In Photos: Delhi Starts 'Haunted' Heritage Walks & First Stop Is Malcha Mahal

The 'haunted' walks are a part of the Delhi government's heritage walks.

Malcha Mahal, a Tughlaq-era hunting lodge erected by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq, is set in Delhi's ridge area near Chanakyapuri.

(Photo: Ribhu Chatterjee)

Heritage walks, organised by the Delhi Tourism Department, have taken a spooky turn. Starting May 2023, the government has decided to take out heritage walks in so-called 'haunted' sites in Delhi, such as Malcha Mahal, Bhuli Bhartihari, Feroz Shah Kotla, and Tughlakabad Fort.

I joined in on one such heritage walk to Malcha Mahal, with my camera. "We have conducted a series of food and heritage walks across Delhi, but the city has many things to explore. So, we came up with the idea of haunted walks to show tourists some of Delhi's unexplored sites," tourist information officer Atul Pandey told The Quint. 

Dushyant Singh, 47, who was leading the walk that day, is a businessman and entrepreneur, with a passion for history and historic sites. "I'm interested in new experiences, and if there's a haunted or so-called haunted place, then it is an added bonus."

It's story time.

Here, Dushyant Singh is seen holding up a photo of the self-proclaimed 'Queen of Awadh' – Begum Wilayat Mahal – who had arrived in India in the early 1970s, along with her two children, 'Princess' Sakina and 'Prince' Cyrus, an entourage of servants, and about 15 hounds. She claimed to be a member of the Royal Family of Awadh.

After she pressured the Indira Gandhi government for years, her claim was acknowledged and she was allotted the Malcha Mahal, a hunting lodge, made of stone, which is tucked away in the middle of a forest. But her fate, and that of her children, will forever be shrouded in mystery.

On 10 September 1993, Wilayat died by suicide at the age of 62.

Dushyant Singh holds up a photo of 'Prince' Cyrus with one of his hounds, taken inside the lodge.

"From the black patches on the ceiling, we can say that this place could have been used as a kitchen," explained Singh.

The veil of mystery surrounding Wilayat's family and her lineage was somewhat lifted after The New York Times journalist Ellen Barry tracked down the other half of her family – an estranged older brother by the name of Shahid who had been living in England.

Shahid and his wife confessed to the journalist that Wilayat's claims of belonging to a royal lineage was "a bloody big act."

After the death of 'Prince' Cyrus in 2017, the building has been in shambles. It was reported in late October 2019 that the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has suggested restoring Malcha Mahal.

Noel Thomas, 33, says he has a keen interest in the history of the city.

So, what got him interested in Malcha Mahal? "First, I think the location. When we think of Central Delhi, we think of the most modern part of Delhi. But right in the middle of it all, there is a curious story of a palace and the people who once lived here. I wouldn't necessarily call this place haunted though," Noel opined.