andheri is where people fear to even pass by. St. John’s Baptist church sounds straight out of a horror flick as everything from ghosts and exorcisms, not to mention a young bride, are associated with it. Built in 1579, it is one of the oldest churches in Mumbai. After an epidemic struck the place in 1840, the church was abandoned. Nobody knows if it was before the abandonment that the stories of a young bride’s ghost harassing visitors came to light. Fed up of these harassments, the people of the area organized an exorcism with the help of a priest in 1977. During its process, screams and shrieks of a young girl could be heard and then they head a sudden splash in the neighboring pond. It is believed that the next morning, all fish of the pond were found dead. Though it is said that the ghost could not be seen after the exorcism, people do not go near the area and the place feels eerie and looks just like those churches in horror films.
6. Aarey Milk Colony
Aarey milk colony is one of the few natural places left in Mumbai. With trees and the greenery, it is really a haven in a place like Mumbai. But at the same time, it is also believed to be haunted. Those who have driven across the colony at night have claimed to have seen a lonely woman wandering in the place with a child in her arms and then suddenly disappearing. Many have claimed to have seen ghosts of women and children at various places in the colony at night.
7. Mukesh Mills
Mukesh mills was a textile mill which was set up by the British somewhere in the 1870s. There was a major fire that almost gutted the entire mill precincts, after which it was abandoned. Today, it looks like a spooky place. In fact, the mill premises can be seen in the Hindi film starring Shahrukh Khan, ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007). Today, it is used as a location for shooting films. Many actors and others working here have reported to have experience eerie incidents. In fact, it is said that many actresses have refused to shoot here fearing such activities.
8. The 8th Floor of Grand Paradi Towers
A look at the Grand Paradi Towers and you feel amazed by its beauty. It is one of the posh apartments in Malabar Hill area in Mumbai, which is known as the place where the rich and the famous live. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the city having been constructed in the 1970s. There is also a rather strange side to these grand towers and that is, it is known as a haunt of suicides. It is said that at least 20 residents, and that too from the same family have jumped to their deaths from the building. Residents attribute these deaths to supernatural activities in the building. It is the 8th floor that is believed to be haunted, and many of the flats on the floor are still unoccupied. Poojas and other rituals were undertaken by the residents to cleanse the place and ward off spirits, but it seems nothing has worked as it continues to be a haunted place.
9. Bombay High Court
Yes, you read it right. Even the Bombay High court is not spared by ghosts. It is believed that there is a ghost who torments and harasses people who remain present during murder trials at the Court. There are reasons to believe this story as it is said that the ghost has been harassing people thus for the last 30 years. Also, there is another factor about the ghost. It is believed that the ghost is bilingual, which means that if the murder trial is in English or Marathi, the local language, the ghost seems to be appearing there to harass the people. This is one ghost that befits the place it is in – a court!
10. Taj Mahal Hotel
Located at Colaba near the Arabian Sea, the Taj Mahal hotel has always occupied a stature of pride in the minds of the citizens and visitors of Mumbai. But the terrorist attacks on the hotel in 2008 also made it one of unfortunate faces of terrorism and a symbol of resilience of the city. Apart from these, there is another facet of the hotel that is quite well-known and that is, of its position as one of the haunted places in Mumbai. It is said that the chief architect of the hotel committed suicide after there was a mistake and the hotel was built on the side opposite to the side originally planned. He was shocked at this error and could not live to see the mistake. It is said that his ghost still wanders by in the hotel lobby at night. Not just staff of the hotel but even guests at the hotel has claimed to have seen the ghost. It is said that he only roams around and does not harm anyone. Still, just the sight of a ghost makes for a chilling experience. That in itself is spooky, right?
Most of these places apart from a few from list can be visited during day time. May be at night, it is not safe to go to abandoned places as even if the ghosts may have taken a retreat at the time, there might be other dangerous elements at the place in the form of criminals. So, beware of the ghosts and the human beings at the same time!
