1. Lake of Skeletons – Roopkund Lake, Chamoli, Uttarakhand
A frozen lake full of hundreds of skeletons scattered across its length. Also known as the Lake of Skeletons, the Roopkund Lake lies about 16500 ft. above the sea level at the most uninhabitable place between The Himalayas. The skeletal remains first came to notice in 1942, when a British forest guard discovered an alarming number of human skeletons floating in the water and lying haphazardly along the lake’s edges after the harsh summer that year had melted off most of the ice from the lake. It was evident….something horrible had happened here.
At first, it was believed to be the remains of Japanese soldiers killed at war. But then in 2004, it was discovered that the skeleton dated back to 850 AD. But what caused such a massive death of hundreds of people all at once? Legend has it that a Goddess, enraged by the defiling (damaging the purity) of her mountain sanctuary, rained death upon these people by flinging hailstorms at them, that were described to be ‘hard as iron balls’. The remains can still be seen as the ice over the lake melts off during summers.
2. Mass Bird Suicide – Jatinga, Assam
In a small village located in Assam, a state in North-eastern India, there occurs a phenomenon so bizarre and horrifying that it is beyond your wildest imagination. Between the months of September and November each year, Jatinga witnesses a mass bird suicide, wherein hundreds of migratory and local birds descend from the sky between 7 and 10 PM, plummeting to their deaths by crashing into buildings and trees in full speed for apparently mysterious reasons.
The phenomenon has baffled scientists and for many years. Locals believe it to be the work of evil spirits haunting the area. Since birds are not known to be suicidal, no one has been able to provide a clear explanation as to why it happens so specifically during the monsoon months and between fixed night timings. The phenomenon has definitely made Jatinga a world famous creepy destination and the mystery remains properly unsolved till date.
3. The Aleya Ghost Lights – West Bengal
If you happen to travel to the swamps of Bengal, you might encounter a creepy, unexplainable pheneomenon – The Aleya Ghost Lights. These are mysterious lights that have been known to lure one to his doom. The swamps and marshes of Bengal have long been haunted by them, floating around in the darkness. The Aleya Ghost Lights are a member of the eerie global family of ghost lights, also known as will-o’-the-wisps. They’re flying, glowing orbs that float above the marshland and lure unwary travelers in the distance.
According to local lore, they’re the souls of fishermen who died accidentally in the area, and anyone who is stupid or careless enough to approach them either dies or becomes irrevocably insane. Such kind of lights have been witnessed in other parts of the world as well. For instance, in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland etc. it is believed that these lights actually mark locations of hidden treasures.
4. The Nine Unknown Men
The Nine Unknown Men are to India what the Illuminati is to the Western world, but even more pervasive and mysterious. According to legend, this powerful secret society was founded by Emperor Asoka in 273 BC after a bloody battle in Kalinga that killed 100,000 men. The bodies of slain men apparently sent the emperor into a state of grief and a horror of war which led him to convert to Buddhism.
The aim of the Nine Men was to protect the methods of destruction from falling into the hands of unqualified people and to further pursue knowledge which would benefit mankind. Each of the Nine Men is supposedly responsible for guarding a single book which dealt with a different branch of potentially hazardous knowledge. The books are known to cover the following subjects: Propaganda & Psychological Warfare, Physiology, Microbiology, Alchemy, Communication, Gravitation, Cosmology, Light and Sociology. Some people believe that the Nine Unknown Men exist to this day.
5. The Cursed Village Of Kuldhara, Near Jaiselmer, Rajasthan
About 15 Km west of Jaisalmer, a city in western Rajasthan, lies the ruins of a village which called Kuldhara. For over 500 years, this village was populated by about 1,500 residents. One night, they all just disappeared. They neither died, nor got abducted – they just left. The reason for their sudden evacuation is lost in time. Some say that an evil minister or dewan in the ruling kingdom once saw the daughter of the village chief and decided to marry her. He even sent the chief a deadline for the marriage, after which he would forcefully enter the village and take the chief’s daughter away with him.
It is believed that all the chiefs of 84 villages met one night and for the sake of their pride and honor, decided to leave the villages in the dark of the night. Nobody knows where they went, but they cursed the area so that no one may live there ever again. Of course, some people tried to take over the cozy, abandoned village. According to legend, all who tried died a brutal death. Some of the people who have died in there are said to still haunt the village, according to paranormal investigators who have experienced some very strange events in the place. Whether all of this is true or not, the village has certainly gained a frightening reputation. It remains deserted to this very day, and no one has even considered repopulating it for a long time.
6. The Village of Twins – Kodinhi, Kerala
In a village near the Mallapuram district of Kerala there lies a mystery. Not a scary mystery, mind you! But one that your eyes can’t absolutely miss. Kodinhi is famously known for its strangely abnormal amount of twins. In a population of about 2000 villagers, there are said to be 350 pairs of identical twins! And it gets stranger as the number of twins born is increasing every year at a staggering rate.
Twins are known to be rare in a country like India. On an average, out of every 1000 Indian births, every fourth birth are twins. But in Kodinhi, this number goes to 45 per 1000 births! Doctors all around the world are completely stumped by this phenomenon and assume that either it is some unknown hereditary factor at work or maybe something that they eat. Until then, the Village of Twins remains one of the strangest mysteries of India.
7. The Mysterious Red Rain – Idukki, Kerala
Idukki experiences a peculiar, unexplainable phenomenon known as the Red Rain. Apparently, red rain fell sporadically on the southern state of Kerala in 2001 from July 25 to September 23, staining clothes with an appearance similar to that of blood. According to locals, a loud thunderclap and flash of light, followed by groves of trees shedding shriveled grey “burnt” leaves, preceded the first colored rain.
The first incident of Red Rain in Idukki can be dated back to 1818. Ever since, the region, also known as ‘The Red Region’, has witnessed this unusual sight intermittently. In Hinduism, it is believed that red rain is the wrath of the Gods for punishing sinners. It is a signal of destruction and woe. Some believe the killing of innocents leads to red rain. Many scientists have proposed a possible explanation for the phenomenon. Some say that the rain contains micro-organisms that were responsible for the origin of life on earth. Others suggest an extra-terrestrial activity. Whatever be the explanation, the red color in the rain is a cause of curiosity and fear amongst villagers that still remains unsolved till date.
8. The Jodhpur Boom – Jodhpur, Rajasthan
On December 18, 2012, the people of Jodhpur were awakened by a sudden deafening boom, crashing in the sky much like the sonic boom caused by a supersonic jet, but more aggressive….like a deadly explosion. The people obviously scared by the loud sound inquired about it. But as it happens, there were no planes flying over the sea that day and absolutely no explosions had taken place in the area. The source of ‘The Jodhpur Boom’ became a mystery.
Weirdly enough, there were similar unexplainable booms reported across different parts of the world during that entire month. These booms were witnessed over a course of several weeks and they were sometimes accompanied by strange green lights. Geologists were confused as these booms were in no way similar to the testing of any new Air Force planes and it was something they had never encountered before. So what caused these booms? Were they connected to one another somehow? Was it some strange new weapon or an alien activity? The mystery remains unsolved.
9. The Kongka La Pass UFO Base in The Himalayas, Ladakh, J&K
Believed to be the most inaccessible places in the world, the Kongka La Pass, located among the Himalayas, is a disputed border area between India and China. It is where the two countries had an armed conflict in 1962. Since then, India and China have gotten into an agreement according to which none of the two countries patrol the area but they do keep an eye on it from a distance. As such, the area is more or less a no man’s land. Perhaps, this is why this place is believed to be the Underground Base of UFO’s.
The place has recorded many UFO sightings in the past and reportedly has a series of underground constructs that UFO’s have chosen as their operating base. Many locals and travelers claim to have seen a UFO rising from their underground lair and descending back once they’ve done whatever it is that UFO’s go out to do.
Many believe that both the Indian and Chinese Governments are aware of the alien activity and the UFO bases in the area and are possibly even cooperating with the extraterrestrials said to pilot the mysterious airships. In 2006, Google Earth came up with images that baffled the world. The imagery revealed that the surrounding area had buildings that looked very much like a military facility. Whatever it is out there, it is mysterious and unexplainable till date.
10. The Bhoot Billi
Also known as the ‘Ghost Cat’, the Bhoot Billi is a mysterious monster that was terrorizing certain parts of India, particularly in areas near Pune, Maharashtra. A weird cryptid that appears to be a hybrid between a cat, a dog and a mongoose, the Bhootbilli is capable of long jumps, and has reportedly jumped, at least once, in a tree to escape those people who have tried to catch it. It has been described to be huge and ferocious and its size is said to be “smaller than a lion but bigger than a hyena.”
There have been many sightings of the beast and the locals are sure that it is a monster. Whatever it is, India has witnessed many strange animal sightings in the past, like the famous Monkey Man of Delhi. But experts believe that India has a history of over-reacting and exaggerating to such sightings and they believe that the creature is no more than a little civet cat and a lot of imagination.
11. The Magnetic Hill – Ladakh, J&K
Located around 11000 feet above sea level in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh is a mystical and absolutely stunning place that needs a visit at least once in your lifetime. Out of the several enchanting places in Ladakh, one is of particular interest: The Magnetic Hill, a small stretch of road located about 30 km from Leh on the way to Kargil. This particular part of the Srinagar-Leh highway can be clearly seen to be going uphill, but if you stand at the right place, turned off your engine and put your vehicle in neutral, it will slowly move on its own and can go up to a speed of 20 km/hr.
It is rumored that there once lied a pathway on this patch of road that led straight to heaven. People who were deserving of it would be pulled up automatically while the others could never make up the path, no matter how hard they tried. Experts believe that the Magnetic Hill is just an optical illusion wherein a slightly downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope due to an obstructed horizon. Whatever it is it does attract thousands of tourists to this place just to experience the phenomenon.
12. The Immortal Beings of the Himalayas
Hidden in a valley in the remote Himalayas, it is said, is Gyanganj, a home for immortals. Call it Shambala, Shangri-La or Siddhashram, believers say this celestial kingdom shapes our destiny. Gyanganj is believed to be an ancient Indo-Tibetan tale about a kingdom of mysterious immortal beings, hiding from the world but possessing the power to influence it in various subtle ways when needed. It is said that the so called city is carefully camouflaged and exists in a completely different parallel reality in order to protect it from modern mapping and satellites.
However, according to legend, the yetis or the enlightened beings of the Himalayas that inhabit the fabled region are known to let in a visitor every now and then in order to share their wisdom and wit with them. There have in fact been many legends of kings and sadhus who’ve claimed to meet these enlightened immortals and be guided towards immense knowledge.
13. The Haunted Bhangarh Fort – Bhangarh, Rajasthan
The abandoned fort of Bhangarh, located in Rajasthan is one of the most haunted places on Earth and the top haunted place in India, so much so that the Archaeological Survey of India has put up a sign outside the fort, prohibiting people to enter it after sunset. Locals living in the surrounding area had to move their entire town outside the limits of the fort because of the alleged hauntings. Legend has it that the city of Bhangarh was cursed by a holy man named Baba Balnath. He had given permission for the town’s construction so long as the heights of the building do not cast a shadow over his home. It is said that a young Prince happened to do just that and that led Baba Balnath to curse the entire city. Many believe he is still buried there till date.
Another legend says that a wizard named Singhiya fell in love with the Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati. To make her fall in love with him, the wizard placed a spell upon a fragrance being purchased by the Princess’ maid, so that upon touching it she would become his forever. But Ratnavati found out what the wizard was up to and foiled his plan. Totally enraged, the wizard placed a curse upon Bhangarh and many locals claim that his ghost still roams across the ill-fated city. Some locals believe that Princess Ratnavati has reincarnated in a new body and the Bhangarh Fort awaits her return, as only she can put an end to the curse.
Whatever be the true legend, the hauntings are definitely real and it is rumored that many people who have entered the fort after dark, haven’t returned. Nevertheless, the constant reporting of ghost sightings has landed the fort among the most haunted places in India and attracts many tourists who wish to experience the thrill inside.
14. Krishna’s Butterball – Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Krishna’s Butterball, located in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, is well known for its stone carvings. The Butterball is a huge rock around 5 meters in diameter, carefully lying on a smooth slope. But here is the interesting part: Apparently, the slope is way too slippery. So much so that local children use it as a natural slide. Yet, somehow, this giant rock doesn’t move which is in fact defies all laws of Physics. The rock is a popular tourist attraction and many tourists can be seen posing for pictures seeming to hold the rock from the other end! What makes the rock stand stiff and prevent from slipping in what seems to be a slip pit, is a mystery. But that’s the whole point of it right?
15. The Curious Case of the Levitating Stone – Shivapur, Maharashtra
About 160 Km east from Mumbai, lies a hamlet called Shivapur, which embodies the shrine of Hazrat Qamar Ali, home to a peculiar levitating stone. According to legend, around 800 years ago, there was a gymnasium in place of the shrine. A Sufi named Qamar Ali was born into a family of middle-class Muslims whose men-folk prided themselves on their muscular prowess. Qamar Ali, unlike his aggressive older brothers, was introspective and gentle. When he was just six, he became a disciple of Sufi Pir and fasted and meditated for days until devotees began flocking to his doorstep drawn by the young Sufi’s mystique and healing powers.
Qamar Ali died in his late teens but as he lay on his deathbed, he requested that a circular stone weighing 200 pounds, be placed near his tomb. He said that the stone could only be lifted when 11 fingers touched it all at once and called out its name loudly. He wanted it to be a symbol….a reminder that spiritual power is greater than brute strength. To this day, the magical stone can be lifted and levitated by calling out its name. Anti-gravity or poltergeist activity? Who knows, but the shrine is a must visit if you want to experience something extraordinary!
16. The Gravity Defying Palace : Bada Imambara – Lucknow, U.P.
Imagine a huge hall around 50 meters long and 15 meters wide held up without any pillars, beams or any external support! Impossible right? But is it? Believe it or not there exists such a place in the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh:The Bada Imambada, known by many as the gravity defying palace. The Bada Imambada is actually a shrine that was built by the Fourth Nawab, Barak Asaf-ud-Daula, in the year 1784. The palace houses the tombs of Asaf-ud-Daula and his family and is also believed to hold riches. The central hall, as described above, is suspended without any supporting beams or pillars. What makes it even more interesting is that one can encounter certain whispering sounds in the balcony across the hallway. This is, in fact, one of the largest arched constructions in the world.
17. The Reincarnation of Shanti Devi
Shanti Devi was a normal girl born in Delhi in the 1930’s. But when she turned four, she started acting strange and was unhappy with her life. She constantly told her parents that she belonged somewhere else and that her parents were not her real parents. She claimed her name was Ludgi Devi and that she died while giving birth to her child. She also gave very specific details regarding her husband and family life.
Shanti’s parents worried by her behavior and claims, decided to inquire and what they found out was beyond belief. There was indeed a woman named Ludgi Devi in the town that Shanti claimed to have lived and she died of childbirth, exactly like Shanti had told her parents. The town existed and so did her husband and her family. When Shanti eventually met her ‘husband from previous life’, she recognized him instantly and acted like a mother towards her child. Upon learning about her story, the newspapers started covering it and became quite interested.
It turns out that Shanti was not only able to remember every instance from her past life, but also the time between life and death – the afterlife, where she claimed that she met Lord Krishna who told her to spread the story about her experiences. Hundreds of researchers have tried hard to prove her reincarnation wrong and fake but have always failed considerably.
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