Ghostly Shadows by Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station and the Haunted Peepal Tree

Peepal Tree and its Haunted Origin Story in India

The Peepal tree, also known as the sacred fig is worshiped in Hindu culture and also known as ashvattha in India. Often people pray to it and light diya and incense sticks under the tree to rid themselves of all the Doshas from their horoscopes. The belief that the tree has divine powers comes from the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna said: “I am the Peepal Tree among the other trees.” Also Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma are believed to live inside the trees.

**The Sacred Fig:** In India and Hinduism the Peepal Tree is often called ashvattha and holds great significance. The same can be said for Buddhism where it is called the Bodhi Tree as this is where Buddha reached enlightenment. The tree also has a lot of superstitions around it.

Also in Buddhism the tree is significant and is known as the Bodhi tree as it is believed that Gautam Buddha got his enlightenment while meditating under the tree. As well as being sacred, there are a lot of lore and superstition surrounding this mysterious tree.

On the other side of its divine connection, the Peepal tree is also believed to be haunted and attract ghosts like the case with the one growing in Dwarka Sector 9.

An old myth about this is that if you sleep under a Peepal tree at night you will see a ghost and this is not just concerning this tree, as many old Peepal Trees have various ghost stories connected to them. But could there be something more behind this than old stories and rumors?

It is also worth noting the scientific reason for the spiritual things that are said to happen when staying at one of these trees at night and that it can be explained by simple biology. During the day the tree absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen because of the sun. During night however, it releases the carbon dioxide that lowers the levels of oxygen human needs to breathe.

This process can feel suffocating, lead to hallucinations, and in worst case scenarios, even death. Could this be the reason why there are so many stories connected to seeing ghosts, hearing voices and even reaching some sort of enlightenment?

The Legend of the Killed Schoolgirl

According to local legend, the origins of the station’s haunting can be traced back to the tragic death of a schoolgirl in the area—a death that unleashed a torrent of supernatural activity upon the unsuspecting souls of Delhi.

When this is said to have happened is not specified in most sources. Some claim that it was in 2004 when a young school girl was killed by a cab as she was heading towards the station. This version seems unlikely though, as the metro station first opened in 2006.

But if there was something that happened unrelated to the Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station or perhaps the year is just quoted wrong, is unknown.

One particularly eerie specter is that of an old woman wearing white and not a schoolgirl, whose ghostly form is said to materialize suddenly in the middle of the road outside of the metro station, only to fade away into the darkness moments later.

The Legend about the Road Construction

Another legend is about this supposed old woman in white in connection to the Peepal Tree outside of Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station. According to a story, a contractor was haunted in his dreams by her when he was working on the road and wanted to remove the tree.

After being haunted and the construction workers noticed something off about the tree, they decided to leave it be and built a temple close to it instead.

**The Sacred Fig by the Road:** This is the tree close to Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station said to have attracted ghosts over the years. What can be the reason for the haunting by the Peepal Tree? // Source

The Freedom Fighter Ghost

Another theory was that the ghost is from the time of the British Raj and the tree is much older than what many think, perhaps hundreds of years old. This story is set in the 19th century when the Dwarka region was a thick forest that was used by the rebels that went up against the colonial power.

Close to the tree there used to be a lake. One of the rebels was a lady that went into hiding in the forest, but drowned in the lake close to the tree. Her body was never found, but her spirit got attached to the tree and it is said she is protecting the area to this day.

Perhaps a seemingly random origin story for the haunting in the area, but the forest department actually have investigated several claims of illegally cutting down and damaging the remaining trees of the once dense forest.

The Haunting at Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station

But how do these haunted stories look like today for people passing through the area of Dwarka Sector 9 Metro Station despite the origin stories?

Most of the stories from this area started coming from people taking the call center cabs at night. Witnesses have reported chilling encounters with unseen forces, describing sensations of being slapped by invisible energies and encountering apparitions that appear and vanish without a trace.

Many of the stories told is also about how the spirit of this girl is seen running behind cars, perhaps as a revenge for being hit and killed by one. What happens if she catches up to the cars is uncertain, but many reports about hearing knocks on the cars. Many accidents on the road have been attributed to this phenomenon.

Others walking along the road near the station have reported feeling an ominous shadow trailing behind them, its unseen presence casting a pall of fear over the night.

Another point of this alleged haunted place are the many different variations of who is haunting this what happened. A paranormal investigator once got in contact with a rickshaw driver who told them often encourage ghost stories as it is good for business and they can charge more at night from the curious people coming to look for ghosts. According to this rickshaw driver, people pay a lot for people to come for fake interviews and to tell lies about this place.