Chandpur Village

Chandpur is an agrarian settlement situated near the forested hills of Nayagarh district in Odisha, historically known for agriculture, pottery, and traditional rural crafts. For generations, life in the village revolved around seasonal harvests, local temple festivals, and close-knit community gatherings.

However, in the late 20th century, a series of unsettling events irrevocably altered Chandpur's peaceful existence. According to documented local accounts, two young villagers named Shivu and Jhilli fell violently ill after resting near an ancient, sprawling banyan tree on the village outskirts. Both experienced severe hallucinations, unexplainable physical seizures, and sudden high fevers that baffled local medical practitioners.

Deeply alarmed by the sudden affliction, Shivu believed that an evil spirit inhabiting the tree was responsible for their suffering. In a desperate attempt to rid the village of the perceived curse, Shivu returned to the site with an axe, intending to chop down the ancient tree. Tragically, while attempting to fell the trunk, Shivu suffered a fatal accident under mysterious circumstances and died on the spot. Shortly thereafter, Jhilli also succumbed to her illness. The sudden, consecutive deaths sent shockwaves through the community. Fearing further wrath from the unholy entity, villagers abandoned the surrounding agricultural fields, leaving houses near the tree deserted and cementing Chandpur's reputation as a cursed village.

The folklore of Chandpur Village centers on the vengeful spirit that is believed to reside within the ancient banyan tree and the surrounding abandoned farmsteads. According to regional Odia legends, the entity possessing the tree is a Kichhini or Chandi—the restless spirit of a woman who died an untimely, violent death in the nearby hill forests during the colonial era.

Village elders relate that the spirit demands solitude and retaliates viciously against anyone who disturbs her sanctuary. Following the tragic deaths of Shivu and Jhilli, local legends claim that several villagers who attempted to approach the cursed tree after dark reported hearing a woman weeping bitterly, followed by blood-curdling shrieks that echoed across the quiet paddy fields. One popular local story tells of a traveling merchant who sought shelter under the tree during a monsoon storm, unaware of its reputation. The next morning, villagers found him wandering the dirt tracks in a state of catatonic shock, unable to speak, with strange claw-like scratches etched into his arms.

Another enduring legend claims that on full moon nights, spectral figures dressed in traditional bridal attire can be seen walking in silent procession from the ancient banyan tree toward the abandoned mud huts on the village periphery. Local priest rituals and animal sacrifices performed over the years failed to cleanse the area, leading to a firm consensus among elders that the cursed tree must never be touched, cut, or approached after sunset.

Residents of Chandpur and visitors to the surrounding Ranpur area report a multitude of terrifying experiences near the village outskirts. The most frequent reports describe an overwhelming, unnatural stillness in the air near the cursed banyan tree, where even during windy days, the leaves remain strangely motionless while a freezing cold draft blows across the ground.

Passersby walking along the rural dirt roads after dusk frequently report hearing disembodied footsteps following closely behind them, accompanied by soft, manipulative whispers calling out their names in familiar voices. Multiple witnesses have described seeing fleeting, glowing apparitions hovering near the abandoned mud houses, along with phantom lanterns swaying in the dark fields where no living person stands. Domestic animals in Chandpur, particularly dogs and bullocks, exhibit extreme agitation when brought near the outskirts, barking frantically at empty shadows, whimpering in distress, and steadfastly refusing to advance further down the path toward the tree.

Chandpur is a typical rural Odia village layout, featuring a central cluster of inhabited brick and mud-plastered homes surrounded by narrow dirt lanes, paddy fields, and coconut groves. The village center houses a traditional community hall (Bhagabat Tungi) and a small Gramadevati temple.

Contrasting sharply with the active village core is the eerie, abandoned eastern sector leading toward the forested hill base. Here lie crumbling, roofless mud houses overgrown with wild creepers and thick thorns. At the edge of this deserted area stands the massive, ancient banyan tree—its aerial roots hanging like dark curtains over a stone altar covered in weathered vermilion marks, broken clay lamps, and sacred tridents.

Chandpur Village is located in the Ranpur block of Nayagarh district, approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Bhubaneswar and easily accessible via regional state highways. The village is an open, inhabited rural area with no entry fees or tourist tickets.

Visitors interested in local culture and folklore may visit during daylight hours. However, travelers must strictly respect the privacy, customs, and safety warnings of local residents. Walking near the abandoned eastern sector or the cursed banyan tree after sunset is strongly discouraged by village elders. The nearest major railway hub is Nayagarh Town Station, and regular bus services connect Ranpur to Bhubaneswar.

Chandpur earned its iconic haunted reputation due to the documented tragedy of Shivu and Jhilli, the sudden abandonment of village homes, and decades of persistent local accounts regarding the cursed banyan tree. The preservation of local oral traditions, evening curfews, ritual offerings, and ghost stories has kept its dark lore alive across Odisha for generations, attracting folklorists and paranormal enthusiasts.