Stories from beyond the grave

As kids, and even as adults, most of us have enjoyed listening to ghost stories by the torchlight during a sleepover. “The innate need to believe that there is something beyond our own existence makes us more receptive to supernatural experiences,” says Akriti Singh, ghost storyteller and theatre person. “I speak to people in my story-telling sessions about experiences I have had and that my friends have had and then leave it open to the audience to share their stories,” she explains. “A lot of stories which I now tell are from my previous sessions and it is an interesting and organic way for my story bank to grow.”

As she prepares for her next workshop in the city, Akriti also claims to have had quite a few supernatural experiences in Mumbai.

“Like any other city, Mumbai has its share of ghost stories and haunted places,” she says. “Once I was standing in an auditorium directing some kids for a stage play and I felt someone tap my shoulder. When I turned around, there was no one behind me. Maybe at one point, I would have been scared but I’ve come to a point in my life where I just embrace the fact that there is someone there.”

It is not just Akriti who has experienced something spooky in the city. Urban legends abound and some places, especially, are renowned for supernatural tales.

Vrindavan Society, Thane One of the better-known and populated colonies in Thane, Vrindavan Society came into existence in 1984 and has over a hundred buildings in the area. However, building 66 B has had a reputation for being haunted, for years. According to the locals, a middle aged man committed suicide in that building. Most residents of the area have narrated the incident of a sleeping watchman being slapped so hard that he fell off his chair. While he thought his partner during the night duty had assaulted him, they soon realised that a more supernatural force was at play, says the story. There are also tales of people hearing whispers in their ears while out in the night and it’s pretty common for young boys to go ghost hunting when the lights go out.

Aarey Milk Colony Road, Goregaon The scenic colony has an arterial road passing through, lined with trees on both sides, but is also infamous for multiple accidents that occur here. Come night and the largely unlit streets wear a sinister look and have spooked more than a couple of people driving along the roads. According to locals, a woman clad in a white saree asks for lifts and will even chase the car if the driver won’t stop. There are tales of crying babies and disappearing old strangers in the vicinity too.

St. John the Baptist Church, Andheri Situated inside the SEEPZ area in Andheri East, the ruins of the St. John the Baptist Church has had a legendary status as one of Mumbai’s most haunted areas. PS Ganesan, a former government officer at SEEPZ wrote a book called Ghosts, Occults & Exorcists: True and Real Experiences, which contained a story about him witnessing an exorcism in the abandoned Portuguese church in 1977. The ghost of a woman had tormented the residents and a priest conducted an exorcism to put her spirit to rest. Witnesses claimed to have heard a loud splash in a nearby pond. The next morning, all the fish in the pond were found dead. The spirit was said to be that of a young bride who was either killed or committed suicide 300 years ago. The church is occupied for just one mass in a year, leaving it abandoned the rest of the time, adding to its eerie reputation.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali Picnickers and visitors in the national park share their space with multiple species of wild animals, including leopards that roam freely in the jungle area. The national park is also home to the 1st century BC constructed Kanheri caves, a favourite of history buffs in the city. Given the wild and old nature of the park’s ecology, ghost stories and urban legends are bound to be present. A commonly narrated tale is that of a female hitchhiker dressed in white obstructing the path of hikers and even occasionally disappearing into thin air, in full view of a crowd. The caves themselves are supposed to be a hotbed of paranormal activity, most of which revolve around stories of hikers.