If you think Delhi is only about street food and shopping, you might miss its darker side. There are places in the city where souls never found peace and still wander.
The most haunted places in Delhi include Karkardooma Court, Feroz Shah Kotla Fort, Agrasen ki Baoli, Delhi Cantonment, Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Lothian Cemetery, Dwarka Sector 9, a mansion on Sham Nath Marg, W-3, Greater Kailash, and Khooni Nadi. The standouts, the ones that truly chill, are Jamali Kamali and Malcha Mahal.
A few of these places have been explored by paranormal experts, who have reported strange energies and ghostly presences. Others remain wrapped in mystery and fear.
Which Places in Delhi are Famous Haunted Sites?
1. Feroz Shah Kotla Fort
Built in the 14th century by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq, this fort was once a seat of power.
Historical accounts note the Sultan’s interest in Sufi mysticism, and some believe rituals were held here to ward off evil spirits.
Many believe the fort is inhabited by djinns, i.e., supernatural beings in Islamic tradition. I visited on a Friday morning; prayers were being offered, and it looked like a normal prayer space.
People say that on Thursdays, visitors come to pray to the djinns, write letters with their wishes, and tie threads to seek blessings.
I didn’t experience anything paranormal, but some claim the darker, closed rooms are where the djinn reside. They also report sudden gusts of wind or odd sounds.
Parts of the fort are closed; the prayer area and gardens are open. There is no scientific evidence of paranormal activity here.
Timings: 8:30 am – 7:00 pm (open daily)
Cost: Indians/SAARC/BIMSTEC ₹20, foreign nationals ₹250
Nearest Metro Station: Delhi Gate (Violet Line)
2. Agrasen ki Baoli
Many locals believe Agrasen ki Baoli dates to the 14th century and associate it with King Agrasen of Agroha, though there’s no firm historical evidence about its builder.
The stepwell has 108 steps and is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
According to old folklore, the baoli’s waters had supernatural powers that compelled onlookers to jump in, but there’s no evidence for this, and the stepwell is now dry.
When paranormal investigator Jay Alani visited in the morning (the site is closed at night), he reported no paranormal activity.
He also claimed that some visitors film staged “haunting” videos and have even asked locals and security to lie for views. He concluded the place isn’t haunted.
Today, most people visit for its striking architecture: a small tunnel runs through the back wall to the other side, and there’s another structure at the top of the baoli.
Timings: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House (Violet Line)
3. Delhi Cantonment
A well-known urban legend tells of an old woman who asks drivers for a lift on the roads of Delhi Cantt. If they stop, she vanishes; if they don’t, she is said to run after the vehicle before disappearing.
Many reports place these sightings between 1:00 am and 4:00 am. Some drivers also claim that after stopping to ask her for directions, they ended up circling the city without ever reaching their destination.
One story suggests she discovered her husband’s infidelity and, in despair, killed her children and herself – her soul unable to find peace.
Others insist she wasn’t a ghost at all but a distressed woman with an unsound mind, seen chasing vehicles in torn clothes.
I’ve travelled these roads in the mornings and late evenings and haven’t encountered anything unusual.
Timings: Open 24 hours
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Delhi Cantt (Pink Line)
4. Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal
This fort in Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh, is the subject of many online tales claiming visitors hear the cries and wails of women and children being beaten.
Numerous origin stories circulate, but none are evidenced. One legend says a woman named Bhuri, from the Bhatiyar tribe, lost her way here and met Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
Thirsty, he was offered water by Bhuri and supposedly named the place “Bhooli Bhatiyari” after her. After Bhuri’s death, some say her spirit began to roam the site.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is renovating the fort. Paranormal investigator Jay Alani visited at night and spoke to the security guard, who has worked there for four years and reported no incidents.
Alani also conducted checks but found nothing unusual. Despite the haunted stories, the site draws daytime visitors; it remains closed at night.
Timings: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (open daily)
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Jhandewalan (Blue Line)
5. Jamali Kamali
The Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb complex stands beside the Qutub Minar inside Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
The tombs house the 16th-century poet-saint Jamali (Shaikh Jamali Kamboh) and Kamali. Jamali was a Sufi who held high office in the courts of Sikandar Lodi, Akbar, and Babur.
Little is known about Kamali; some accounts say a disciple, wife, or lover, while others say Kamali was a man. The complex dates to the late Lodi/early Mughal period and features jharokha-style elements.
The Paranormal Society of India has claimed its instruments picked up “vibrations” here.
A journalist who visited to test the haunting stories reported finding clothes inside the central dome and feeling a sudden temperature drop.
However, a security guard who has worked there said he has never witnessed anything unusual – by day or night.
Timings: Sunrise to sunset (open daily)
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Qutub Minar (Yellow Line)
6. Lothian Cemetery
Located at Kashmere Gate, this historic burial ground has its share of ghost stories. Burials ceased in the 1960s.
The cemetery was originally used for European soldiers who died during the 1857 uprising, and British women and children who died in cholera epidemics.
It is now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Local lore tells of the headless ghost of a British soldier named Nicholas.
According to the tale, he fell in love with an Indian woman and, unable to marry her, took his own life. Paranormal investigator Jay Alani spent two nights here in 2021 and reported no paranormal activity.
Timings: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Kashmere Gate (Red, Yellow, and Violet Lines)
7. Karkardooma Court
In 2014, lawyers at Karkardooma Court reported unusual happenings. Computers switching on by themselves and a shadowy figure captured on CCTV.
Some staff link the incidents to two tragedies: a lawyer who died with his family during the Uttarakhand floods, and a staff member who was electrocuted on the premises.
Staff also say the footage shows “bubbles” appearing out of nowhere. One employee, Pankaj Yadav, described any “ghosts” as harmless. A team of paranormal investigators later visited.
They allowed that something unusual might be occurring but proposed natural explanations: one investigator suggested the computers started due to self-programming software, and the “bubbles” were caused by an electromagnetic field in the room – something not visible to the naked eye.
There is no scientific proof of paranormal activity.
Timings: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Karkardooma Court (Pink Line), Karkardooma (Blue Line)
8. Dwarka Sector 9
A popular tale speaks of a woman in a white saree near a tree by the Dwarka Sector 9 Metro station. The road is deserted late at night, and some people claim they felt a sudden slap while passing that stretch.
To test the story, paranormal investigator Jay Alani visited without equipment, arriving at 11:30 pm and staying until 5:30 am. He reported no unusual activity and saw no woman in a white saree.
Around 3:00 am, a drunk auto-rickshaw driver stopped and said many people come here to shoot fake “haunted” videos, even paying locals to lie on camera.
He also admitted overcharging passengers on this “haunted” route.
Timings: N/A
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Dwarka Sector 9 (Blue Line)
9. Malcha Mahal
Begum Wilayat Mahal, the self-proclaimed daughter of the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, was allotted this property in the 1930s. She lived here with her son, Cyrus, and daughter, Sakina.
The site is a hunting lodge constructed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq, set in the Delhi Ridge forest near Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In 1993, Wilayat Mahal died by suicide, reportedly after consuming crushed diamonds. Her children never clearly addressed questions about her death, which added to the mystery surrounding the family.
The lodge reportedly lacked basic amenities such as running water and electricity, yet the family lived there for three decades.
Journalists have noted that Malcha Mahal features on the Delhi government’s Haunted Heritage Walks. During one such walk, a coordinator claimed to have heard the sound of anklets.
Timings: Haunted Heritage Walks: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm (summer); 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm (winter)
Cost: ₹800 per person
Nearest Metro Station: If joining the official walk, transport may be arranged. Otherwise, Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus (Pink Line) and Dhaula Kuan (Airport Express/Orange Line) are the closest.
10. Mansion on Sham Nath Marg, Civil Lines
A notorious mansion on Sham Nath Marg, Civil Lines, has often been in the news for the wrong reasons.
Considered more inauspicious than “haunted,” it’s said that whoever lived there suffered career setbacks or worse.
Delhi’s first chief minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, was the first to reside here and ended his term prematurely.
In the 1990s, Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana also occupied the mansion and left office early.
Later, Deep Chand Bandhu, a Delhi government minister, moved in and, tragically, died soon after due to meningitis. In 2013, senior bureaucrat Shakti Sinha reportedly faced a sudden exit from his post.
In 2015, Ashish Khetan set up the Delhi Dialogue Commission’s office in the mansion and stated there were no ghosts.
Timings: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Cost: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Civil Lines (Yellow Line)
11. W-3 Greater Kailash
Another much-discussed house is W-3 in Greater Kailash (GK). An elderly couple, Yadu Krishnan and Madhu Kaul, lived here until they were strangled in 1987.
Their yoga teacher, Swami Vikramanand, and his associate, Mandajeet Singh, were reportedly responsible. Allegedly motivated by a desire to seize the couple’s property, they were jailed later.
Since the murders, neighbours have reported eerie activity: wails and screams from inside, the scrape of moving furniture, and, at times, shadowy, human-like figures descending from the terrace.
The accused remain in prison, and, with no claimants for years, a family eventually purchased and renovated the house in the 2000s.
Timings: N/A
Cost: N/A
Nearest Metro Station: Greater Kailash (Magenta Line)
12. Khooni Nadi
Khooni Nadi is a small stream in Rohini, lined with trees and surrounded by local lore. Residents say the area is haunted due to strange happenings.
There’s no evidence for these claims, but many people remain wary of visiting after dark. Some believe that anyone who touches the water will be pulled under and that their spirit will then roam the area.
Most reported incidents here involve suicides. Although the stream is shallow, there have been reports of drownings. Locals also speak of crying and screams at night.
Timings: N/A
Cost: N/A
Nearest Metro Station: Rithala Metro station (Red line)