I recently visited this hill station called Panchgani (which I have already mentioned in the last two posts). While I was out on a walk with my revered camera, I came across this old, dilapidated but awe-inspiring house.
I was told by locals that I wasn't permitted to go anywhere near it. There was a Kali Mandir outside with a board which said "vetala", which in Sanskrit means an evil spirit taking demonic possession of a corpse, according to folklore. Being the avid photographer that I am, I wanted to get closer to capture the mystique of the house. However, I had to abide by the locals. A certain community had built the temple and had performed several rituals to keep the spirit out. When I asked them about the story behind the house, they told me this : years ago, a family of four who lived in the house set themselves on fire under uncanny circumstances and died. Since then the house had been out of bounds and subject to several protective enchantments and rituals. There was another house named Mon Plaisir nearby, which was abandoned as well because it probably belonged to the same family or was considered just as ominous. It was the quintessential "Bhoot Bangla". I just dismissed it as an old wives tale. It was undeniably just a source of entertainment for the people in a small, uneventful town.
I don't believe in paranormal, unearthly and supernatural elements and occults. So instead of being haunted by the extramundane story I had just heard, I tried to find a rational reason for their death. The most probable and pragmatic answer that struck me was that the family may have been facing unresolvable financial problems, and so resorted to death. Isn't that possible? Why can't we think logically? Just because we can't find an answer, why blame it on supernatural elements?
I was told by locals that I wasn't permitted to go anywhere near it. There was a Kali Mandir outside with a board which said "vetala", which in Sanskrit means an evil spirit taking demonic possession of a corpse, according to folklore. Being the avid photographer that I am, I wanted to get closer to capture the mystique of the house. However, I had to abide by the locals. A certain community had built the temple and had performed several rituals to keep the spirit out. When I asked them about the story behind the house, they told me this : years ago, a family of four who lived in the house set themselves on fire under uncanny circumstances and died. Since then the house had been out of bounds and subject to several protective enchantments and rituals. There was another house named Mon Plaisir nearby, which was abandoned as well because it probably belonged to the same family or was considered just as ominous. It was the quintessential "Bhoot Bangla". I just dismissed it as an old wives tale. It was undeniably just a source of entertainment for the people in a small, uneventful town.
The Actual Haunted House
I don't believe in paranormal, unearthly and supernatural elements and occults. So instead of being haunted by the extramundane story I had just heard, I tried to find a rational reason for their death. The most probable and pragmatic answer that struck me was that the family may have been facing unresolvable financial problems, and so resorted to death. Isn't that possible? Why can't we think logically? Just because we can't find an answer, why blame it on supernatural elements?
Mon Plaisir
P.S. - Sorry for the overload. This is the last post on Panchgani promise :p
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