Mohammand Ali Jinnah was once asked about his ancestry, on this he proudly said that he is descendants of Rajputs.
He was from the Lohana subtribes of Rajputs also known as Thakurs or Thakkars. This word is derived from Takhars . During the Kushana period, which reached its peak in the time of Kanishka, Kushana kingdom Included all of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India except extreme south and northeast.
Kanishka himself was from the Takhar province of Afghanistan. Large number of Takharians settled in all parts of India upto Bengal in the east and Maharashtra in the south and Gujrat and Sindh in the west. They being from the ruling class arrogated to the status of petty landlords in all of their occupied areas. Brahmins were forced to accord them as low class Kshatriyas(Rajputra) unwillingly for their own sake , Takhars did not care much. Gradually Takhar word became synonymous with Thakur in Sindh , Rajasthan and Bihar, and as Thakkar in Gujrat and Saurashtra.
Lohana thakurs were spread in Sindh and Kathiawad. During the invasion of Muhammad bin Quasim , Lohana Rajputs or Thakurs defected from Raja Dahir. But did not support Mohammad bin Quasim either. Thus they can be termed as traitors.
All Thakkars or Thakurs were non-vegetarians to begin with as originally they were from a cold area but due to Vaishnava and Jain influence of Gujrat, Lohanas of Kathiawad/Saurashtra were turned vegetarian as a norm.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s grand father was Hindu by the name of Premji Meghji Thakkar, whose son’s name was Punjalal Thakkar. Premji Meghji started a business that involves trading of fishes. This was a taboo for Lohana community. It is not sure whether Premji became non-vegetarian or not.
But Lohanas shunned them from the community , however Premji did not care and continue with his business as usual without any hindrances in his trade by anyone including Lohanas. He was not in a position to leave the trade as it was giving good dividends. His son Punjalal went a step ahead and perhaps became non-vegetarian apart from being in fish business. This precludes any chances of him to be taken as part of Lohanas again. Punjalal was married to a girl named Mithibai and gave birth to eldest son who was later to be Mohammad Ali Jinnah , It was during this time that Premji tried again to get united with the Lohana community but failed. Young Punjalal was not happy with his fathers humble entreaties.
There was possibility of them being remained ostracized and still lived normally as it did not change their life style and no one was threatening their life for trading in fish or eating flesh(probably, not sure). But Punja Lal was a crooked man, he wants to teach Lohanas a lesson, he was a man of revenge. Thus he found a good platform in the form of Islam, that matched his intent closely. Immediately after the birth of the fourth son he got himself converted to Islam along with his wife and kids. This must have been around 1885.
It is interesting to note that Punjalal decided to convert to Islam but not to other Indian religions prevalent in Gujrat. He could also continue with Hinduism as he was well off and his business was not affected due to ostracism. Vaishnavs accept any person who accepts his sins and decides to conform to non violence henceforth, notwithstanding the previous credentials thus this was the option available in the then Gujrat. Another option was Jainism. Jains do not ask for previous credentials and accepts the person after certain questionnaires. Jainism was alive in Gujrat in those days.
The Similar event happened in 1935 when Dr Ambedkar decided to renounce Hinduism. But Dr Sahib took his time, he studied all major religions without bias and decided to convert to Buddhism although Buddhism at that time was not the living religion in India. This took him 21 years of rigorous study of religions before converting to Buddhism. He was sure as he has written in his autobiography that Islam and Christianity cuts one person of their root. This was not acceptable to him.
Punja Lal was an ordinary stuff. Moreover it is quite possible that he might have lots of Muslims friends as trade partners or due to his typical business which is normally manned by Muslims to this day. These friends might have prompted him to become Muslim.
Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography has narrated an eventful period of his life when he was impressed by his Muslim friend Mushtaq who was strong and could run miles without tiring. Gandhi started taking flesh under the influence of Mushtaq but his conscious was strong enough to coerce him retracing his steps. He later repented. Here it is important to note that when he has written his autobiography and narrated this incidence , no one from his community raised a finger or ostracized him from the society of Kathiavadi Baniyas.
Basically Punjalal seems to be a sensitive and susceptible person. He was lean and thin and thus was called as Jinno, this might have also irritated to him. Another thing is that when his father was insulted, it was he who converted to Islam not his father who was actually insulted. So he possessed a reactive personality who could not withstand anyone saying anything against anyone of his family. He was hasty and quick decision maker and was not going to wait for 21 years like Dr Ambedkar. He was easily becoming angry and ever ready to take revenge. All these attributes we find in his illustrious but controversial son Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Another thing is that there is not much point in blaming Lohana community to ostracize Premji Thakkar for this profession. Vegetarianism is the most cherished virtue , it is complete way of life , not only eating. It also entails that one does not involve in a profession that deals even remotely with the killing of animals or birds. But like all other virtues , it is difficult to sustain given the instinctive human nature for vices like meat, vine and women. Thus it is but obvious that Lohanas were going to take such action as they did.
Had there been no Jinnah , Pakistan would still be there. As harbinger of Pakistan the Muslim league was founded by Aga Khan in 1906 in Dhaka when Jinnah was no where in the picture.
Three battles of Panipat were fought in Indian history: First in 1526 between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi, Second in 1556 between Akbar and Hemu and the Third in 1761 between Durrani Empire and Maratha Empire.
First Battle of Panipat (1526)
The first battle of Panipat saw emergence of the Mughals, mightiest power in Indian History. According to legends it was the oldest Indian battles to have used gunpowder firearms and field artillery. The battle was fough between two mega-powers. Babur, then ruler of Kabul and Ibrahim Lodhi, king of Delhi Sultanate. It was fought near Panipat (present day Haryana).
First Battle of Panipat
Although Babur had a fighting Army of 8,000 soldiers and Lodhi had around 40,000 soldiers along with 400 war elephants, yet the main element that proved an ace-card for Babur for the use of field artillery. Apart from fighting and defeating men, the artillery was powerful to scare elephants and cause havoc amongst them. In the end, it was Babur who emerged victorious and established the Mughal Empire, while Ibrahim Lodhi perished in the Battle.
Second Battle of Panipat (1556)
The Second battle of Panipat marked the beginning of Akbar’s reign in India, as it was in the first year of his holding the throne. The battle was fought between Akbar (Ruler of Mughal Dynasty) and Muhammad Adil Shah (ruler of Pashtan Suri Dynasty), along with his Prime Minister Hemu.
In the year 1556, Akbar had successfully taken up the throne of his father when Mughals had spread across Kabul, Kandahar and parts of Delhi and Punjab. Hemu (Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya) was the military chief of Afghan Sultan Mohammad Adil Shah, who was the ruler of Chunar at that point. Adil Shah was on a trail to remove Mughals from India.
Second Battle of PanipatTaking the advantage of Humayun’s death he was successful in capturing the reigns of Agra and Delhi without much difficulty. This victory of Adil Shah and Hemu didn’t last much as Bairam Shah, who was the chief Minister and guardian of Akbar proceeded with a large army towards Delhi.
The battle was fought at Panipat with strong competitors on both sides. Hemu had a large army along with 1500 War elephants. Hemu was struck with an arrow in his eye and subsequently the army got panicked seeing their unconscious leader. The battle concluded with Mughals crowned with victory.
The head of Hemu was chopped and the torso was made to travel to Delhi to celebrate the grand victory of Mughals. Thus, it was this ferocious battle that reestablished the strong Mughal Empire which had a powerful reign of Akbar to create history.
Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
The third battle of Panipat was fought between the Afghans and the Marathas. The battle was significant as it marked the end of Maratha dominance in India. At the time of this battle Afghans were under the leadership of Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas under the leadership of Peshwas had established control across Northern India. During the eighteenth century the parallel decline of Mughal Empire and defeat of Marathas in the battle of Panipat saw a new beginning of the colonial rule in India.
The main cause attributed towards the defeat of Marathas in the battle was the lack of allies due to their brutal behavior during the earlier years of reign. All important rulers including Sikhs, Jats, Kingdom of Awadh, Rajputs and many more were all upset with the treatment of Marathas towards them. The third battle of Panipat was fought in between Kaalaa Aamb and Sanauli road of present day. Both forces moved in lines, but intelligently the Afghans had cut all possible lines for Maratha Forces.
Third Battle of PanipatThe Maratha Army consisted of the artillery in front, protected by infantry, pike men, bowman and musketeers. The cavalry was instructed to wait behind the artillery and bayonet holding musketeers and they were ready to charge when control of battlefield is fully established. Behind the line were thirty thousand young men who were not that expert in fighting and then about thirty thousand civilians.
This civilian line consisted of many middle class men, women, children who took this as an opportunity to visit pilgrimage to visit holy places and shrines and also Aryavarta (Aryan land). Behind the civilian line there was another protective infantry line composed of comparatively young and experienced soldiers.
On the other hand the Afghans also formed up a similar kind of Infantry in the third battle of Panipat, the left wing formed by the Najib`s Rohillas and the right wing by two brigades of Persian troops. The left center was controlled by two higher officials, Shuja-ud-Daulah and ahmad shah`s Vizier Shah Wali. The right center consisted of Rohillas, under Hafiz Rahamat and other chiefs of the Indian Pathans.
Pasand Khan led the left wing, which was composed of well-chosen Afghan horsemen. This way the army moved forward with the Shah at the center so that he could watch and control the battle. The battle lasted for two months which ultimately resulted in the defeat of Marathas and end of their dominance in India.
Two physicians treating Hitler, doctors Morell and Schenk, claimed he had Parkinson’s Disease. In 1939, that was a death sentence within a few years. This could have motivated Hitler to start the war insanely early—while he was still alive and mentally alert—in September of that year.
In 1939, the German Army was totally not ready—their tanks were pitiful (essentially the MK I/II/III were armored cars), they had only a handful of U-boats operational, and no reserves of fuel, winter clothing, etc. As an example, Chief of U-boats Karl Doenitz estimated he needed at least 300 boats to effectively attack Atlantic convoys, of which a third would typically be in maintenance, a third in transit, and a third available to attack shipping. In September of 1939 he had only 26 boats total, of which about 8 (on a good day) would be available for oceanic operations, with the rest in “pipeline.” Similarly, the fuel stocks were so low that secret reports reported they were almost exhausted in 1942, leading to the risky Operation Edelweiss, a desperate turn of Army forces to the South, to try to seize Caucasus oil wells.
The German armed forces did not get their really good weapons (Me262 fighter, Panther tank, MG42, MP44 assault gun, Schnorchel Uboat, etc.) into production until very late in 1943, at which time the factories were slowed down by bombing. The only exceptional thing they had in 1940 was training and command and control—command cars with wireless sets coordinated forces even during rapid advances, something others could not do.
By the beginning of 1944, Hitler was on increasingly heavy medication, and he was shuffling and trembling, and knew the end was imminent. He stopped making public speeches, and was rarely seen in public.
His uncontrollably trembling left hand was already evident several years before. It is very evident on a youtube clip, at This Video Exposes Hitler's Secret Illness. The video and the attached photo shows him using his right hand, patting children’s cheeks, while his left is hidden behind his back. This may be why his left hand was often hooked into his belt while giving his copied-from-Rome salute, to stop it from trembling.
He apparently had advanced syphilis, as well. The symptoms are similar to Parkinson’s, and several physicians diagnosed him with this. Again, this was a sure time bomb for how long he could maintain command. He mentioned this disease many times in his writings, and seemed to be obsessed with it. The combined effect of the two incapacitating and fatal diseases may be why he stayed in the bunker and kept the war going until the end, keeping his physicians close to him—he knew he had no future in the outside world.
Hitler was an extensive opioid and meth abuser, and used cocaine to “clear his sinuses.” His extensive personal medical records, consisting of over 200 pages and compiled by his six (!) chief physicians, show he was using or abusing some 28 different drugs. His inner circle knew that although he was a vegetarian, he passed gas—he had uncontrollable flatulence problems. The abuse of opioids and coke of course leads to periods of extreme highs (and feelings of unrealistic, “bulletproof” power) followed by crashes, which his officers often witnessed
If you believe in life, you must believe in death. If you believe in God, you must believe in Satan. If you believe in the alive, you must believe in the dead. And if you believe in the dead, the real ghost stories in India that have been mentioned in this piece are going to scare the hell out of you.
Everybody has heard a real-life tale or two about some of the scariest places in India. Some people act brave, but the fact remains that a few uncanny stories are spooky, like really spooky. Blame it on circumstances, but spine-chilling accounts confirm the presence of ghosts and spirits, especially when they come from locals.
The Most Haunted Places In India
Well, mostly cemeteries, forts, and abandoned houses are considered to be haunted, but India’s top haunted spots include school and hospital buildings, libraries, hotels, courts, and metro stations. For example, the haunted places in Shimla include the Convent of Jesus & Mary and Indira Gandhi Medical College.f you believe in life, you must believe in death. If you believe in God, you must believe in Satan. If you believe in the alive, you must believe in the dead. And if you believe in the dead, the real ghost stories in India that have been mentioned in this piece are going to scare the hell out of you.
Everybody has heard a real-life tale or two about some of the scariest places in India. Some people act brave, but the fact remains that a few uncanny stories are spooky, like really spooky. Blame it on circumstances, but spine-chilling accounts confirm the presence of ghosts and spirits, especially when they come from locals. This 25 most haunted places in India just won’t stop haunting as long as their weird tales keep spooking you.
Well, mostly cemeteries, forts, and abandoned houses are considered to be haunted, but India’s top haunted spots include school and hospital buildings, libraries, hotels, courts, and metro stations. For example, the haunted places in Shimla include the Convent of Jesus & Mary and Indira Gandhi Medical College. Kolkata’s haunted places include a metro station and a library. Even Delhi’s Karkardooma Court is a slight misfit.
But the very aura of these places is scary to the core, thanks to the gory folklore associated with them. The tales have been passed on from generation to generation and thus the attached tag—or taboo—continues to grow stronger with passing years. And not even one community dares to defy the presence of supernatural beings; each state of India has its own share of haunted places and stories. Have a look at these haunted places and the presumably true Indian ghost stories associated with them.
1. Bhangarh Fort in Alwar: Most popular among the ASI approved haunted places in India
The extent of the hauntedness of the Bhangarh Fort is evident from the fact that the Archaeological Society of India has put up warning signs forbidding the tourists to be present in the precincts of the fort after sunset. Hence, no wonder, the fort ranks on the top of the list of most haunted places in India. evident from the fact that the Archaeological Society of India has put up warning signs forbidding the tourists to be present in the precincts of the fort after sunset. Hence, no wonder, the fort ranks on the top of the list of most haunted places in India. Bhangarh Fort is known worldwide for its hauntedness. As per the story associated with the most haunted place in India, Tantrik Singhia fell in love with Princess Ratnavati. He tried to use magic to win over her, but the princess got to know of his evil plans and ordered him killed. Before the tantrik died, he cursed the residents of the fort to die and the village dwellers to remain roofless forever. Certain villages in the city are roofless. Even if a roof is built, it collapses soon after.
2. Brij Raj Bhavan in Kota: Home of the harmless ghost
Brij Raj Bhavan Palace, an old palace built in early 19th century and converted into a heritage hotel in 1980, is one of the haunted places to visit in India. It is claimed to be home to the harmless ghost of Major Burton who was killed by the Indian sepoys during the Mutiny of 1857. This ghost in India is rumored to walk the corridors of the palace and occasionally slap the guards who sleep on their duties.
3. Kuldhara in Rajasthan: Haunted village near Jaisalmer
Known to be a deserted ghost village, Kuldhara is located near Jaisalmer and has been abandoned since the 19th century. It was established in 1291 by Paliwal Brahmins, known for their business acumen and agricultural knowledge. One night in 1825, all the people of Kuldhara and 83 nearby villages vanished all of a sudden.
The mystery of the vanishing villagers is quite intriguing. Though a story talks of Salim Singh, then minister of state, who fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the village chieftain. He threatened the villagers of huge taxes, should they fail to get him married to her. The chief of the village, along with those of the nearby 83 villages, decided to abandon their villages. It is also said that the villagers, before leaving, cursed the village that no one could ever inhabit the land.
4. Dumas Black Sand Beach in Surat: Only few returned to tell the tale
The thing about the most haunted places in India is that they differ so much in their nature and topology. It is believed that the beach was used as a burial ground for long and hence is home to several tortured souls. People have reported hearing whispers of other people talking when they were alone on the beach. But these reports have been given by only a few of them. Rest? Well, they never returned from their midnight stroll on the beach.
5. GP Block in Meerut: Ghosts involved in merry-making
Ranked among the North India’s most haunted places, GP Block in Meerut is known for its numerous ghosts. Several locals have spotted ghosts of girls in red dresses and ghosts of men drinking right outside the building though none of the witnesses could figure out who these people really were. The ghosts disappeared whenever any brave-heart dared to go close to them.
6. Graveyard in Dagshai: Ghosts that bless women with baby boys
Not all ghosts present in the most haunted places in India are bad, or so believe the people of Dagshai. According to a tale, an 8-month pregnant wife of a British Army officerdiedin an accident and was buried here. A marble structure of a lady and her baby being blessed by an elf in its lap was placed in this graveyard. A superstition among the wives of Indian Army officers exists that a marble piece from the grave would bless them with a baby boy.
7. Tunnel No. 33 on Shimla-Kalka Train Route: Friendly ghost of Captain Barog
Tunnel No 33 on the Kalka-Shimla train route is one of the most haunted places in Shimla. Captain Barog, a British engineer, was in charge of building this tunnel but failed to build it. The British fined him and he killed himself out of humiliation. His spirit is rumored to roam in the tunnel and have friendly conversations with those who see him. Locals also claim to have seen a woman screamingly running into the tunnel and then vanishing.
8. Charleville Mansion in Shimla: Deserted castle from the British-era
Charleville Mansion, a century-old deserted castle, was built in the British Era and was rented in 1913 by the British officer Victor Bayley and his wife. But, little did he know that the house was also home to a poltergeist. When he heard the tale of the poltergeist from a local, he decided to test the authenticity of the haunted tales. So, he locked the room where most of the haunted activities were reported. When he opened the room, to his surprise, he found the room in shatters. Many other stories have been reported by the Bayleys and subsequent residents.
9. Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie: Even Agatha Christie knew of it
The ghost of Lady Garnet Orme is rumored to haunt the Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie where she was murdered by adding strychnine in her medicine bottle. Years later, the doctor who was tending to her was found dead in similar circumstances. The case created a buzz and found its way to several books including the Agatha Christie novel – The Mysterious Affair at Styles. That is why, even today, it is considered as one of the most haunted hotels in India.
10. Delhi Cantonment Area: Spooky by the night
Clean and green, Delhi Cantonment area is a great place to visit during the day. But as the night falls, you can be lucky (or unlucky) enough to experience its spooky side. Locals and passersby claim to have seen a woman in a sari asking for a lift and chasing the vehicleat inhuman speeds.
11. The Karkardooma Delhi Court: Even paranormal activities were recorded here!
Many lawyers at Karkardooma Court Complex have reported paranormal activities around them. Of all the haunted places in Delhi, this one is really creepy and unexpected. Vigilance camera installed in the court have recorded the shutting and opening of doors, files being plucked off drawers, blinkering lights, the appearance of a hazy figure through walls, and even the dislocation of chairs.
12. Malcha Mahal in Delhi: Diamonds are forever, humans; not so much
Malcha Mahal is hunting lodge that dates back to the Tughlaq era. Princess Wilayat Mahal, one of the last descendants of the royal family of Oudh, did not get her estate back after independence. She committed suicide by drinking grounded diamond. Her ghost is said to haunt the royal palace area ever since. Rumors say that those who have attempted to enter the palace without permission never returned alive. The truth behind these rumors is yet to be accounted for, but that doesn’t stop this place from being suspected as one of the most haunted places in India.
13. Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad: Not all Indians love movies after all
Ramoji Film City, one of the biggest film cities in the country, is actually a haunted place in India. According to witnesses, the spotlights have been seen falling off, light men have been pushed, strange marks have appeared on mirrors, and many crew members have had severe injuries. Females have even experienced their clothes being torn off by a mystical force or being locked in rooms from inside.
14. Kundanbagh Witches’ Lair in Hyderabad: Beware of the 3 dead women
The story speaks of a thief who broke into a 2-storey house in Kundanbagh and discovered dead bodies of the 3 owners. Scared as hell, the thief went to the police station to report the case. Forensic reports stated the date of death to be roughly 3 months prior to the break-in. The neighbors, however, claim to have seen the mother and her 2 daughters walking in the balcony and the lighting of candles in the house at midnight, even until a day prior to the discovery of their dead bodies.
15. Ravindra Nagar in Hyderabad: Possible wrath of the goddess
A series of suicides in 2012 has put the Ravindra Nagar area in the list of haunted places in Hyderabad. People believe it to be the wrath of a goddess in reply to the demolition of her temple. Following the numerous suicides, a number of families abandoned the place out of fear. Many of the abandoned houses have light-bulbs on, indicating a possibility that the families left in a hurry.
16. Shaniwarwada Fort in Pune: Peshwa prince failed to become Vince
The ghost of a 13-year-old is said to haunt this fort, especially on full moon nights. According to the tale, Prince Narayan—the heir to the throne of Peshwa Dynasty—was brutally murdered. Locals claim to have heard his ghost cry out to his uncle to save him.
17. The Mansion on Residency Club Road in Pune: Screams of the elderly lady
The famous ostentatious mansion near the Residency Club in Pune is one of the most haunted places in India. It is said to be haunted by the spirit of an elderlylady who was murdered in her own home, this mansion. Passersby claim to see a shadowy figure of an old lady gazing out of the window and screaming for help.
18. Chandan Nagar in Pune: Girl in the blood-strained white frock
Another place from Pune finds its place in the list of the most haunted places in India. A little over a decade ago, a girl died during the construction of a building in the Chandan Nagar locality of Pune. Ever since, stories of her ghost roaming around the locality have been popular. People claim to have seen a young girl, dressed in a blood-stained white frockand holding a doll in her hand. How exactly did she die is still a mystery, much like the mystery of the ghost. But, from what we have heard, the locality is haunted and must not be visited by the faint-hearted.
19. D’Souza Chawl at Mahim in Mumbai: Roaming spirit of a lady
The spirit of a lady is said to haunt the corridors of this chawl. A tube well of the chawl was the source of pure water till a lady fell into it and died. The spirit of the lady is rumored to be roaming around ever since.
20. Bombay High Court in Mumbai: Where murder convicts are threatened by a ghost
According to the lawyers working in Bombay High Court, one of the courtrooms there is haunted by a ghost who threatens those accused in any murder trial from entering the courtroom. There is a joke around the haunted story that stays that if the court would permit, this ghost of possibly a job-loving lawyer or a former murder convict could actually help solve the murder cases quickly and easily. Now, don’t you think so?
21. Fern Hill Hotel in Ooty: The Raaz behind the haunted hotel
The hotel shot to fame during the shooting of the Bollywood movie – Raaz. Such is the extent of the spookiness of the hotel that it has been shut down completely. Choreographer Saroj Khan and her crew woke up one night on hearing the noise of rearrangement of furniture on the first floor. They tried to contact the reception, but the line was dead. Next morning, to their horror, the receptionist pointed out that there was no first floor in the hotel.
22. Vas Villa on St Mark’s Road in Bangalore: Proofs of negative energy exist
The Vas Villa was the home to Vas sisters, Doice Vas and Vera Vas – daughters of a famous lawyer. One day, Doice was stabbed to death in her home. She was buried there and Vera moved out. The house is claimed to be haunted by Doice’s spirit now. Teams looking for paranormal activities have confirmed the presence of some negative energy in the villa.
23. South Park Cemetery at Park Street in Kolkata: Graves of former British soldiers
The burial ground possesses old age graves of British soldiers and many others. The first tryst with the mystical incidents of the place occurred when a group of friends visited the place for photographs. All of them felt dizzy and breathless. A group member had an asthma attack, even though he wasn’t an asthma patient. There are also photographs from the day with creepy dark shadows.
24. Writers’ Building in Kolkata: Tales from the freedom struggle of India
Writers’ Building at the BBD Square in Kolkata is popularly known to be haunted. But the story behind the haunted building dates back to 8th December 1930, when three young freedom fighters – Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Gupta – entered the Writers’ building and killed the brutal Inspector General – Colonel N.S Simpson.
Rumor has it that the ghost of Colonel Simpson still haunts the building and the BBD Square (named after the three freedom fighters). Formerly the office of clerks and junior staff under British Raj, the building is now the secretariat of the state government. Many people working there have heard desperate cries for help at night from the vacant rooms of the building.
25. Dow Hill at Kurseong in Darjeeling: Haunted educational institutes
Dow Hill Girls’ Boarding School and Victoria Boys’ High School are other haunted places in India that have been famous for ghost sightings. Locals claim to have heard footsteps after the closing hours and seen a headless boy walk into the woods.
Ever been through such an eerie experience? Share your real stories of haunted places in India with us & we would feature the spookiest ones in our next blog. Tell us now, we are waiting!
That Taj Mahal was robbed and precious valuables were taken away is well-known but not many know how the monument got saved by a whisker in the eighteenth century.
Close to Agra, the Sikandra tomb was burnt down. Even today you can see signs of fire on the walls of the tomb of Akbar, though Lord Curzon had got it repaired to some extent. Such was the Jat fury that even the mighty Akbar’s tomb was dug and former emperor’s bones were brought out and set afire.
Taj Mahal was lucky that it was not harmed as much, though it was robbed* and valuables extracted [and taken away]. The Taj was stuffed with hay [bhusa] See link. Under Raja Ram, the Jats had become a major force.
Manucci wrote how Jat soldiers desecrated the grave, dug out the bones of emperor and set them afire to avenge the death of their past chieftain Gokala Jat. The raids or the 'chhapa-maar hamla' tactics were effective and the weak Mughal forces here failed to stop the onslaught.
It all happened the period after Mughal empire had begun weakening post the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. The Jats and Marathas were now the new powers of the land.
In later years [after Raja Ram], Suraj Mal emerged as one of the most important figures of the era. The Jats are a martial race. The valuables in Deeg, the capital of Suraj Mal, are still shown proudly. There is no attempt to change history either. The story of how the Taj Mahal survived miraculously
With the decline of Mughal power, the Jats made repeated attacks on Agra. They often plundered and looted villages here. Later, the Jat army attacked Agra and even managed to capture the fort.
This happened after 1761. Agra was now in the hands of Suraj Mal. It was then that they robbed valuables from the Taj Mahal also. The ornaments looted from here were taken to Dig, the Jat capital, where you still see them in Jal Mahal, on proud display.
Maharaja Suraj Mal
In the book, ‘In the shadow of the Taj: A portrait of Agra’, Royina Grewal writes:
..the Mughal empire slid into steady decline. North India, and with it, Agra, was plunged into a continued insecurity as ambitious marauders, lured by the imperial treasuries held at the Fort, strove to establish control.
Finally, Suraj Mal, legendary leader of the martial Jats from nearby Bharatpur attacked Agra. Jat soldiers camped at the Taj Mahal, lit fires inside the mausoleum to keep themselves warm and made off with its silver gates and finest gems….
There were two silver gates at the entrance of the Taj Mahal. They were looted and taken away by the Jat renegades. Also, a heavily ornamented precious gate was taken away from Agra Fort. The City was plundered and Taj Mahal was looted.
Umpteen writers have mentioned it at length. But K Natwar Singh only briefly mentioned the incident about ‘Rajpurohit’s order in his book on Maharaja Suraj Mal’.
But old books and even Urdu texts mention that it was Suraj Mal’s decision that saved Taj.But that’s just one aspect of the story.
Those were turbulent times indeed and words like ‘Jaat-gardi’ became part of language and are now part of history books.
Maharaja Suraj Mal was a man of strong character. Those who called him 'Suraj Mal Jat’ do injustice to it.
The story which is often forgotten is that after hay was stuffed into Taj Mahal, a high priest asked the king to set it afire or turn the building into something else. But Maharaja Suraj Mal refused. He admired the beauty of the Taj. Yes, ornaments were taken away but Taj Mahal was saved.
Emperor Shah Jahan
The toughest time for the monument was during the era from early 18th century [1707 onwards] to mid-19th century [till decades after 1857]. In his book, author Stephen P Blake writes about the turn of events and the desecration of mausoleum in these words: “Jats….@&*# (sic) increased their attacks on Agra pillaged Akbar’s tomb near Agra..”
Much later, there was British plan [Bentick’s] to break the marble monument and auction it [all its gems and riches]. However, the tomb has survived.
The risk to Taj is due to depleting water levels of Yamuna river and environmental factors, particularly, the pollution level in Agra. Fortunately, there are steps being taken in this direction.
Even a dam is likely to be built to keep water in the Yamuna, so as to keep its special foundation [that will remain intact as long as there is water in the river] firm, for centuries to come.
Well, he needs no introduction. His Exalted Highness (H.E.H) Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan was the last monarch of the Princely state of Hyderabad He ruled Hyderabad between 1911 and 1948, until it was annexed by India.
Few facts about him:
His wealth in the 1930’s was over $2 billion, which was 2% of total American Economy at that time.
He was the ruler of British India’s biggest Princely state, Hyderabad State. Which was equal to present day England+Scotland in terms of geographical area.
He owned an Ostrich-egg sized Diamond worth £50 million which he used as a paper weight.
He was the only ruler of a princely state who was addressed as “His Exalted Highness” in Time Magazine, while other rulers were addressed with “His Excellency” title.
He gifted a Diamond Necklace to Queen Elizabeth -II which is still called as “Nizam of Hyderabad Neckalce”.
He was also the owner of the world’s most precious Diamond, “The Jacob Diamond”.
He also had a fleet of 50 Rolls Royce Cars which included Barker Coach built Silver Ghost acquired in 1912.
The Nizam is widely believed to have remained as the richest man in South Asia until his death in 1967.
This incident in the life of Mir Osman Ali Khan depicts how as a person he was. When the Nizam used his Rolls Royce to sweep the streets of Hyderabad for an insult in Rolls Royce Showroom in London. This story is also attributed to Nawab of Bhawalpur and Maharaja of Alwar, there are no sources for authenticity of the incident but it is highly likely that it was Nizam of Hyderabad considering few series of events (which is a story for another day).
One day during his visit to London, Nawab Of Hyderabad was walking in casual dress in Bond Street. He saw a Rolls Royce showroom and went inside to inquire about the Price and Features etc. of their cars. Considering him a just another Poor Indian citizen, showroom salesmen insulted him and almost showed him the way out of the showroom. After this insult, Nawab Of Hyderabad came back to his Hotel room and asked his servants to call the showroom that Nawab Of Hyderabad is interested in purchasing their few Cars. After a few hours Nawab reached the Rolls Royce showroom again but with his full astonishing royal manner and in his royal costume. Until he reached the showroom there was already red carpet on the floor and all the salesmen were bent with respect. The Nawab purchased all the six cars that they had at showroom at that time and paid full amount with delivery costs. Nawab After reaching India, Nawab ordered municipal department to use all those six Rolls Royce cars for cleaning and transporting city’s waste. World’s number one Rolls Royce cars were being used for transportation of City’s waste, the news spread all over the world rapidly and the reputation of Rolls Royce Company was in drains. Whenever someone used to boast in Europe or America that he owned a Rolls Royce, people used to laugh saying, which one? The same that is used in India for carrying the waste of the City? Due to such reputation damages, sales of Rolls Royce dropped rapidly and revenue of company owners started falling down. Then they sent a Telegram to the king in India for apologies and requested to stop transportation of waste in Rolls Royce cars. Not only this but they also offered Six new cars to Nawab free of cost..!! Mukarram Jah was made the Nizam after his grandmother died in 1967. Prince Mukarram Jah was fond of expensive cars and the most famous and expensive cars could be seen is his garage. Today, his palace has been turned into a museum and the cars can be seen in an exhibition.
Have a look at some of the infrastructural marvels built by Nizams of Hyderabad.
Chowmahalla Palace, It was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad while they ruled their state.
Falaknuma Palace
Purani Haveli
Nizami Unani Hospital
Osmania University, it is one of the largest university systems in the Indian Subcontinent
