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The Haunted D’Mello House

The tale dates back to a time when the once close D’Mello brothers during the Portuguese rule in Goa that lasted from 1505 to 1946, heirs to their ancestral property, succumbed to greed and envy.

Fueled by a relentless desire for power and possession, their sibling rivalry escalated into a violent confrontation one fateful night. In a fit of rage, one brother mercilessly ended the life of the other, staining the very foundation of the house with blood.

But the horrors did not end there. Within days of the gruesome incident, the second brother met a mysterious demise, leaving behind a legacy tainted by tragedy. The exact nature of his death has always remained a mystery. Since then, the D’Mello House has become a beacon of dread, its walls echoing with the anguished cries of the departed souls.

Some say that it was the killed brother who returned as a ghost to get revenge over his brother. And it is said that both of them are now haunting the mansion they quarreled and lost their lives over.

The Two Brothers Haunting the House

Local lore speaks of chilling encounters experienced by passers-by and nearby residents alike. Strange sounds pierce the silence of the night, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who dares to venture too close. Blood-curdling screams echo through the corridors, serving as a grim reminder of the house’s cursed existence.

Despite its picturesque surroundings, the D’Mello House remains a forsaken relic, abandoned by the living and feared by all who know its dark history. Its crumbling facade stands as a testament to the sins of the past, serving as a warning to those who dare to trespass upon its haunted grounds.

In the dead of night, when the moon casts an eerie glow upon the desolate landscape, the spirits of the D’Mello brothers are said to roam the halls of their former home. Trapped in a purgatorial realm between the living and the dead, they yearn for redemption, their tortured souls eternally bound to the cursed confines of the D’Mello House.

The Curse Set Upon the House

As well as the mansion being haunted, it is also said to be cursed. Those who have tried to live in the house have been plagued by the curse and no one has ever been able to live in it peacefully.

But was it all true? There have of course been a debate at what really happened inside of the house as there are no names or dates connected to the legend that could help shed light if there really was two brothers that went through it. The more strange debate about the D’Mello House is if or where the house is located at all.

Truth of the Mansion and its Haunting

A woman named Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues was writing an article for The Navhind Times. According to her, she knew the remaining D’Mello family. According to the legend, the house is supposed to be situated in Santimol in Raia, but was it really? According to her sister-in-law living in the village, there really wasn’t a house like that.

There was however an abandoned house that belonged to the De Melo family who lived in Raia until they moved to Panaji. This house even served as a wedding location in the 1970s and was still not abandoned as in the stories. But was it haunted already then, or did the haunted rumours first start after the family moved away?

In any case, most will refer to this house on Raia Santimol Road were the old mansion still called D’Mello House is slowly deteriorating. So listen closely, perhaps the sound of the screams from the brothers during the night can give us more insight to what really happened inside of this house.

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History of Three Kings Chapel

The Three Kings Chapel was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese in the village of Cansaulim on top of a hill called Cuelim over the coconut trees below. The Portuguese invaded Goa in 1510 and defeated the Bijapur Sultanate. Portuguese rule lasted for about 450 years, and heavily influenced Goan culture, cuisine, and architecture.

The Three Kings Chapel’s original name is apparently Remedios Saibini Church or Our Lady of Remedies. It was built in 1599 by Fr Gonzalo Carvalho S.J. During this time the Portuguese Empire ruled Goa.

Why the name was changed is uncertain though. The Three Kings Chapel refers to the three wise men in the bible that visited Baby Jesus in his crib. Every year the Christians celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings on the 6th of January that marks the end of Christmas, especially for the Spanish and Portuguese.

The Three Kings Coming to Goa

There are many legends connected to this The Three Kings Chapel that are said to be the source of the legends and ghost stories coming from there. One being that there once were three Portuguese kings that were fighting for power in the area, or in some cases prince brothers that all fought to be the single ruling king.

One of the Kings invited the other two for dinner once and claimed he wanted to find a peaceful solution to their quarrels. When the dinner party arrived though, he poisoned their food and declared himself king after they died.

His plan backfired though when his brother’s supporters found out what he had done though and he was aware about the repercussions. Fearing the wrath of the other two kings supporters though, he drank the poison as well and died along with them.

The Haunted Cemetery

Together they were all buried in the cemetery of the Three Kings Chapel. It is said that their spirits still roam around in the graveyard on top of the hill, still governing their kingdom they wanted so much and died for.

People visiting the hill the Three Kings Chapel sits on claim to have seen something ghostly in the dark, and felt something they describe like a strong presence.

Read more: Check out more ghost stories from cemeteries around the world

The locals advise to not visit the haunted church late at night, as the story goes you will never be seen again. Some say that they only say this to keep lovers away from this secluded place though.

There is also the legend of a tree that is outside of the church. When you leave, you must never look back at it. People are also said to get sick or if they are not baptized when visiting and so on.

Legends and Myths Surrounding the Church

As history goes, we do know where the Portuguese king was throughout the times, and it wasn’t in Goa. So who was supposedly quarreling by the Three Kings Chapel? Some speculate that the legend could be of a more local power struggle when the Portuguese claimed the land. Throughout the times though, the local warlords became more royal for the story’s effect.

In some sources they call the King that poisoned his brothers, King Holger Alvunge, but as it is a Scandinavian sounding name, it has most likely no base in reality. But even in old days in the Goa governance, they usually kept records, and there have been no leaders with the name of Holger Alvunge.

There are also claims of lights coming from the haunted church that are like a ghost procession for the kings in the dead of the night, gliding around the church and coming down the hill. But that may very be during the Three Kings festival where people parade to the top throwing coins. After they usually stay back a couple with light to collect them.