Creepy tales of the paranormal
Halloween is nearly upon us and we thought it would be fitting to explore Colombo and its suburbs for any haunted spaces. Despite some of them rumoured to be filled with all kinds of paranormal activities, most houses were abandoned due to mundane reasons. However, we did find a few spaces that had an eerie feeling to them. It was only after talking to some of the occupants (previous and existing) that we realised these dwellings were out of the ordinary.
Chalk marks which reappear
Our first stop was a house located in Thimbirigasyaya. The owners were kind enough to share their experiences with us. While the house was built nearly 25 years ago the family began experiencing several unusual occurrences in recent years.
It was the son who first noticed the reflection of an old woman in his mirror that quickly vanished. When he told the rest of the family about the sighting, none of them believed it, until they too caught a glimpse of a black silhouette over time.
These unusual occurrences became common when the uppermost floor was converted into an office space. The first time the staff noticed something strange was when they had thoroughly scrubbed the walls to remove some chalk marks. When they returned the next day, they were surprised to find the exact markings back on the walls, although no one had been upstairs since they left.
Deciding to ignore it, they put up posters to cover it. But as they went about their work, all of the posters dropped to the floor. “We would’ve not given it a second thought, but it was really surprising since they fell at the same time,” says one staff member.
The office space had a CD player which seemed like innocuous entertainment, until it would stop playing when they left the room and start playing as they came back up.
“We thought we couldn’t hear it at first, till we decided to check it out and noticed that it kept happening as we left the room,” the staff member recalls.
Aside from these occurrences, the family tells us there has not been any violence from the spirit. They have since gotten the house blessed and the office has closed down owing to personal reasons. The upstairs remain unoccupied today.
A house with a life of its own in Mount Lavinia
We found another house in the heart of Mount Lavinia, quite close to where Governor Maitland and Lovinia Aponsuwa had their excursions. Although this story had nothing to do with the rumoured paranormal activities of Lovinia, it has its own interesting tale.
Arcade Independence Square. Pic by Ranjith Perera
Things seemed normal to the occupants at first, till they had given notice to the landlord. Soon, the family was subject to several forms of intimidation from an unusual presence. According to a former occupant, his mother had been bruised once with no idea as to how it happened. He also recalls a saucer being thrown across the room, and another incident where a table was dragged with no plausible explanation.
Towards dawn they recalled hearing a piano playing, and shouts through the house. The tenants moved out of the premises in 2015 and the house has been up for sale since.
Dutch Hospital and thereabouts
We found several stories and incidents surrounding Colombo’s historical structures, some of which seemed paranormal in nature.
The Dutch Hospital in Fort, a grand 17th century structure that had fallen into disrepair was re-purposed in 2011.
Originally established during Dutch colonisation in the late 1600s for the benefit of the officers and staff of the Dutch East India Company. It has often been reported to have been over-crowded with sick soldiers and seamen.
The isolated attic above the front wing, believed to have been the doctor’s quarters back in the day, is rife with paranormal activity we are told by those who work at the Dutch Hospital. The room is eerily quiet during the daytime, a shadowy space despite the light streaming through the windows.
Dutch Hospital and thereabouts
However, the nights relate a different story, and we were given multiple first-hand accounts of strange tapping and thuds coming from above, sounds of movement and life that isn’t physically there anymore.
The most compelling account of paranormal activity in the room comes from a cleaner who had reported seeing a black figure crouching on the floor in the far right corner of the room. None of the successive cleaners stuck around long enough to corroborate this story.
Even the most skeptical of those we talked to are wary of the space, and claim to sense something about it that makes them too afraid to even look that way. A feeling like they are being watched in the darkness.
Arcade Independence Square
Our final stop in Colombo was the Arcade Independence Square, which started its life as the Cinnamon Gardens Asylum (locally known as the Jawatte Asylum) in the late 19th century.
Overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions and numerous health hazards, resulted in an increase in the number of deaths amongst the inmates. It was shut down in the mid-twenties, and has since housed many public institutions before the decision in 2012 to turn it into a shopping arcade.
Despite the breezy tranquility of the well-lit corridors, one can’t help but wonder if visitors from its previous history still remain in unseen corners. A few guards in the area tell us they occasionally hear strange sounds at night, but choose to ignore because they know the history of the place.
Perhaps they’re right to do so. After all some things are best left to the unknown.
If you have heard or had your own strange paranormal encounter write into us and let us know at the mirrormagazine@gmil.com. Pictures to go along with the story are welcome as well.
Chalk marks which keep appearing