‘Haunted’ heritage walks set to begin in Delhi from tomorrow

The haunted walks are part of the Delhi government’s heritage walks and people can make advance bookings at the Delhi tourism offices

New Delhi: Delhi tourism department said it will start “haunted walks” at the Tughlaq era monument Malcha Mahal in central Delhi’s Chanakyapuri from Sunday, for which bookings will be open from Saturday.

An official said that the demand for haunted walks at Malcha Mahal in Chanakyapuri is very strong. (HT Photo)

The haunted walks are part of the Delhi government’s heritage walks and people can make advance bookings at the Delhi tourism offices, officials aware of the matter said on Friday, adding that the bookings are likely to go online from Monday.

“The cost for one person for the tour is ₹800. We are planning to open online bookings from Monday on our website delhitourism.gov.in or “Dekho Meri Dilli” app. However, people can book their seats offline at all six tourist information centers of the Delhi government. The list of tourist information centres is available on the official website. We are planning to conduct the walks only on weekends,” an official said.

The walk fee includes a kit, containing a jute bag, a torch, a stick, a badge, a water bottle, a seasonal fruit, a juice box, and a muffin.

The tourism department said it plans to start haunted walks at several locations in Delhi including Bhuli Bhartihari, Feroz Shah Kotla, and Tughlakabad Fort. “The haunted walks at the rest of the destinations will start soon,” said officials.

For each walk, a walk conductor will accompany the group of visitors. “To make the experience unique we have decided that the maximum number of visitors will be 20 only. Only one tour will be conducted in a day. The visitors will gather at the entry point of Malcha Mahal in Chanakyapuri from where the guided tours will start and continue for around an hour-and-a-half,” said another official.

The above-quoted official said that the demand for haunted walks at Malcha Mahal is very strong. “We started getting enquiries even before the walks were formally launched,” said the official.

Malcha Mahal, located in Chankyapuri, is accessible from Sardar Patel Marg. The historical structure, which dates back to the 14th century, was used as a hunting lodge. It is located around 1.5 km away from the main road and nestled inside a forested area. It is popularly believed that Malcha Mahal is haunted and the mysteries surrounding the historical structure have captured the imagination of a number of people.

For over three decades, Malcha Mahal was inhabited by a self-proclaimed royal family from Oudh. It remained out of bounds for the uninvited, until the afternoon of September 3, 2017, when the palace’s last resident, Prince Ali Raza, was found dead.