Sincere Ghost

This is a ghost story that dates back to the 1930s when my late father was a six-month-old baby. Our late Grandpa was a Tahsildar and law agent of the Jagannathjee Temple office administered by the then Gajapati Maharaj, Ramchandra Dev, Puri. Whenever my late grandpa visited the Temple office in Puri, accompanied by my late granny, he always stayed at Dhoodhwala Dharamshala, a maroon-colored five-story building with a magnificent look standing beside the grand road. Most of the pilgrims were staying there at that time.

Once, on official duty, he stayed there. It was the winter season, and during that period, there was no electricity. Lanterns, petromax lights, and dry-cell torches were being used by the people. As our grandpa was a very scrupulous and particular person, he carried luggage consisting of cooking accessories, kerosene lanterns and stoves, and clothes whenever he went on tour. He also had three and five-celled torch lights.

One night, grandpa was late for his duty. My granny and baby papa were sleeping in the Dharamshala room. It was 10 pm, and Granny heard a knocking sound at the door. Somebody was calling her in the grandfather's tone. She opened the door, but she saw nothing except a gust of wintry wind. She closed the door, thinking it was just the wind. Again, she slept with her baby son.

After half an hour, she heard the knocking sound again. This time, she thought that perhaps grandpa might have arrived. Once again, she opened the door and found no one there. So she was upset and couldn't understand anything.

It was 11 pm, and most of the inmates were asleep. A solitude was swaying over the building and courtyard. My grandfather was staying on the second floor. Granny, being a brave lady, tried to inquire into the matter. She took up a lantern, opened the door, and walked on the verandah. She couldn't find anyone. So she came back, took rest inside the room after shutting the door.

It was midnight, and again she heard a male voice saying, "Open the door Dev Bou (mother of Dev, the name of my late father)." That voice was an exact copy of my grandfather's. This time, she opened the door with a lathi (stick) and torch in her hand. She came out of the room and looked down from the balcony to the courtyard below surrounded by the rooms of the first floor. She noticed a turbaned man holding a lighted lantern, walking to and fro in the long courtyard. She focused the torchlight towards the turbaned guy. No sooner did she focus her torch than the guy disappeared. When she switched off the torch, that guy reappeared. This game of inquiry continued for about ten minutes between granny and that mysterious turbaned guy. Granny was enjoying the game.

However, such a game couldn't last long as her baby son (my father) began to cry aloud for breastfeeding. Granny entered the room and closed the door. In the meantime, Grandpa reached. It was 12:30 am, and all inmates fell asleep. Granny asked grandpa about the incident, which amazed him.

Grandpa was very tired from work, so he assured Granny to find out the truth the next day and slept beside my baby papa.

Next morning, after taking his breakfast, grandpa went downstairs of the building and met the Manager in his room. He told the episode of the last night. The Manager replied, "Yes, Panda Babu, it is a fact. Every night, when the courtyard becomes desolate, the turbaned man appears with a lantern in his hand and walks to and fro in the courtyard. It is the ghost of our watchman who died of rabies here two years ago. His name was Maguni. Although he appears daily in the courtyard, he does not harm anyone. He was an honest and sincere man. But he was a bachelor. Since his death, he has also been doing his duty as a night watchman regularly. Late Maguni was also well known to you Panda Babu and your family as he belonged to Cuttack."

Grandfather said, "You told accurately. Last night he was knocking on the door of my room wherein my wife and baby son were sleeping. I was not in the room. I was at our Temple Office on duty. I returned to Dharmasala at 1 am. The ghost of Maguni knocked at the room thrice and called my wife by mimicking my tone. His such activities reveal his sincerity and loyalty. Okay, why don't you perform his death anniversary rituals? So he is now discontented."

The Manager retorted, "Yes, you are right, Panda Babu. We will celebrate his death anniversary at the right time. Because we have kept the bone of his finger carefully. He was dead on 21st January. So next January, we must immerse his bone at Swargadwar after performing due rituals."

Grandpa said, "Yes, it should be. If you do this, you will certainly be blessed by Lord Jagannathjee, and your family members must be blessed. Before his death anniversary, you must inform me so that I can inform his family members. I

 must come with them too. Okay, Manager Babu! It is going to be 9 a.m. I will be late at the Office. However, before leaving, I just tell you late Maguni was liking me very much. We both were taking Mahaprasad (the food offered to Lord Jagannathjee) at Anand Bazar (the market inside the temple where Prasad is sold to devotees daily) and holding free sedentary gossiping on the sand of the sea beach after chewing betels (Khilipan) off and on. Well dear Manager Babu, may Lord bless you."

Then Grandpa crossed the courtyard and went upstairs to the second floor, narrating everything in detail to my Granny. Then he took tiffin with a special cup of tea and proceeded to his workfield.