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Ghostly Forest Apparition

 

I need to share a story, which happened not to me, but to one of my colleagues Hemant. He stays in Kalyan, which is a far-flung suburb of Mumbai and has had several paranormal experiences. It is said that some people will have several ghostly encounters throughout their lives, while others will not have even one. This depends upon their "gan", if the person has "rakshas-gan", he is doomed to suffer in this way, while a person having "dev-gan" will lead a peaceful life.

Now Hemant's father was an retired army man, who was absolutely fearless and his favourite hobby was hunting in the jungles at night. At one such occasion, it was a moonless night and he was hunting in some forests in remote Maharashtra. Hemant used to accompany him on such excursions and he was with his father that day. The woods in these places are so pitch-dark that you cannot see your own nose and they are full of game like wild pigs, rabbits and peacocks.

As a rule, while hunting in this places hunters carry electric torches, but do not prefer to use them for fear of scaring away their prey. The only way to identify animals is by the height of their glowing eyes above the ground. Thus, eyes glowing close to the ground could be rabbits while those at knee height might be wild boar.

Sometimes you will find several rabbits playing innocently in some parts of the jungle, but experienced hunters will beat a hasty retreat as they believe that there is evil in that place and the rabbits are not real, but bait to incite unsuspecting hunters to their death (this is also shown in the Bollywood movie "Kaal", where a character dies in a similar manner). Villagers in these places are a superstitious lot and they are well aware of the evil which could befall them while hunting, so they take lots of precaution.

To get back to the story, Hemant and his father heard some rustling coming from a bush which was on a small hillock. Hemant's father asked him to circle the bush and clap his hands loudly to bring out the prey. After positioning himself on the opposite side of the bush Hemant started clapping his hands loudly, at which there was a loud flapping of wings and commotion from inside the bush as if something was flying away, but nothing could be seen. This upset him considerably and when his father found him, he was shivering from fright, so they decided to return home and go to bed.

Sometime in the night, Hemant who was now feeling considerably foolish, had to go and relieve himself. He decided to walk a little way in the woods to shake off his fright and returned to bed thereafter.

He had fallen in an uneasy slumber when he was aware of an apparition standing next to his bed and shaking his hand to awaken him. Its head was swathed in black coarse cloth blanket (known as "gongdi") and his features were not visible. But Hemant was mesmerized as he stared at the figure, which was urging him to come with him in the forest and tugging at his hand. Fortunately Hemant blinked and the spell was broken, leading him to cry out loudly and huddle in a corner of the room. His other family members, some of who were sleeping in the same room, rushed to him and switched on the lights, but the phantom figure had disappeared. The mark of those fingers could be seen clearly on Hemant's arm and were turning blue, thus indicating that he was not dreaming or hallucinating.

It seems that Hemant had disturbed some supernatural entity in the forest which then followed them home. But due to his father's religious and fearless nature, it was not able to enter their house. However when Hemant stepped out alone, the entity took advantage of his disturbed state of mind to gain access to his room and would have led him to his death (or worse), if he had not inadvertently broke the creature's spell.

It is said that deep in such remote parts, there are entities like this, some of which are guardians of the forests and some guard the rivers and lakes. You should not disturb or cross them in any way. Even today, after several years, Hemant feels a strange eerie and disturbing sensation on moonless nights, though the effect is slowing fading away.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, discerninguser, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-02-23)
Hi Shankarbhandarkar... Thank you very much for sharing the interesting insight of how Kalyan was in the past... And also for reading my story... 😁
discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-02-23)
Hi Sakie... Thanks for reading my story... Yes he is much better now... 😁
Sakie (1 stories) (23 posts)
 
8 years ago (2015-11-12)
Goodness heavens! Pretty scary. Hope that he has now recovered completely from that shocking night!
shankarbhandarkar (2 posts)
+1
10 years ago (2014-05-08)
I know Kalyan since 1965, In 1965 arround it was a real hell... Almost all convicts Debarred from Mumbai were located at Kalyan then, Rape and murders were a common thing, Its only since 1980 that Kalyan got to be hospitable. Railway wagon looters were having a good time then, So what is mentioned is correct about kalyan in that time arrround. 😠
sheetal (6 stories) (771 posts)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-10)
hi, I am from Kalyan... Sorry to say but Kalyan is not so far-flung suburb. It is developing now. I am so curious to know what was the name of that Jungle. Hmmm... May be it will kasara or Khopoli please revert us if you got the name of jungle. 😁
zombie_killer_of_india (35 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-02-10)
this type of demons are found in many parts. They use the spell-"mohini vidya"but they mostly come when people are in a drowsy way so that the victim has less chance to break the magic.
coolbewafa (2 posts)
+2
11 years ago (2012-11-03)
Even I have heard about 'Gan' phenomenon. But what I have heard is that
'RAKSHAS GAN' cannot see paranormal.
'DEV GAN' can see paranormal as they are opposite to rakshas
'MANUSHYA GAN' can see paranormal only if they are with a 'Dev Gan' person (physical touch/ contact)...
I am not sure of this information but I have heard this from many, can you put more light on this 'Gan' phenomenon...
LillyPieLindsay (35 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2012-11-01)
Thanks for sharing such an interesting story. One thing I love about this website (& the internet in general) is hearing such stories from all different corners of the world, and realizing how many cultures can share similar stories.
vibhanim21 (14 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-04)
thanks, I will get it done and find out first. Let's see.
😊. 😁. Thank you.
discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-06-04)
Occult 2013: As you can very well understand, forests are naturally spooky places which attract supernatural entities because of the lack of human presence. It can be said that lonely places such as forests, deserted ruins etc are the turf of such entities and they are in their element in such places... In the same way that human beings thrive in cities and towns...

It is a urban legend among hunters that if they see an unnaturally large number of rabbits in any part of the jungle, they have been put there by some evil entity to lure you towards that place. The rabbits (don't know if they are real or not) are the bait and you are the prey. Obviously we do not have anybody who has gone ahead to hunt those rabbits and survived to tell the tale. Most people who encounter such incidents beat a hasty retreat from that haunted place.

That is what is shown in the film, the character goes and finds several rabbits in a certain spot and he does not know that he is being hunted. Later his friends find his headless corpse kneeling on the ground.

Vibhanim21: You can visit a Hindu priest and tell him to make your janam-kundli or janam-patrika. He will ask you for your date of birth and exact time of birth. From that he will be able to calculate which "gan" you belong to. Hope that solves your question. 😁
vibhanim21 (14 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-03)
can you please tell me that how can one person know whether he is a rakhsas-gan or dev-gan?
Occult2013 (guest)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-02)
Can you tell me more about "Sometimes you will find several rabbits playing innocently... Experienced hunters hasty retreat as they believe that there is evil in that place..." I haven't seen the film so can you tell me a little more
discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-04-11)
Javelina...very interesting to learn about the creatures in the place you live in... Guess it sounds terrifying for a person who is not used to these dangers, but like you said, once you get used to them, you don't bother as much...

Being a city-bred boy, these things are very fascinating to me and the pure animal thrill that you feel when you go to such places gives you a rush that cannot be induced by any drug or ride...
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-04-09)
discerninguser,
That is truly frightening! It is amazing what we will put up with in the places we call home. There are dangers everywhere, but if we have lived around it all our lives it simply a part of our environment. Where I live there are Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Black Widow spiders, scorpions and Gila Monsters. You learn to stay aware and carry a sidearm when you're out in the brush. Different dangers, but just as deadly.

Jav 😊
discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-04-09)
Javelina...what is more terrifying is that there are accounts of villagers living on the fringes of forests (here in Maharashtra), going to sleep in their own beds but found dead deep inside the forest the next day.

It cannot be discounted as sleep-walking because their relatives claim that this is not the case. The cause of the death could also not be determined as there is nary a single wound or bite on their bodies. In fact animals, even scavengers avoid such dead bodies.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-04-07)
discerninguser,
Another well written account. How frightening to be awakened by such a creature. I'm thinking it may have been a case of 'pay back' perhaps. Just a hunch, but thinking how your friend had gone and raised a clatter with all his clapping that he may very well have disturbed this forest guardian as he rested. Then later on he returns to relieve himself. That act may have been what set things in motion. The creature might have forgiven the first act, but the second one could have just been too much. So maybe he came to give your friend a taste of his own medicine. 😉

Jav 😊
adsouza (guest)
+2
12 years ago (2012-04-05)
Thanks for responding buddy! There are a few jungles around Kalyan. Some of them, I have had the pleasure of being in, and others I am yet to explore. Bhandardara dam has a jungle right next to it on the path to Harishchandragad. This is about 50 kms from kalyan. Khandas has a another jungle at the base of Bhimashanker. This one is pretty dense. Around Igatpuri, between the base of Kalsubai and Kulanggad peaks, there is a third jungle. Each of these jungles is rich with boars, foxes and jungle cats. Also not to forget the langurs. The bird population here has the royal pigeon, jungle owlet, red heron among others. A few of these birds are night birds. Check with Hemant, you might be able to help him overcome what little fear he has, as I have no doubt that he and his father a fearless hunters.

And thanks for the explanation about the 'gonghdi'. My Marathi is a bit rusty now.
😊
discerninguser (6 stories) (82 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-04-05)
Thanks for your comments guys, and interest in my story... One of you felt it was not "believeable"...but as I said before, it was not my own experience... My friend is a villager and people staying in towns or villages do have more experiences than those staying in cities like Mumbai...whatever, when he narrated the story to me, he came across as very believeable & creepy...

Jjf - blinking our eyes (closing & opening eyelids quickly) is a reflex action that we do several times every minute to keep our eyes clean and moist. While casting a hypnotic spell on anybody it is necessary that the other person stare unblinkingly in your eyes. As far as I understand Hemant was totally under the spell of the entity, so he could not have blinked consciously to break the spell... I think it was an instinctive action...

Adsouza - do not remember which part of Maharashtra the jungle was in... Maybe when I meet my friend again, I will ask him...

As for hunting in groups using fire torches is concerned, you are thinking of villagers hunting for food... But Hemant's father used to hunt for sport... He also preferred the solitude of the jungle so would hunt alone or with his son... Once he had taken us (3-4 friends) also with him at night...

"Gongdi" means a rough blanket sewn out of black wool, which villagers in Maharashtra use, not only while sleeping but even as a drape if it is cold... You are thinking about a "ghodhdhi", which is sewn from spare pieces of cloth and used as a mattress... Both are very different, though they sound similar...

Maybe it is possible that they could not have seen, but Hemant & his father were experienced hunters... They were fully alert and Hemant is quite a brave guy as far as urban standards as concerned... But he got frightened as he said he sensed something abnormal... Villagers have an acute sixth sense, which we urban dwellers lack...

Agree with your definition of "Gan"...yes of course, the physical and mental makeup of a person plays a major role... A strong and fearless person will not be much affected by such entities, as they use the fear of a person to become stronger...

Crescentblue03 - I agree with you... Such entities are known by different names in different religions and communities... What you know as a "Jinn" might be known as "Vetal" or some other such term.

Bluefoxx01 - As I mentioned earlier, his father used to hunt for pleasure and so he preferred the solitude of the night... Once he had also taken us (group of 3-4 boys) with him... It is deadly quiet at night and very very spooky... As far as knocking into things is concerned, even on a new moon night, there is starlight so you can see trees, bushes and stones quite clearly... Also his father is a experienced hunter so he knows how to move noiselessly, though when we accompanied him, he got irritated by our loud footsteps...

I do not know which country you are from and maybe your hunting techniques are different... Like I said, you spot the prey by the noise made by the animals (wild pigs make a grunting wheezing noise) and their glowing eyes... I have mentioned this quite clearly... When we accompanied his father, his father was in the lead with the flashlight with Hemant following close behind with the rifle... His father would shine the flashlight if he thought he saw something... Rabbits generally get confused if the light is shone in their faces and freeze... Then his father would hand over the flashlight to Hemant and ask him to hold it steady at the animals... He would then take the gun and fire... I presume if he hunted alone, he carried the torch in a pocket...

As far the entity not killing him in the forest itself is concerned, you are asking me to explain the mysterious ways of something that we know nothing about! Maybe the entity could not harm him as his father was with him... Maybe it attacks people when they are half-asleep as their natural defences are down at that point... You know as much as I do...

Thanks again for all your interest!
Jjf (4 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-04-04)
Hi, very Nice story. What do you mean when you said that your friend blinked and broke the spell? Did he just close and open his eyelids to break the spell?

Thanks

Jjf
adsouza (guest)
+3
12 years ago (2012-04-04)
Discerninguser - Well written. I have a few questions though:
1. What part of Maharashtra are these jungles in?
2. I am not a hunter, but I know that the villagers in India use fire torches and move around in groups. So I guess more clarity is needed here.
3. You used the word 'gongdi'. Did you mean a blanket sewn out of pieces of cloth? (This is what's used in villages)
4. You mentioned it was a moonless night, so would it be possible that Hemant and the other hunters could not see what flew out of the bush?

Lastly - about 'gan' - A 'gan' is widely understood as a class (Similar to biological classifying of organisms). Each gan (class) has a sub class. Not always does a 'Rakshasa Gan/ Demon class' suffer with ghostly encounters. It depends on the physical and mental build up of an individual also. A 'Dev Gan/ Godly class' is not always as lucky as made out to be.
crecentblue03 (151 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-04-04)
I liked your story very much, I glad your friend didn't follow this creature that I feel was a Jinn. If your friend had followed you would never see him again. My husband is from Bangladesh and when he was young a Jinn came to him in the form of a small boy late at night while everyone was asleep calling him to come play it was standing without clothes were the door should be only the door wasn't there any more. My husband went over to him was about to go with him when his mom in the other room woke up and called him, all of a sudden the Jinn that looked like a little boy was gone and that open space was a door once more. The next day when he told his mother she said if he had gone with that Jinn he would never come back. I'm glad your friend didn't go with the Jinn that visited him!. Thank you so much for sharing!.
bluefoxx01 (81 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-04-04)
Hunting at night is not really the best idea, for one its too noisy, if its like you described it "sometimes pitch-dark". Wouldn't you be knocking into things making noise?.
How will you see your prey with little to no light? I have spotlighted with rifles, you have an advantage with distance. You said they sometimes use handheld flashlights, how would they hold their weapons as well, what were they using spears?
So why wouldn't this "Gongdi" entity have killed him out in the bush, on its own ground, instead of waiting for him to go home. It all sounds a little vague and "Story-like" to me.
princessLotus (2 stories) (555 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-04-04)
Good story. You write well & to me this was very interesting. Thanx for sharing. Bless you & yours. MCL.

~LSD~

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