India has easily embraced the world of modernity where the power of reasoning rules, yet there are things that are beyond comprehension and are often brushed as superstitions. Superstitions or not, there are things with no logical explanation or scientific reasoning whatsoever. Shrouded by paradoxes, these mind-bending mysteries in India have been baffling generations of scientists, scholars and researchers. Let’s take a look at some of the most unnerving yet enigmatic mysteries in India that continue to amaze us.
The Nine Unknowns
You might have heard of the infamous secret society ‘Illuminati’, guess what, we Indians have our version of Illuminati popularly known as ‘Ashoka’s Nine Unknown’. It is speculated that Ashoka himself chose nine unknown men and entrusted them with a book of knowledge on different subjects ranging from psychological warfare to time travel. These books contained information that is believed to cause destruction to humanity if fell into wrong hands. The identity of these nine elite men was therefore kept hidden from the world. The books are said to be passed on to the chosen successors, but no one knows to whom or to where.
The Mystery of Lama Tenzin
Have you ever heard of natural mummification? While you might be familiar with mummification that is done by a chemical process, natural mummification is quite a rare phenomenon. Tucked in the deep cold Himalayan desert of Spiti Valley lie a small town named Gue that houses a 500 years old mummy, believed to be that of Lama Sangha Tenzin. But that is not the puzzling thing. What makes this mummy special is that his body seems alive as his teeth are visible through his open lips, his skin unbroken with hair on his head. Moreover, locals pray to the mummy for the well-being of the town and they believe that the mummy of Lama Tenzin is protecting the town from evil. Scientists haven’t found any living Buddhas in nearby Buddhist regions including Tibet, the home of Buddhas.
Treasure of Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is a top tourist attraction in Jaipur. The fort is known for its rich history, fascinating architecture, massive fortification walls that appear impressive even from a distance. In addition to its rich history, this massive fort is also linked with popular folklore on Man Singh’s treasure that has always been on the radar of treasure hunters. As per legend, when Man Singh conquered a major part of Afghanistan, he returned with a large stash of wealth and hid a large part of it in Jaigarh Fort.
In 1977, when the emergency was imposed in India, Jaigarh Fort once again gained spotlight when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched a thorough search for the treasure. Some people believe that the treasure was stored in the underground tank in the fort courtyard, but nothing has ever been found. The mystery of treasure remains the same.
The Disappearance of Netaji
The disappearance of Subhash Chandra Bose a.k.a Netaji has always been shrouded in mystery thanks to conspiracy theory lovers who never seem to take rest and keep on adding their versions to this mystery making it all more interesting. Did he actually survive the plane crash when he was flying from Taipei to Tokyo that was supposed to kill him? Is he dead or alive? Why the government always tried to keep the secret files related to him hidden from the public? Why there is no death certificate if one assumes he died in that plane crash? And most importantly, if he survived the crash, where is he now?
All of these questions have time and again baffled us as they still linger in the air and no answer has ever been found. Furthermore, there was an Indian man who looked exactly like Netaji that fueled the mystery that he is alive, but the person died in 1985. Nonetheless, what happened to Subhash Chandra Bose is likely to remain a mystery unless he shows himself up which isn’t going to happen.
Reincarnation of Shanti Devi
One of the popular mysteries that still irk the minds of scholars and scientists is the reincarnation of Shanti Devi. Born in a little known town of Delhi, Shanti Devi claimed to remember details of her past life. She claimed that she was the reincarnation of a woman who was married to a cloth merchant in Mathura and died 10 days after giving birth to a son. A committee soon was commissioned to investigate the matter and it was found that every detail Shanti Devi gave concerning her past life was actually turned out true. Do you believe in reincarnation? Well, you certainly may get a hint from the curious case of Shanti Devi whose reincarnation is no less than enigma itself.
The Mysterious Vault B of Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, India is popularly known as the mother of all supernatural sites. Legend has it that this temple has a mystery-ridden chamber that remains closed for centuries and still remains unopened. The secret chamber has been labeled as ‘Vault B’ that is believed to filled with priceless treasure, precious stones and gold hidden behind the magically-sealed doors. People also believe that opening the vault could make the lord angry and annoyed. This is the reason why no one has been able to know where the door leads.
Some say that the vault B is guarded by snakes who would kill anyone trying to trespass beyond the permitted boundaries or a curse will fall upon them. Others believe that the door can only be unlocked by magical spells by highly erudite monks as it was locked with Naga Paasam mantras (serpent noose) during the reign of King Marthanda Varma ages ago by sages. Despite the attempts made by the government of India to unlock the doors, no fruitful result has come yet.
Gyangunj
In the deep end of Himalayas, lies a celestial land where immortal beings with special powers are believed to live and influence the world in subtle ways. It is said that this mysterious land camouflages itself and is located someplace where mapping technologies can’t penetrate. Some say that the land can be found only by enlightened saints. Gyanganj is also believed to exist in a different plane of reality which is why it cannot be detected by satellites. The root of Gyanganj can also be traced to Tibet where it has been mentioned in a couple of Buddhist sacred texts also. Buddhists believe that the magical land of Gyangunj defies the rules of death and transcend space, time and other concepts that affect our reality. Though the land might found superficial or mythical, certain accounts of people who have claimed to visit this land speak otherwise.
