The Haunted Encounter on Sudhagad Fort (Maharashtra)

A Personal Encounter by Vishal Jadhav (Pune, Maharashtra)

(This article has been rewritten partially / entirely so as to optimize it for typos, grammar and sentence construction. Care has been taken so as to preserve the original series of events and the related details.)

Hi everyone, today I am going to narrate a true story that took place with me and six of my friends in the year of August (2012). We planned an overnight trek to the Sudhagad (also called as Bhorapgad) fort situated near Khopoli village (ahead of Pali village). We decided to go there on Saturday, at around 1 pm. I had been there once, so I knew the road up to the fort fairly. I also had a plan to cook some great Chicken Biryani for dinner, just to add up to the thrill. We rechecked our inventory – torches, extra clothes, snacks and a plastic sheet banner, just in case the rains worsened (yes, it was mid rainy season) and we needed something to roof us.

If you have been to Sudhagad, you might know that the fort is located within a dense forest, and the journey was quite an adventure. Everything went well, except for the fact that one of our friends, Ashish, who happened to be an Operation Theater Assistant in Poona Hospital had to fill in some extra time and told us that he will join us as soon as he gets off his duty. He finally made it at around 6.30 pm. Finally, we left Pune in Sonu’s (one of my friend’s) Scorpio (an SUV by Mahindra) – we were very excited and were looking forward to the big adventure, even Kushal (another of my friends), who happens to possess a spiritual eye (I guess every group has one)! We had hardly reached Hinjewadi (about 20 kms away from the city), when our car suddenly started to wobble. I was driving the car – I asked Sonu what can be the issue – he told me that he had no idea. I thought it might be a wheel alignment issue and decided to visit a garage and fix the problem. So we went back to Aundh (Dange Chowk), a place closer to the city. We found a garage but they had two cars in queue for wheel alignment – so it would be quite some time till we were done. We decided to wait.

It was nearly 8.30 pm when our car was done. Before proceeding, we had to buy some raw chicken so that we could cook up at the fort. We figured out that we will have to buy the meat from somewhere nearby, since we won’t be able to get it at our destination – since it will be nearly midnight. We found a meat shop close by and bought 2½ kgs of chicken. The butcher cut a live hen and packed the meat in a black polythene bag. We reached our destination – the foot of Sudhagad fort at about 11.45 pm. The rains had worsened – we had an option to spend the rest of the night in a local school or to start climbing right away. Some of us suggested that we ask a villager to escort us up to the fort. After talking with the village folks, we found two young boys who agreed to take us up to the “Wada” (an old residential complex) where we had planned to stay. The fees were 200 bucks each.

We picked up our sacks from our car. I noticed that the bag in which we had kept the chicken had started leaking and there was blood all over the backseat. . Ignoring the stains, we changed into loose t-shirts and shorts, comfortable enough for the trek. 

It was an Amavasya (New Moon) night and our path was quite eerie. The rain was pouring heavily with occasional thunders. The village boy was leading our pack and we all had our (electric) torches lit. One of our friend’s brother named Makarand was finding it difficult to keep up with the pace. All the rest of us were hardcore gym rats and were quite capable of trekking easily even with the heavy backpacks. Makarand, however, was puffing and panting, making all of us wait at every corner, all thanks to his extra fats. We had just completed one-fifth of our journey when he stopped again, trying to catch his breath. Cursing him, we took a 15 minute break. 

About an hour or so later, we reached a point where we had completed about 70% of our journey. At this point, the two village boys backed up – they started reasoning that they need to go home ASAP. Their tones, however, weren’t confident enough for their reason. All they knew was that they cannot accompany us anymore – they took their 200 bucks each and left us. I now led the pack, since I had been here once. The rains were heavy, and the path was quite slippery. Each of us slipped down atleast a couple of times before we finally reached close tone of the gates to the fort, known locally as the Buruj (a tower or turret). A little ahead, there was a tree branch which has hanging low – I wasn’t able to see it owing to the darkness. I bumped my head against the branch and fell down. I warned the rest of my friends so that they could safely pass through. 

All of a sudden, Kushal (the spiritual guy) started shouting and cursing the branch. Then, another of my friends, Ashish, started shouting back at Kushal. We were unable to understand what was going on. Since it was pouring heavily, we ignored the incidence and moved ahead. The rainwater had flooded the entire place and there was a river of rainwater rushing through. We had just crossed that small river when all of a sudden, our torches gave off. It was quite weird, since torches don’t just give off – not all at once at least. There was dead darkness everywhere and a deep valley just steps away. To avoid any accidents, we decided to camp down in a corner, holding the plastic sheet banner above us. Some of our friends went to sleep, while we decided to have some whiskey (we had brought along), partly to cure the cold shivers and partly to pass the time till the morning. Kushal asked me to keep my sack (containing the raw chicken) away from our campsite, since it might attract some wild beasts (which were plenty in the surrounding forest). I walked some distance and kept my sack on the ground. It was around 3.15 am. We drank till 4 am and then laid down to get some sleep. 

We resumed our journey at about 6.15 am. I went to fetch my sack, but it was not there. Instead I saw the black bag containing the chicken lying around. I returned back and found my sack near our campsite. It was weird but we ignored the fact and proceeded. It was pretty cold and to top it all, we were wet. In about ten minutes, we reached the Wada, where we joined other groups of people who had stayed there the last night. All of them, except us, were leaving the place by the afternoon. In an hour or so, we prepared some breakfast (Kanda Poha – a flattened rice recipe). After breakfast, some of us went to sleep for some time while us others played cards. At about 11 am, we decided to start cooking our lunch.

Kushal took out the chicken from the bag and found that it was half eaten (an animal had probably eaten it). I told him to remove the part with any teeth marks and use the rest. I gave the remains of the raw chicken to a local dog (which resided in the Wada). Surprisingly, he refused to eat it. I thought it might be the smell of the meat that was driving the dog away. After an hour, we prepared the Biryani, and ate half of it, while keeping the other half for tonight’s dinner and drinks. I tried feeding some Biryani to the dog, but again he refused to even be anywhere near to the Biryani. Again, this was quite bizarre.

By 5 pm, everybody, except the 7 of us had left the Wada. We started making dinner, since it would be getting dark very soon. We prepared some Veg Pulao. At about 9 pm, we started having dinner and drinks. After some time, it was just Kushal who was drinking, and everybody else, except the two of us, had fallen back to sleep. It was then that Kushal started narrating his part of the story.

Back where I had bumped against that branch (Kushal started narrating), he (Kushal) saw a spirit sitting on the branch. When he started cursing the spirit, it got down and entered Ashish’s body and began threatening Kushal. Kushal said that at this moment, Ashish’s eyes had grown fierce red. Going ahead, he met two more spirits who demanded to him to give them one of his friends’ life. Kushal, instead, negotiated with the spirit and instead offered him some food (raw chicken) and some alcohol. At this point, Sonu got up and confessed that he too had seen two blurry spirits around us. Kushal went ahead and told us that it was yet another spirit sitting on Makarand’s shoulders, who was causing him to lose his breath at every corner. He said that if he had told us the facts then, we would have been scared. It was the spirit (Aatma) who had eaten half of that meat. The spirit told Kushal that there were in all 7 spirits that haunted the wada and the surrounding forests. 

At about 12.30 in the night, it was just me and Kushal who were awake. I was quite hesitant to believe whatever Kushal was saying, since I hadn’t seen anything ‘myself’. Suddenly, Kushal asked me to keep quiet, as he could see three spirits sitting behind me. I asked him to shut up and go to sleep, but he instead threw his glass of whiskey at me (rather, at the place where the supposed spirits were sitting). I looked back and saw nothing, but then, out of nowhere, I could hear a mixture of sounds (animalistic) yelling at Kushal. I could not understand what it was all about, but Kushal was fiercely yelling back. 

All of a sudden, Kushal sat up straight, looking directly at me. Apparently, one of the spirits, thankfully, a calm one, had entered his body. I could practically see Kushal’s eyes bulging out and turning blood red. Kushal narrated to me many facts of my past life, which no one apart from me and my parents could have known. He also told me that I am destined to die in the coming morning.

This scared the hell out of me. But even before I could respond, Sonu got up and yelled at me to go to sleep. I was fear struck and sat still. Kushal (now possessed) turned to Sonu and asked him who he was. Sonu replied saying that he was Omkara. Kushal asked him again who he was and Sonu replied the same. The spirit possessing Vishal couldn’t say his name, maybe because Omkara is another name of Lord Shiva. Kushal challenged Sonu to leave me to him, but Sonu did not budge. About half an hour later, Kushal suddenly gave a jerk and became alert. He shouted at us to light all the candles. After some time, the candles started giving up. Sonu then told me that he will sleep besides me, but Kushal interrupted saying that he will sleep besides me. Sonu told me to sleep besides him because he still sensed danger lurking around Kushal. It was now that Ashish (another friend) woke up and confessed that he too had sensed spirits around and was faking his sleep in order to get away from what’s going on. Deeply disturbed and afraid to the core, we desperately waited for the morning. 

At dawn, we left for the foot of the fort, ignoring the heavy downpour. Suddenly, the same dog came out of nowhere – as if he wanted to warn us - Pack your stuff and get the hell out of here! The path back was extremely wet and foggy. The good dog kept us company at every point – actually it was him who led the pack. Every now and then he would run ahead to check if everything was okay, then come back and signal us with a bark. Believe it or not – there was something very secure about that animal. Once we were down in the village, we turned to check onto our buddy, and saw him turning back and leaving up for the fort. He was indeed an angel in disguise. 

Once all set in our car, we headed back for Pune. It was Eid (al Fitr) that day (the final day of Ramzan / Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting) and we had promised another friend, Kasim, that we would visit his place in the evening. However, overcome with exhaustion and emotions, we first went to visit the Mira Data Dargah (Raviwar Peth, Pune), which is known for waiving off negative spirits off a person. We then went to the Lord Shiva temple. 

Later that day, we went to Kasim’s house, where we narrated to him what had happened. It was then that his father, a trekker himself, told us that he himself had been to Sudhagad in the year 1984. He had then found out that about a year or two ago (1982 – 83), 7 people were killed in that place. We were shocked, and could do nothing more than to thank, for the millionth time, the blessings of our parents and that God in disguise. 

It is upto you to believe or laugh at my encounter. For all I know, I have gone through this and it stays alive in front of my eyes till this very moment. I have pictures of tha dog and of the Wada we stayed in, if anybody wishes to investigate the case, or the genuine nature of my account. I also look forward to your comments.

Note: The original author, Vishal Jadhav can be contacted at vishaljadhav03@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note:

Dear Vishal,

WHEW – that was quite an article to rewrite! It took me nearly two hours to write up the whole article, trying to visualize how it must be being you. And although I appreciate the way you have added the most minute of the details, I myself find your story a bit difficult to digest (probably because I haven’t been through it). Hence, I would request you to share with us any kind of graphic / video evidences you may have. This will help us try to understand more of what happened at your end. Also, if you want, we can survey the material through some of the paranormal researchers I know.