Dark Tourism, The Attraction of Death and Disasters

Dark Tourism or Black Tourism is type of travel which involves traveling to some places which is historically associated with death or any kind of tragedy.

Dark Tourism is an increasingly popular form of tourism over the last few years. TV shows like The Dark Tourist and Chernobyl bought the notion of Dark Tourism to the mind of many traveller around the world. Every year, millions of tourists from around the world go to the world worst places. Visitors makes the worst part the history a part of their vacation.

India is a large country with an even greater population, with a wide variety, a long history and a very prolonged period of British colonialism. The latter and the fight for independence are the main historic sites of interest to tourist today. Nevertheless, the sites of modern politics, like Wagah, and the category of industrial accidents, are also new and, at least, equally dimly dark heritage like Bhopal gas tragedy site.

So, here I am with a list of Dark Tourism sites on Indian map spread across the country, which you should dare to visit once.

JALLIANWALA BAGH, AMRITSAR (PUNJAB)

On 13 April 1919, A mass execution of mankind had taken place in the heart of Amritsar city, where thousands of innocent people were shot down to death who were peacefully protesting against the British rule in India. The acting Brigadier-general Dyer directed his soldiers to open fire at the crowd of unarmed innocent peoples in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, which was blocked from all side by the British soldiers.

Many of the people jumped in a well which is there in the premises to save their life from continuous firing of bullets but that did not save their life.

The number of casualties recorded was approximately 1000 dead and around 1500 people were injured in the massacre.

Many tourists visit this site to see the bullet holes and experience the helplessness of people at that moment under British rule.

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION SITES

The Indus valley civilization in the South-Western Asian region was a civilization of the Bronze Age between 3300 BCE and 1300 BCE, and is one of the three early civilizations of Middle East and southern Asia, and one of the most widely spread in world covering the ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Indus Valley Civilization was the most ancient civilization of South Asia.

In 1921, the sites of Indus Valley Civilization were excavated by an archaeological camp in the name of Sir John Hubert Marshall, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni and Madho Swarup Vats, In India there have been over 1400 sites were found in which building and artefacts were there which indicates an ancient culture.

CELLULAR JAIL, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLAND (KALA PANI)

To torture and isolate the Indian freedom fighters, British India government in 1906, made a Hell with concrete and iron rods, The Cellular Jail in isolated Andaman & Nicobar Island which is popularly known as kala Pani, Kala Pani then was also known as the prison of death.

It is said that there were very few people who sent there as prisoners, come back alive from this man-made hell.

There were 80,000 prisoner in which hundreds of freedom fighters sent to this jail for torturing them and isolating them with other world, the security of this jail was to high that no one has ever escaped from this jail except a great freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Veer Savarkar was the only person in the history of this jail who managed to escape from Kala Pani.

UNION CARBIDE FACTORY, BHOPAL (MADHYA PRADESH)

One of the world’s most bizarre disaster, Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial hazard happened at Bhopal in Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant.

On 3^rd Dec’ 1984, 42 tons of Toxic Methyl Isocyanides (MIC) gas has been leaked due to the ignorance of maintenance of parts of the factory by high officials from Union Carbide, which affected more than 500,000 people who were living around that area.

Highly toxic substance in air resulted in destroying the lungs of the people with burning sensation in their lungs which led thousands of immediate deaths.

Now, this site is the most known and popular Dark Tourism destination in India.

KULDHARA VILLAGE, RAJASTHAN

Group of 83 abounded village, Kuldhara is today a ruin situated in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. Once inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins it was abandoned almost 200 years ago because of the high taxes by Diwan and poor water supply. There is another theory that king named Salim has his eyes on a girl of that village and wanted to get her anyhow and due to this the villager evacuated their home and left the village overnight and while going this village has been cursed by its native that no one else will ever settle here.

No one seen them going and till now no one knows that where Paliwals of Kuldhara have been settled leaving behind there homes which is there for tourists now.

ROOPKUND, UTTARAKHAND

Also known as the Lake of skulls, Roopkund lake is a mysterious site in Uttarakhand state of India.

This extraordinary lake is located at an altitude of 5000 meters above sea level is a popular trekking destination with 100s of ancient human skeleton found at side of lake is clearly seen when the snow melts.

Scientist come with the conclusion that the skeleton found near lake is of about 200 Indian tribal people of 9^th century who died due to a heavy snow storm.

TAJ PALACE HOTEL, MUMBAI

In November 2008, Mumbai city was attacked by 10 terrorists of the radical Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan. Killing 164 innocent people, the attack was the series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks which was continued for four days across Mumbai.

Now, many tourists visit this site just to see and experience the helplessness of people under attack.