There is a widespread belief that travel gives peace and comfort, however, there are other types of travel and tourism that allow people to gain a greater understanding of India’s history while experiencing the reality of human suffering and cultural exchange. Dark tourism, also known as grief tourism, is when people visit sites that have a history of death and suffering. Also, some locations serve as memories of human suffering and bloodshed.
Here are 5 places in India known for dark tourism
1. Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
The horrific incident at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar still makes people feel furious even after all these years have passed. It was among the most tragic incidents that happened throughout the struggle for India’s independence. Under General Dyer’s orders, the British Army opened fire on hundreds of unarmed civilians, including women and children, in the Jallianwala Bagh gardens on April 13, 1919.
2. Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Known by another name, Kala Pani, the Cellular Jail was a British-era prison used to incarcerate Indian freedom fighters during that country’s independence campaign. The British specifically used it to exile political prisoners.
3. Dow Hill in Kurseong, Darjeeling
Kurseong is a West Bengal hill station surrounded by dense woods, lush tea plantations and picturesque landscapes. The most haunted hill station in India, Dow Hill in Kurseong, is about 30 kilometres from Darjeeling. Here, ghost stories and strange happenings occur.
4. Gandhi Smriti, Delhi
Mahatma Gandhi spent the final 144 days of his life in Gandhi Smriti, the site of his assassination. Originally the home of Indian business tycoons the Birla family, it is now the Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum. The museum shows several articles related to Gandhi’s life and death. Visitors may also see the preserved room where Gandhi used to live.
5. Skeleton Lake, Uttarakhand
Roopkund Lake, often referred to as Skeleton Lake, is located around 16,500 feet above sea level. The skeletons were first noticed in 1942 after a very hot summer that caused the ice to melt. A British forest ranger came across a huge number of human remains floating and arranged erratically along the lake’s edges. The bones were once believed to be the remains of Japanese troops who had died in battle, but in 2004 it was revealed that the remains were from 850 AD.
