How many of us have ever explored Delhi as a haunted destinationIJ Here is a company led by a team of trained paranormal activity experts that takes you on such a tour and even records it for you on camera. Navneet Mendiratta meets Arjun Sachdeva, the CEO and chief explorer
Now, this is not exactly your regular sort of conversation meant to be had over the soft launch of Deepika Govind’s Summer 2013 collection and to soon-to-hit the market Vodka brand at Govind’s Khan Market store. But, this is sure to have you sit up and take notice. All you Delhiites settled in the city, did you ever think of Delhi as a haunted destinationIJ
If you were to take banker-turned-tourism pioneer, Arjun Sachdeva for his word (on the kind of groups that he leads), Delhi has a few surprises to spring up on those who really seek to explore its paranormal side.
As the guests moved and sifted through Govind’s new collection that comprised flowing tunics, tops, wrap trousers and dresses in pop brights and soft mulmuls, Sachdeva chatted with the audience on 100 places that they must see in India before they die. Definitely it was the thought of such an experience that turned everyone into a captive audience. For someone who refers to himself as the chief explorer of a theme-based travel company, let’s go Packing, he sure had some interesting incidents to recount. “Delhi as an inhabited area goes back to 2,500 BC and has seen a lot of violence in the past. Such a city is sure to have several unsettled presences among its citizens. The haunted theme groups look at connecting to or making such sightings,” he shared.
And all of this is scientifically done. The groups are accompanied by a team of experts headed by his partner, Gaurav Tiwari, who is also the president of Indian Paranormal Society. The team carries suitable scientific equipment that ascertain the foreign presence about the place. Tiwari, he shared, used to be an atheist before a poltergeist incident that turned his life around. Not only that, the particular incident led him to return to India where he formed the Indian Paranormal Society, the first-of-its-kind in the country. The two are now all set to launch an online marketplace for connecting international travellers with local experts for unique and personalised travel experiences called GoVagabond in June.
When asked about the most haunted places in Delhi, he named Khooni Darwaza near Dilli Gate, Jamali Kamali area, Cemetry at Prithviraj Road, a particular stretch in Delhi Cantonment area, among other as those having strong presence.
By the way, haunted tours are not the only themed groups that the company leads. They also undertake well-planned out Vedic theme tours and rural India packages. “The idea being that people shed their fears and inhibitions when they go out to travel,” he said, adding, “Each of the itineraries are well etched out and especially customised to suit individual needs. And each trip is high on personalised treatments.” And that would mean interacting with local veda experts and astrologers to help the seekers get closer to goals. As for us, we are hooked on the haunted or the living dead.