Eric Chopra, the founder of Itihāsology, journeys through the capital’s most beguiling sites Jamali-Kamali, Firoz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, and Malcha Mahal to unearth the stories and legends that seem wrapped around these heritage structures. Between the living and the lived, there is an in-between world of paranormal (in)activities which are either inhabited or haunted - ‘jinn's are noble souls who inhabit eerie places whereas ghosts haunt the dilapidated structures.’
Ghosted emerges from these never-ending curiosities, which wanders through unending conversations sustained by horror aficionados. And it’s this enduring appetite for the other world that sustains the enigmatic inhabitation of jinn's and ghosts. Human fascination with the other world is old and persistent. Chopra showcases the layered, multi-hued history of our unwritten past. And whether one believes on the paranormal, Ghosted makes for so compelling a read that one is nudged to visit the sites to see for oneself.
It is part history and part hearsay that has been weaved together into an absorbing narrative. It isn’t the academic history but popular history, that is mystical no less. It blends archival research with myths without any attempt to settle what, when, and why of a past that persists till the present. Instead, it acknowledges how ordinary people relate to them without questioning and how handwritten pleas and petitions are filed by numerous believers. Far from judging these beliefs, the claims of getting the pleas fulfilled are frequent. Rarely are such claims authenticated but help in reinforcing the beliefs.
Chopra is one of his kind of researcher, holding the tradition of enriching popular history that has been kept alive since antiquity. Ancient societies are known to have written letters to their dead relatives, have been filing written petitions for seeking requiem from their earthly troubles, and have kept alive rituals and practices. The haunted refuse to leave the cultural imagination, which are revered in tombs and dargahs. The city remains the palimpsest history of sages, sultans, poets, and lovers who linger in human memory.
Ghosted talks about how humans relate to the haunted but not the other way round. Who knows that the haunted may harbor a story? The case of Kate Morgan, who haunts the Hotel del Coronado since 1892, reflects the challenges women faced in her era: social stigma for unwed pregnancies, limited resources for independence, and little tolerance for scandal. Many believe her ghost lingers in a hotel room, a haunting reminder of the struggle's women endured, and the quiet tragedies often lost to history. There are stories on what’s lost and what endures, to understand the many ways the haunted may tell their stories.
Chopra is a natural storyteller, combining his passion for public history with archival research. This makes him a compelling writer of narrative non-fiction which connects with the current generation. Such writings bring the joy of discovering the past to new and old readers and may help explore new facets to the haunted stories. With the city landscape littered with fabled apparitions, there is much to choose from.
Delhi is rich in haunted geography, and people engage with history through heritage walks. Only tourists help in maintaining the haunted structures. Even menswear collection, Jamali Kamali, has contributed to enhancing interest in haunted structures. Ghosted is an engaging read, weaving a relationship with these historical sites. Each site has an engaging public history.
by Eric Chopra
Speaking Tiger, New Delhi.
Extent: 280, Price: Rs. 480.
First published in Hindustan Times on June 5, 2026.
