India's Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places

by K. Hari Kumar, Prerna Gill (Editor)

There are places where the past lingers, making shapes in the moonlight and blowing in the curtains even as the air goes suddenly still. K. Hari Kumar, bestselling author of spine-chilling horror fiction, brings you the terrifying tales of some of India's most haunted places - including Bhangarh Fort, Malabar Hill's Tower of Silence and Jammu and Kashmir's notorious Khooni Nala. Whether you read them at night or in daylight, these stories will remain with you long after you've turned the last page.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Paranormal, Audiobook, Classics

340 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2019

About the author

K. Hari Kumar is a celebrated author, screenwriter and filmmaker. He has authored 9 bestselling books with HarperCollins, including Daiva, Naaga, India’s Most Haunted and Dakini. He has penned the screenplay of Bhram, E and has appeared as a speaker on popular podcasts like The Ranveer Show, Dostcast, Speaking Tree, HT Smartcast, Aajtak, Radio One, etc. He currently hosts CHATURYA – THE FOURTH STATE, the trending Youtube Channel, where he explores fascinating tales and concepts from Indic Puranas, regional folklore, spirituality and global mythology.

K Hari Kumar's collection of horror short stories, India's Most Haunted - Tales of Terrifying Places, published by HarperCollins India is one of the highest selling horror story books in India. The Times Of India deemed it as a must-read horror book, and it was also listed in HarperCollins India’s hundred best books written by Indian authors. The Malayalam translation of India’s Most Haunted was published as Indiayile Prethalayangal by Mathrubhumi Books in March 2022. The book will be soon translated into Hindi as well.

Hari has been honoured with invitations to speak on his expertise at prestigious events such as Times Literature festival (Bangalore & Delhi), DAV United Literature Festival (Gurgaon & Delhi), Kumaon Literature Festival (Dhanacholi), Lit-O-Mania (Mumbai), and IISc’s Literature Festival (Bangalore). His insights have garnered attention from leading national newspapers, television channels, and podcasts, including the renowned The Ranveer Show that features India's top writers and film personalities.

Reviews

[Manpreet Kaur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointing. Half baked, boring stories. 100% didn’t need to be written.

[Arun Divakar · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty large collection of small horror stories. The stories cannot really be called ‘short stories’ as they do not follow a particular format as such. The pattern however is that a character or a small group of characters get to have a brush with the supernatural with deadly consequences for those who are human. The ghostly apparitions range from evil and vengeful to benign and loving across stories placed through the length and breadth of India.

That said, this collection is rather simplistic to put it mildly. If you have some experience with horror as a genre then it will be quite easy for you to understand how a particular story will head for closure. Considering that the stories are quite small, the focus is on the shock factor (aka jump scares in cinematic terminology) and on gore to keep the reader on tenterhooks. Mostly this works but if you have read horror extensively and seen your share of movies then a lot of what these stories have to offer will come across as cliché. The writing is simple and to the point and that works well.

Recommended if you are a new comer to the horror genre.

[Shreyasi Basu · Rating 5 out of 5]

|| INDIA'S MOST HAUNTED ||

by

K . HARI  KUMAR





'Sometimes, it is the normal that should be feared most.'


I recently read this horror collection by K.Hari Kumar and I must say these 50 stories are enough to send a chill down the reader's spine for sure!


BLURB WITHOUT SPOILER: 


Though all the stories are spooky and interesting, here are my favourites: 

▪Satan and the Smoker

▪Soft Laughs

▪Darbhanga's School of Terror

▪A Night Out in Sanjay Van

▪Seven Minutes in the Mall


'Satan and the Smoker' is about a young man, Sameer who went for a trip to Aizawl (capital of Mizoram). He realizes he has run out of smokes after dinner and goes searching of cigarette vendors on street.  Some unexpected and improbable incidents happen, featuring a little girl with dirty pink frock. What happens next? Who is the mysterious girl? You have to read this story if you want to know! 


'Seven Minutes in the Mall': 

"I am glad you said so. Usually these ungrateful people don't even notice me."

 This story is about a fellow named 'Bhrigu Parashar' who was forced to go to an editor's office which is situated in an almost defunct mall in the region.  After arriving, he took the elevator and suddenly, he noticed someone's reflection on a wall and could feel someone's presence.  Who was that? My goodness! Trust me, it's terrifying.


✔Every story is unique and interesting. Some stories are not true, but many stories are based on true incidents and experiences. 


✔Storyline and narration - these are what I have liked most here. They recreated incredible images of some haunted places. The author has a good sense of humor and made me laugh sometimes. The author's effort and brilliance has left me awestruck. 


✔ Cover is eye-catching!


✔ Writing style is really good. It's so smooth, lucid  and easy to read indeed!

I would recommend this book for children too. They will really enjoy it. This book would be a great choice for Halloween night!

[The book bee Urmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 50 horrifying, tales of haunted places in India which are inspired by real-life incidents. And these do not involve mythical characters which makes it more real.

A super lucid read.. so much that while I was reading in a noisy place itself and was called by someone suddenly, to which I screamed out of fear...

I must say all the stories are different, like even though there are so many tales every time you read one it's are unique.

I am a fan of mystery and horror so definitely a must have book for readers like me...

[Satabdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky stories that span the length and breadth of India

India's Most Haunted is one scary collection of tales about hauntings, possessions, and malevolent spirits. I could not read the book at night because the poltergeists and ghosts seemed to leap out of the pages and snatch away my sleep. I'm never going to look at dense forests, lonely paths, and abandoned houses in the same way again. Stories about ghosts haunting places of historical importance interested me the most because they had a backstory.

This book features all kinds of ghosts and spirits - benevolent, malevolent, vengeful, lost, or just plain evil. I've come to appreciate the work of paranormal investigators all the more. It takes a lot of courage to attempt contact with otherworldly entities.

If you enjoyed listening to bedtime stories as a child, this book will serve as the horror version. Some are scarier than others, whereas some merely elicit shock and disgust.

Don't miss this superb collection!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that doesn't have the audiobook version... oh, well, I guess we will be seeing a lot of this now.

This is actually a really fascinating collection, entertaining, with a good variety of narratives and, all and all, a very good book and I enjoyed it very much.

[Shikha Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an interesting book, couple of stories in the book are quite known and it’s very well written
Some stories do give you goose bumps

[Asha Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories which are a few pages long and some just over a page. The characters while intriguing barely touch a chord with the reader, and that maybe because the stories themselves weren't strong enough. Some tales, however, did manage to thrill. The settings were the selling points in all these tales, because there was some merit in the fact that these were real places, not fictional. The writing and narration was impeccable as even though the stories felt predictable, it is the writing that keeps the suspense going.

I had really great expectations with this book because of the premise - stories of Indian haunts. Being a horror buff, while learning about the places was exciting, the stories lacked freshness and the high points were missing big time. For most part, these felt predictable and left me feeling as if I'd read them before. For those who are new to the genre, these stories will create the right atmosphere with just the right levels of scare to keep them glued without becoming sources of insufferable nightmares. For horror-addicts, however, these will fall short to create any lasting impact. That said, it is worth reading for the great attempt at horror writing since IMO Indian literature scene seriously lacks promising horror books.

[Neeraj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I appreciate the efforts made by the author to place these stories at different haunted locations in India, the stories seem more of a fictionalized account, like we're used to watching in the Hindi movies most of the times. It's like a small narrative or a campfire story stretched to fit into the pages. One can easily find such stories on Quora written by different people. I wish the author created more layered and real characters that could generate real spooks, just like the authors from whom he was inspired to write these.

Having said that, people who are new to this genre, especially kids/teenagers might find it interesting to read on a night when there is a kind of setting for such stories and a reactive audience. Among around 50 stories, there are certainly a few that can send a chill down the spine.

[Mansi Babbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visual, grabbing and haunting! The collection of short stories in based on true events and, as truly described, includes horror commutes by humans rather than ghosts in some stories.

It’s amazing when you think about how rich India is when it comes to folklore and equally disappointing that not many are yelling these stories.

Hari has done a great job and given us stories to remember and re-tell by a fireside! Just beware of the invisible ears!

[Cindy D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously, even my kids were fascinated with the title of the book. The spooky forest picture, on the cover, was apt and stood for all the 50 stories of the book. Perhaps a ‘Yakshi’ could have been amidst the trees to give it a more haunting feel.
https://www.blogaberry.com/reviewed-b...

[Vineela · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a person who enjoys the tales of paranormal, then this is for you. This book gives you glimpse of the paranormal through few short stories. If you're from India, you definitely would have heard about few stories mentioned in it. Each story is gripping and some can give you downright chills. Its informative and a good halloween read.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all impressed. Almost all the tales narrated have been re-repeated in popular mdia such a number of times that explicit profanity was the only style that the author could adopt. Kindly desist from fooling hardcore readers. Wastage of my bloody time.

[Rima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not spooky at all !
The only stories I enjoyed were the ones with murders

[Remya Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will know some of these stories but it will be a treat to read about them formally in a book--all in one place. I picked it up simply because I am into horror and Indian fiction seems lacking (for now, I hope). But this was a good one-time read.

[Sumit Khanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing extraordinary about the book. Few of the tales give you goosebumps, however, others are your typical daadi-naani kinda horror stories. I was expecting much more from the book. Nonetheless, a decent listen!

[Divyansh Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every night I used to read a story or two from it, Short concise and entertaining horror stories. Bedtime horror bytes.

[Deia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

Some stories were good, but overall this is an okay collection.

Some were too short to be effective, and the setting (haunted house, haunted woods, etc) were rather repetitive after a while. I don't have a particular issue with stories being predictable, but after a while it does get a bit boring when most turn out the way you expect them to.

I bear no bad feelings about it by any means tho, so this was a nice introduction to India's folklore and horror tradition.

[Abhishek · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off, this is my guilty pleasure reading. Growing up, we all must've found ourselves in one situation or the other where a group of friends are gathered around and trading supernatural stories. It's usually around midnight and more often than not there's alcohol in the mix.

The important thing about that experience is not if the stories are true or not, it is how it makes you feel in the moment. This book has a collection of 50 stories that aims to replicate that experience in your mind. I've concisely therefore tried to read these stories only in the night, so that I can get an immersive experience of the chills in the dark night.

Now, I don't believe in supernatural, or as Ricky Gervais said it, the supernatural is just natural that we haven't understood yet. But, that doesn't mean, I cannot suspend my belief to enjoy these tales, in the same way I enjoy flying dragons without believing they are real creatures.

While the collection of the stories are from various parts of India, the common thread that connects all the stories is that veneer of truth that each of them is shrouded with. And that tangential believablity provides the chilling experience after having finished the story.

It has all the trops of the ghost stories, woman in white saree, sudden disappearance, night travel, buildings on graveyard, Djinns, cautionary tales from old people etc.

Another reason I liked this book was because it reminded me of "Ahaat" and "Zee horror show" the TV series I used to watch growing up. Each of these story can very easily be an episode of that series. Mentally, I was a child again, terrified in my comforter reading these tales.

My favourite from the bunch are "The devil's flower and a piece of rock" "A pair pf pale hands", "The bloody river of Rohini", "Darbhanga's school of terror (Shout out to my hometown)", "Naale Baa (Inspiration behind Stree movie)" "Pompu's delusion", "Sweet dreams, Abbu", "The devil of Guntur", "The haunting of bhuli bhatiyari palace" and "A night out in Sanjay van"

Curiously, I never watch horror movies, but somehow reading stories have a different impact I felt.

If you would want a horror experience, you'll definitely enjoy this book, otherwise it's not for you.

[Barsha Roy Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often have we heard people sharing about their creepiest encounters. We are all aware of India’s most haunted places like the Bhangarh fort, Malabar Hill’s Tower of Silence, Khooni Nala in Jammu and Kashmir. There are several reports covering unexplainable deaths in such haunted places. But how often do you believe in them?

K. Hari Kumar penned down fifty stories of such paranormal encounters, experienced by various people across the country, in his book ‘India’s Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places’. The book covers creepy tales of various places in India crawling with negative energy or whatever you like to call them. The stories are mostly inspired by real life experiences, rumours, articles and reports with a touch of author’s creative elements to bring some juice into the story. There’s no ghouls, vampires, werewolves or such mythical creatures in this book. It mostly consists of stories of evil spirits haunting old buildings, palaces, highways, etc. So, don’t expect hair raising effect from these stories. These are mostly eerie, freaky, disturbing stories, perfect for campfires.

I enjoyed some of the stories in the first half of the book. But gradually, the stories became absurd and very ridiculous. There’s less of horror elements for a horror fanatic. Honestly, I had high expectations from the book. I was expecting spine-chilling effect but it didn’t meet my expectations. I wasn’t scared, which I usually am after watching a horror movie. But, this book gave no such feels. May be it would have if someone was narrating the stories during a bonfire in a chilly night. It’s a good pick for someone who easily gets scared or someone who is looking for a not-so-terrifying horror book.

[Swagata Bose · Rating 4 out of 5]

INDIA'S MOST HAUNTED: Tales of Terrifying Places- K. HARI KUMAR
Ratings: 4/5 ⭐
Genre: Horror
Number of Pages: 340
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 31st October, 2019
Publisher: Harper Collins India

India’s Most Haunted is a collection of fifty terrifying tales from various parts of India- some famous folklore like the legend of Bhangarh Fort and some unheard anecdotes.

This is the first book I tried from this genre and I’ve to admit I liked it. This being a collection of short stories, I could finish reading it very quickly- On Halloween’s eve. The stories are very much compelling and engaging because of the picturesque description by the author. These stories can make some really intriguing narratives when you’re out camping with buddies or chilling with cousins. I didn’t find all of them equally horrifying though, while some of them were really spine chilling, few of them simply made me yawn. Although, there are some stories which can lead to nightmares so tread lightly. I say this because some of the instances are of places that I’ve been to like those of Kolkata and Ranchi.

There is a gallery of six pages in the book featuring few of those haunted places it has talked about in the book, which makes it spookier. The language is very easy and lucid and the narration is pretty smooth so I can recommend this to every age group. If you’re looking something to read and chill on Halloween’s, I’d recommend this.

[Anushri Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine sitting with your friends on a cold wintery night with a bonfire in middle, while someone starts narrating ghost stories animatedly that sends shivers down your spine - ‘India’s Most Wanted’ is a collection of exactly such tales. While the author claims that they are based on true events, however, he has exercised enough creative freedom to ensure that the stories are relevant, sometimes dark and mostly a page turner. The writer has remained honest to the genre throughout the book, the stories are interesting (if not outright scary) and they attempt to resonate with various socio-political-cultural dilemmas of our times. Stories are spun across urban legends, yakshi, churels etc., however, at places characters start bargaining with ghosts which kind of compromises the ‘fear factor’! We must not forget the enigma which death is, while it strikes fear in some, it also brings melancholy in others. Although touched upon, this duality if explored at greater depths, would surely have had a far reaching impact on the readers. For most bibliophiles, the HQ (Horror Quotient) of this book would be average, which in no way undermines the sincerity of the author in documenting tales from nook and corner of our country. In the end, it must be stated that this is a honest attempt at a genre which is relatively less explored, however, pretty popular, in the space of Indie Literature.

[Geethica Mehra · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stories are short and crisp. It just takes 7-10 min to finish a story.

They don't burden you to finish the book at once just because you started.

You will enjoy reading 2 or 3 stories back to back when you want to relax and spark your brain with some real stories.

The phrase 'real stories' always interests a reader.

Horror stories don't have a perfect ending. In fact, they don't have an ending. You read the last lines, think about it a little and move on to the next story.

If one of the places is the same as you visited, you involve more deeply with that story. There comes a contradiction of reasoning because every narrator has a different perspective on the same situation.

The book title and cover design insist reader buy the book.

His work speaks of his creativity more than his popularity. In fact, his storytelling will force you to search more about him and not the other way round.

[Souparnika Chander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 20
INDIA'S MOST HAUNTED
Tales of Terrifying places
by K. Hari Kumar
Format: Paperback
My Ratings: 5/5

Do Ghosts exist? Are they real or just born out of superstitious folklore? Or are they just our innermost fears and imaginations?May be ? May be Not?

India's Most Haunted is a collection of 50 short stories , where you find stories that are intriguing, unbelievable, believable, blood curdling, gore, spooky, spine chilling, or nothing scary at all.
Be it the famous Burari mass suicide, our very own Chennai's Demonte Colony, the Bhangarh fort of Rajastan, or the lady in white Saree asking for lift in the Highways, the author has swimmingly delivered the tales with a simple yet effective language.
He have tried to cover as much as tales or incidents from our country.
I would recommend reading this book alone or reading out to your siblings/friends with all the effects , 1 or few stories a night, with that eerie feel around!

[Siddhant Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a very different experience than the other books in the genre I have read. There are no ghosts appearing out of the blue or the classic late-night sounds. Each of the story is told in a crisp manner and the storytelling is tightly focused on the narrative. While the stories would give goosebumps was it takes a turn, but the chills are measured and as a reader one begins to understand the other point of view. What I loved about the book is that the author has sourced the stories from across the country and they focus in events rather than the hauntings. Being short stories, it can act as a leisure read, to be read as a paced book, or for people who eat books (looks at self), the book is a one long journey across the country as we experience the events. Another aspect that Hari brings to light is that while we think that the paranormal beings are scary, sometimes humans can be scarier, and this is precisely the point he focuses on in a few stories. The climax of the stories is something that is extremely well crafted. The manner in which the feelings, emotions and imagination bind together is something quite surreal.

The characters in the stories seem drawn from real life, and are people like you and me. The characters are not the usual ones one thinks of finding in this genre. There are no damsels in distress or knights in shining armor, but local people that believe the local legends and how it influences them. Another thing I loved was the visual descriptions of the places where the stories are set and almost are a part of the stories as an independent character, which I feel is the true essence in this genre. Creaking doors and howling winds are described so intricately that one is transported into the scene.

[Saranya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book name " India's Most haunted written by K. Hari Kumar".
This was the first book that read by this author.This book is totally collection of amazing horror stories which like Sharing personal experience, incidents, emotional .

The cover page of the book indicates the overview of the Stories is thirilling.After reading the book I felt like watching movie it was very thrill read.

First story, Begins with grandma and her grand son sharing her neighbourhood story that his great - grandfather was the owner of krishna talkies later the story moves to horror part.

Second story, This story lies between the three characters that is Arjun, Lakshaya and Aarav who was friend of Arjun.Aarav was under problem so called to Arjun for help. Arjun who moving in car with a girl to the party . Then suddenly the call appears so he went off to help his friend. Then the horror going to enter.. soo...onn. All the short stories going on

Totally the stories was very Gripping. Language was very easy to understand. Beginners can also understand easily. I loved this book very much. Now i am planning to read for horror story books.

[Kottha Sree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book : India's Most Haunted
Format : Kindle
This is a very nicely written book covering true stories, folks, myths and legends about various haunted places in India. This was the first book that I read by this author.

This is a collection of 50 chilling & gripping stories of the paranormal. The stories are from the villages of Kerala, Rajsthan, UP, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Mizoram, Shimla & many places all over India.They were inspired by rumours, news articles, famous incidents, personal experiences etc.
Actually after seeing the cover page of the book I thought of reading this book at night with friends .
So I did the same . Three friends gathered together at my home, I was reading aloud and we really enjoyed the book, and want it to watch as a movie .
Because horror movies are really thriller and the way this book too thrilled us
Really excited after reading this book.
The catchy titles, captivating cover page, and spooky illustration - all deserve special appreciation.
Of all the stories, my personal favourites are:
1. The Devil's Flower and A Piece of Rock
2. A Pair of Pale Hands
3. Bloody Ride on Aarey Road
4. A Night Out in Sanjay Van

[Deepa Swaminathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the stories are engaging, the way it has been narrated could have been way better. One of the stories has both names Balbir and Balraj, but they reference the same person! There are more mistakes as far as the grammar and punctuation are concerned. I may be old school, but this completely turns me off.

Around 40% of the protagonists are high on weed or alcohol, which makes the reader wonder if it is just a drunkard's imagination all along.

The stories have their allure for people craving the tales of unexplained/mysterious places and legends. Moreover, the time of Halloween always puts me in an adventurous mood and I read something spooky every year during this time only! The good part of this book is that since all stories are just 2 or 3 pages long. So the reader would not be completely transported into a nightmare zone like he /she would in Stephen King's books.

My favorite stories from this collection are -
Naleba (the inspiration for Bollywood movie Stree)
Khooni Nala
A night at Sanjay Van

All in all, a decent read. I bought it for Rs. 350, which I think is quite expensive for this book.

[Manisha G · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Rating: 4.3/5️⃣



|| BOOK REVIEW || - 🍁 The Book, India's Most Haunted By K. Hari Kumar, is a Collection Of Short Stories.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 There are More Than Forty Short Stories in the Book.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 All The stories are Horrific and Refreshing to be Read. The Author has written stories that are Different from each other. The Author has an Amazing Way of Storytelling.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Language of the Book is Rich. The Writing Style of the Book is Gripping. The Cover of the Book is Fabulous. The Title of the Book could have been Better.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Imagination of the Author is an Impeccable. The Execution is done Beautifully by the Author in the Book. The Author has written all the stories Wonderfully.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

|| PERSONAL INSIGHT || - 🌸 I enjoyed Reading all the Short Stories. Some of my most Favourite Stories in the Book are Writer's Block, Seven Minutes in the Mall, The Test of Time and Satan and The Smoker.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Book is a Must Read For someone who Likes to Read Gripping Horror Stories.

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

India's Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places
by K. Hari Kumar
It reads so clearly...so that when I was reading in a noisy place, someone called me and I yelled at them. They tend to rationalize things scientifically and look for logical explanations for everything. It's like a cross-page short story or campfire story.
Each story is unique and interesting. Some stories are not true, but many stories are based on real life events and experiences.
Considering how rich it is, this is awesome. Speaking of folklore, this is India, and it is also frustrating that few people shout these stories.
This is a well-written book that covers the true stories, characters, myths and legends of various haunted places in India.
The language is lucid, and therefore the dialogues and the words used are thus attractive and tempting to read. The writing is that the important and purpose of this book.
This is the author's first book I read.
Highly recommended
Happy reading😌✌️