Ghostly Whispers: Folk Narratives And Haunted Histories of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

This paper explores the rich and eerie landscape of ghost stories in Himachal Pradesh, with a particular focus on the Shimla hills. Drawing from oral narratives, literary texts, and digital video archives, the research examines how ghost stories function not just as folklore but as socio-cultural expressions of fear, memory, and resistance. The works of Minakshi Chaudhry and local YouTube creators reveal how these tales blur the boundaries between myth and memory, connecting colonial histories, gendered spaces, and vernacular belief systems. The study also contextualizes Himachali ghost stories within larger frameworks of postcolonial hauntology and folk narrative theory. By analyzing the recurring motifs of haunted houses, cursed trees, and wandering spirits, it shows how the supernatural becomes a lens through which people negotiate trauma, colonial legacy, and ecological anxiety. These tales, far from being mere superstitions, serve as living folklore—resonating with the region’s collective psyche.