Agrasen ki Baoli: The haunted stepwell of Delhi
Agrasen ki Baoli is in Connaught Place, New Delhi. A historical site in the centre of a very crowded capital does not seem like a typical place where ghosts can be found, but it has quite a reputation for being haunted. Many tourists come here by chance, many come for selfie sessions with the spectacular steps of the well as background. And strangely enough, many of them claim that they were sure that they weren’t alone, someone ‘else’ was there, who couldn’t be seen!
What is Agrasen ki Baoli?
It is, simply put, a very deep well with steps leading down to the water. This is common in the drier parts of our country, where kings constructed them as water reservoirs to sustain the people during summer and as backup against draughts. Delhi alone has 14 Baolis or wells, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Agrasen ki Baoli is 60 metres long, 15 metres wide and has 108 steps.
This well is supposed to have been built by the legendary King Agrasen around 3000 BC. Since the Agarwal (originally called Agrawal) community believes themselves to be descendants, nobles and residents of Agrasen’s kingdom, they rebuilt the stepwell in the 14th century during the time of the Delhi Sultanate.
What is the spooky legend about Agrasen ki Baoli?
A stepwell was also a sort of community hall since people met there regularly when they came to collect water. In the dry season, the water collected at the bottom of Agrasen ki Baoli used to turn black. This black water enticed people to jump in and commit suicide. The trapped ghosts would then call others in. The mysterious (and dirty) black water is long gone. But tourists still claim that they can hear footsteps following them, even in broad daylight. The scientific explanation is that the well’s structure creates an echo effect. But there are claims of tourists being certain there were others around, who were even talking, but they saw no one.
Is there any chance of actually seeing a ghost at Agrasen ki Baoli?
The chances are really slim. It’s because this is one of those rare haunted places where no specific ghost siting has happened. It’s more about a spooky feeling of being watched and followed.