Ghost Of Ghata Loops
Interesting story of ghost of Ghata loops. Old but very intrestingtale of mountains on the Manali Leh highway. Ghata loops are located between Manali- Leh highway, It is a series of twenty one hairpin bends that takes you to the top of the 3rd high altitude pass on this highway, Nakeela, at a height of nearly 16000 ft.
Story of Ghost of Ghata loops is that.
Many years ago, it was late October when a truck with its two travellers, the driver and a cleaner, crossed Rohtang pass & were going to Leh. It was snowing at a few places as its winters. Most of the roads starts to close down by mid of October on this highway. The driver was aware about it but he had no choice. He had a time-line and had to reach Leh which meant that it was too late for him to turn back.
It was the last truck to cross Rohtang pass as it snowed heavily the very same evening at the top and the pass closed. Kunzum Pass was already closed weeks ago and there were no vehicles coming from Kaza as well which means that it was the last truck running on Manali Leh highway.
The driver managed to bring the truck safely all the way to Ghata Loops but this is where disaster struck. On one of the loops, his truck broke down and came to a complete halt.
They waited and waited but no one crossed them. So the driver decided to walk to a nearby village and get some help leaving truck and sick helper behind.
The driver manage to reach a small village nearby and manage to make a call to his owner at manali. Later he start his journey back to the truck but to his surprise heavy snowfall starts and stuck his way so he couldn?t return to the truck. Situation goes on bad to worse as he got stuck for several days. Afetr few days when sun came out and it stop snowing then he manage to return back to truck hoping to see his buddy safe. But when he went near the truck he saw his helper lying dead in truck corner, the poor chap was dead.
He cried over his body and feel sorry for him later he buried the dead body of helper at Ghata loopse with the help of villagers, on the same spot where he died.
Next year when the highway open for season, people started travelling on highway. But few people start experience a strange thing? lot of people saw a beggar at Gata Loops who would waive at the passing vehicles to stop and begged them for water. Some people did not stop but the ones who did and offered the beggar some water saw the bottles drop right through his hands.
People got scared and story start spreading; even the villagers experience the same thing while crossing Ghata loops. The word spread and sure enough people were scared of the ghost who begged for water, thinking that it might harm them if they stopped or curse them if they didn't. In order to pacify the ghost, the local?s villagers set up a small temple at the spot where he was buried and made offerings of water.
Since then, whoever passes by and is aware of the story leaves some water at the temple, as an offering. End of story.
Now the ritual starts with offering water to the ghost, but usually human beings have short memory. Now the trend started and people don?t only offer water but instead they offer "water bottle".
This leads to accumulation of plastic.to know more stories and see places like this join our fixed group departures in season 2017.
