Deep in the Indian mountains, the Charleville mansion in Shimla is said to be so haunted by the activity of an evil poltergeist that even the owners had to abandon it and it has changed hands many times since then.
India, with its affluent culture and history, is also home to some of the most haunted places in the world, such as the Charleville Mansion, located on the picturesque hill station of Shimla. The city is the capital of Himachal Pradesh, a mountainous region in northern India.
This historic residence, or dâk-bungalow, has long been the subject of blood-curdling stories and inexplicable phenomena that still send shivers down the spines of those who dare to delve into its dim past.
A Victorian-era residence
Built during the colonial era in the delayed 19th century, the Charleville Mansion is an architectural relic of its time. The magnificent facades, intricate woodwork and extensive gardens exemplify the opulence that defined the Victorian period. However, behind the mansion's magnificent façade lies a history marked by a series of mysterious events that have cemented its incredible reputation.
Even Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, recalled seeing a ghost in his writings ““My Own True Ghost Story”the story of a hero who heard a ghost playing billiards in the room next to him while staying in a dâk bungalow in India.
Poltergeist haunting
The legend of Charleville Mansion dates back to the early 20th century when Victor Bayley, the newly appointed Deputy Secretary of the Railway Board, arrived in Shimla with his wife in October 1913.
Enchanted by the prospect of affordable rent, the couple decided to make this stately home their home. Unbeknownst to them, the mansion held a chilling secret. The previous owner, an army officer, abandoned the property because of a sinister poltergeist that roamed its halls.
Sinister room upstairs
It is said that the ghost of a British gentleman haunts the house. The haunting is a poltergeist with destructive and crushing objects in the house, although no one is said to have been physically harmed by it.
The heart of the mansion's hostility seemed to lie in one of the upper rooms, prompting the owner, who had stayed there before the Bayleys, to lock it up. The army officer who had lived there before them didn't really believe in ghosts, but wanted to test it out because of the haunting rumors.
However, to his horror, the next morning the room was in ruins and everything had been turned upside down. Frightened and unable to rationalize these bizarre events, the owner quickly abandoned the mansion, leaving it with a sinister legacy of supernatural forces.
When Victor Bayley and his wife moved in, they encountered no strange occurrences and stayed there for over a year. The unsuspecting couple lives a tranquil life in the mansion, but it is their housemaid who receives an amazing surprise.
A disturbing encounter at the Charleville mansion
One evening, while the couple was going to a party, a housemaid stayed at the residence. As he waited, an eerie feeling came over him and he was forced to explore the room upstairs. His blood ran icy when, to his surprise, he saw a ghostly figure and asked if he wanted something. The British-looking figure didn't answer and just walked through the closed door.
The Bayleys left the house shortly after the incident.
After Victor Bayley's passing, the mansion changed hands and underwent extensive renovations, and most of the people who stayed there had a few stories to tell, and Charleville Manor is still considered one of the most haunted places in India, with its haunted past woven into within its very walls, forever shrouded in incredible mystery.
The last British woman to live there was an elderly lady, Mrs. A. She sold it after India gained independence to an Indian, telling him it was a haunted place. Today it is owned by an Indian gentleman who renovated the entire residence. Despite this, locals claim to have seen the ghost of a British gentleman haunting the mansion in the hills.
Reference:
Charleville Mansion – Shimla's most haunted house – mysterious Himachal
India's Most Haunted: Charleville Mansion in Shimla | India.com
Charleville Mansion – Shimla's most haunted house – mysterious Himachal
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