Dow Hill of Kurseong, one of India's most haunted places

New Delhi: Kurseong, a small hill station located at a distance of merely 30 kms from Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal has Dow Hill, one of the most haunted places in India. Tourist activity in this town has increased tremendously over the last few years and along with it has increased the frequency of the stories about the place being haunted.It is often reported to be a centre of paranormal activities and several accidents have taken place in the vicinity of the town, say local residents. The Victoria Boys High School is believed to be the place where the spirits reside. Local residents say, sound of footsteps emanating from the school can be heard even when the school is closed for the three long months from December to March.Locals claim that there is one stretch often called the Death Road where some woodcutters have reported seeing a headless boy following them. He apparently walks down towards the road and then disappears into the woods. The locals say that anyone having seen him is not spared by his apparition even in his dreams. Several people have reportedly committed suicide because they were depressed of being followed everywhere by the apparition.These might just be fables or there may be some element of truth to it but one fact that has been established even more strongly through the suicide stories of Kurseong is that once a place is known for being haunted, the residents are deprived of their mental peace and balance. They start living in a make believe world even when there is nothing supernatural happening around them. Some start enjoying the myths and frightening other people while some others become targets on their own.