By Rochelle Crasto

Copyright deccanchronicle

Forget resorts, forget villas with infinity pools — a new kind of “stay” is catching on with India’s younger lot. Across small towns and cities, abandoned houses — creaky, cobwebbed, sometimes falling apart — are becoming the ultimate thrill destination for teenagers hunting for an adrenaline rush. If adults book “haunted havelis” on travel apps, India’s Gen Z is cutting out the middleman: they’re slipping into deserted homes and staying the night, armed with nothing more than a torch, a Bluetooth speaker, and, in true horror-movie style, far too much confidence. Ghosts Over Gardens Today’s thrill-hungry young travellers want more than just scenery. They want goosebumps. Enter haunted homestays. From British-era bungalows in Shimla that whispered to host wandering colonels, to Rajasthani havelis where guests report phantom anklet sounds at night, the experience is less about five-star comfort and more about spine-tingling ambience. On Airbnb and similar platforms, listings with “haunted history” tags are surprisingly popular, especially during the monsoon and festive seasons like Halloween. These stays often advertise their ghostly appeal as a feature, not a flaw. The Fear Factor Why are people paying to scare themselves? Psychologists suggest it’s a curious mix of escapism and control. Booking a haunted estate in Ooty or Mussoorie offers a curated, “safe” dose of fear — the kind you can switch off by checking out the next morning. “It’s thrill with a return ticket,” says Dr. Alisha Mehra, a Delhi-based psychologist. “When people book these stays, they’re choosing their adventure — fear becomes entertainment, not trauma.” Weekend groups of friends, corporate teams on “different” offsites, and even couples on unusual honeymoons are lining up to experience creaks, whispers, and unexplained cold drafts. For some, it’s also an Instagram jackpot: #HauntedStay trumps #RoomWithAView when it comes to online bragging rights. Hosts themselves are divided. Some play up the legends with candour — candlelit dinners in echoey halls, storytelling sessions with locals, or curated “ghost walks.” Others, wary of scaring away the faint-hearted, keep the lore subtle, letting guests “discover” the atmosphere themselves. For tourism boards, this is a delicate balance. While some encourage heritage storytelling as a draw, they stop short of officially endorsing ha-unted labels. After all, there’s a fine line between folklore and fear-mongering. “I thought it was all gimmicks until I stayed at an old Portuguese villa in Goa. At 2 AM, the piano in the living room played a single note — no one was there. Call it wind, call it spirits, but I checked out a day early,” says Joseph D’Souza, Pune businessman. Empty, Eerie, Exciting Every city has old abandoned homes, crumbling havelis and local folklore. “We all knew about this old bungalow near the railway tracks in Nagpur — locals say a woman in white roams there. So one Friday, we carried chips, cold drinks, and dared each other to spend the night. It was the scariest fun I’ve ever had,” laughs Pranav Kulkarni (17). Parents worry that teenagers, in their hunt for thrills, ignore real-world dangers. These houses are often structurally unsafe — weak roofs, broken staircases, glass shards, and snakes hiding in corners. Also, trespassing can lead to legal trouble. “We keep telling our son not to wander into those places. It’s not ghosts I fear — it’s accidents or shady people hiding there,” says Anita Sharma, mother of a teenager. Spirits & Selfies For Gen Z and young millennials, a haunted stay isn’t about danger; it’s about novelty. Having “slept in a room where a ghost supposedly walks” beats generic resort tales. And thanks to reels, the haunted ambience and experience become a 30-second viral travel video. “We spent the night in a homestay, and we didn’t know it was haunted. Around 3 AM, I heard someone whisper my name. The rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep — it felt like I was being watched,” says Varun Mehta, a Goa-based writer. That’s not to say everyone walks away with a paranormal encounter. Most admit the only thing they encountered was a cold breeze or their imagination. But that, in a way, is the point: the story is worth more than the scare. Curtain Call In a country where devotion, folklore, and superstition are stitched into daily life, it’s no surprise that ghosts, too, have found their way into tourism. Haunted vacation rentals are not just about paranormal curiosity — they reflect a cultural moment where young Indians want experiences that stand out, even if it means sleeping with the lights on. After all, in 2025, the true luxury isn’t marble bathrooms. It’s goosebumps on demand. Haunted Hotspots Some popular spooky stays on traveller lists are: · Shimla’s old…