Did murder of a British woman in Mussoorie inspire Agatha Christie? A new podcast traces the origin of ghost stories in India
Baba Harbhajan Singh’s spirit is said to guard soldiers at Nathu La pass. There is a shrine there honouring the late Army captain. Pic/Getty Images
It all started in December 2021 when she was interviewed by Bound—a storytelling company—for their podcast Books and Beyond. It got her ruminating about a podcast about the dark, regional lore of India, and a few months later, it became a reality with Bound being the producer and co-creator of the podcast.
Das loves listening to Lore, an American podcast that explores the origins of urban legends, unsolved mysteries and horror folklore in the US and Europe. “I thought of doing something similar and started asking questions. For example, I was curious about the chudail legend which is a recurring demon in many South Asian stories,” she says. “I wanted to trace where it came from, why it exists, and the history behind it.” Thus was born Rumours: Dark Lore from India.
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The Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie has many ghost stories centred around the murder of a British spritualist in 1911. PIC/ITC HOTELS WEBSITE
Her research took her back to her childhood. “I have been a collector of dark folklore for a very long time. It’s almost a hobby,” shares the 36-year-old. “I ask anthropological and sociological questions.” On her quest, she realised that many of these stories were orally transmitted and kept changing from region to region. Yet, there was a recurring theme or leitmotif that ran through them.
The 12 episodes cover lores such as the story of captain/Baba Harbhajan Singh, whose ghost is said to protect soldiers at Nathu La pass; tales of spirits chained to trees in Pakistan and Kerala; the cursed grounds of Rajasthan; the hauntings of the Indian Railways; a black magic village in Assam, and many more.
The last one is a personal favourite of Das. Growing up in Assam, she had heard many stories about Mayong. While doing research for the podcast she was surprised to find that the reputation was generated in medieval and ancient times by the village itself. There were two reasons behind it: It was a good way to draw students to the many schools of mantra and ayurveda in the village. Secondly, it was a weapon of psychological warfare for the Ahom kings.
Chandrima Das
Another intriguing story is a murder mystery in Mussoorie. “There are many stories about the Savoy Hotel being haunted,” says the Bandra-based author. “It’s a recurring theme in Ruskin Bond’s writings. Most of the stories trace back to 1911, when a British spiritualist was murdered there. It was one of the most sensational court cases of that time. The accused was also a woman, who had taught the victim esoteric things, like how to conduct seances. She wasn’t even around when the murder took place, so the police put it down to the accused using supernatural powers to commit murder.” A wow moment occurred when Das heard that Agatha Christie’s first murder mystery was inspired by this crime.
WHAT: Rumours: Dark Lore from India
WHEN: Every Friday
WHERE: All streaming platforms
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