Ssshhhh...koi hai: Delhiites explore Malcha Mahal’s mystery

Not very far from Delhi’s iconic buildings like the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Diplomatic Enclave sits Malcha Mahal – a hunting lodge built in the 14th century –which today hosts bats, bees and some spirits, maybe. Ghost stories, eerie trails, and spooky legends are being discussed again as Delhi Tourism has begun conducting haunted walks in the capital, an extension of the heritage walks initiative.


Crossing the lush green forest, home to monkeys, jackals, butterflies and vilayati kikar, a group of 20 people explored the home of Begum Wilayat Mahal, who claimed that she was a descendant of the royal family of Oudh. “This place assumes a lot of curiosity as the queen and her children remained cut off from the city for all the years they inhabited the lodge,” said the walk leader Dushyant Singh while narrating the story of the family that was surrounded in mystery.

‘Mystery attracts everyone, age no bar’
“These heritage walks help promote lesser-known buildings in Delhi and the stories behind them. Haunted walks are receiving good feedback and Delhi citizens are showing a lot of interest in these unconventional tours,” said Atul Pandey, Tourist Information Officer with Delhi Tourism. The leader of the walk was impressed by the group of attendees. “Mystery attracts people across age groups. People have reportedly heard sounds of payal and someone screeching here, and this mystery has brought people to this walk,” he said.


Attendees found this mysterious trail intriguing."It was incredible. I didn't get spooked out because I had read the legend so many times. So my interest in history and curiosity to know more brought me here," said Kyra, a law student, staying in Delhi. Sarita Kochhar, who attended the walk along with her husband Gp Capt (Retd) GS Kochhar, said, "I just wanted to come and see how someone survived secluded from the society. I had been waiting for haunted walks to start in the city, for mysteries to unravel. I didn't want to come here alone though."