"My Camera Captured What My Eyes Couldn't See": Photographer's Paranormal Experience on Puri-Konark Road

Bhubaneswar: Between the sacred shores of Puri and the sun-kissed stones of Konark lies a stretch of coastal highway known as the Marine Drive. By day, it's a picturesque route where tourists marvel at the Bay of Bengal's azure waters meeting golden sands. But as darkness falls, local lore suggests this scenic highway transforms into something far more mysterious—a corridor where the boundaries between our world and the unknown blur.

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The 35-kilometer stretch connecting two of Odisha's most famous tourist destinations has accumulated numerous accounts of paranormal encounters over decades. What makes these stories particularly compelling is their consistency despite coming from diverse sources—from local fishermen to international tourists, government officials to taxi drivers making late-night journeys.

"I've been driving this route for nearly twenty years, and I've seen things that defy explanation," says Biranchi Das, a 52-year-old taxi driver who regularly ferries tourists between Puri and Konark. "There's a particular curve near Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary where my car radio always malfunctions. At first, I thought it was some electromagnetic disturbance, but then passengers started reporting seeing a woman in white standing among the casuarina trees, disappearing when we slow down."

The most frequently reported phenomenon involves a woman in white asking for rides, particularly during full moon nights. According to accounts, she appears suddenly on deserted stretches, only to vanish from the moving vehicle or direct drivers toward the dense casuarina forests that line parts of the route.

Ramesh Patra, a forest guard at Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, has his own theory: "These coastal forests have witnessed numerous shipwrecks and tragedies over centuries. The Portuguese, Dutch, and British ships often met their doom on these shores. Perhaps some souls remain tethered to this coastline."

In 2018, a team of paranormal investigators from Kolkata spent three nights documenting unusual activities along this route. While their findings were inconclusive, their equipment recorded significant temperature drops and electromagnetic fluctuations at specific locations, particularly near the Balukhanda stretch.

"Something about the combination of sea mist, ancient forests, and the historic significance of this route creates the perfect environment for paranormal manifestations," noted Dr. Manjari Sen, who led the investigation. "Whether these are actual spirits or natural phenomena misinterpreted through cultural lenses remains debatable, but the experiences people report are remarkably similar."

One of the most chilling accounts comes from Nikhil Sharma, a photographer from Delhi who visited in 2022. "I was capturing night shots of the starlit sky over the beach when my camera started malfunctioning. In the few images that weren't corrupted, there appeared to be shadowy figures standing at the water's edge that were completely invisible to my naked eye. I'm a skeptic by nature, but those photos made me question everything I believe."

Local fishing communities avoid certain stretches of the beach adjacent to the Marine Drive after sunset. They speak of hearing wailing sounds carried by the sea breeze and lights that appear to move through the casuarina forests in patterns defying logical explanation.

"My grandfather taught me to never answer if someone calls your name at night on this beach," shares Lakshmi Behera, an elderly fisherwoman from Chandrabhaga village. "The sea spirits mimic familiar voices to lure people toward the water. Many who went missing over the years were reportedly responding to someone calling their name."

The historical context adds another layer to these mysteries. The region once served as an ancient port, and archaeological evidence suggests maritime activities dating back over 2,000 years. The famous Konark Sun Temple itself stands as a testament to a rich maritime past, with many of its sculptures depicting seafaring scenes.

"Ancient maritime cultures often developed rich spiritual beliefs regarding the sea and its mysteries," explains Dr. Abhijit Ray, historian at Utkal University. "The Puri-Konark coastline features in Puranic literature as a place where the material and spiritual worlds intersect. Modern ghost stories might be contemporary expressions of these ancient beliefs."

Despite—or perhaps because of—these stories, the Marine Drive has become increasingly popular for night drives, with some tour operators even offering "ghost tours" that highlight locations associated with paranormal activities. Local authorities, concerned about safety, discourage nighttime exploration of isolated areas.

"We neither confirm nor deny these stories," says a local tourism official who requested anonymity. "But we do emphasize safety first. The road is dark, and parts have limited mobile connectivity. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, driving cautiously is always advisable."