Ghost Of Marayoor

This incident still sends shivers on my spine whenever I remember it. It happened to me when I was in Coimbatore. One day Jayanthan a friend of me, suggested a trip to Munnar. I was always willing to take a break from my tight schedule. We planned a trip of 5 days.

Munnar is a hill station on the Western Ghats, a range of mountains situated in the Idukki district of the Indian state of Kerala. On the way there is a place called Marayoor which is 40kms north of Munnar. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests. It is a heavenly place with mild climate. Jayanthan had a friend named Anand in Marayoor.

We decided to spend 2 days in Marayoor with Anand in his home. His home is situated on top of a hill. We climbed that hill and reached his home by evening. The view from the hill was fantastic. Hills surrounded by clouds was worth to watch. Anand and his Grandma are the only persons in his home. We spent the night by playing cards. At about 11pm we hit the sack.

When Jayanthan woke me up it was early morning and Sun is shining. He said to me that there is a surprise outside. I woke up, half asleep, put my sweater, opened the door and went outside. When I asked him what it is, he shushed me and signaled to simply follow him.

He was leading me to a secluded area and I was wondering what is the surprise. When I was just about to step inside the bush someone gripped on my shoulder and I turned back. Suddenly the area became dark as night. In fact it was night. It was Anand who caught me on the way. He asked me "Where are you going at this night?". I was confused and I turned to call Jayanthan. But he was not there.

I told Anand that Jayanthan woke me up and asked me to follow him. Anand quickly grabbed my hand and took me to home. There Jayanthan was sleeping peacefully in his bed. I fell on the floor out of sheer horror. When I regained my conciousness, I was lying on my bed and everyone was watching me. Someone has smeared my forehead with holy ash.

Anand told me to sleep well and sat beside me. At morning Anand's Grandma told me what happened in previous night. There is a certain type of demon who has the ability to control the minds of others. It comes in disguise as our close relatives or friends and lure the victim to a peak and make them jump.

Fortunately Anand heard the door opening and he said that I was walking like in a trance. He understood the situation quickly and saved me from death. He told me that next time someone wakes me up to show surprises, make sure to check the time. We went to a nearby Shiva temple and tied a sacred thread on my hand.

From that day onwards I used to check the time when I wake up. That incident changed my concept about reality.