Arunachal CM's 'haunted' bungalow converted into state guest house amid prayers

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister's official bungalow was recently converted into state guest house over fears that ''it was possessed by evil spirits.''    

According to the Eastern Sentinel, the Chief Minister’s bungalow had gained notoriety for its “bad vibes” and “supernatural activities” days after former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul allegedly committed and was found hanging from a ceiling fan in one of its several bedrooms.

Barely two months later, a staff of the bungalow was also found hanging from the ceiling of an adjoining room there. 

Two chief ministers, Dorjee Khandu and Jarbom Gamlin, who had lived there, met with untimely deaths.

All this spread fears that the bungalow was haunted and possessed by evil spirits. 

To ward off ill omen, the bungalow located in the Niti Vihar area was officially converted into State Guest House last week amid prayers and blessings from religious preachers who were invited to remove evil spirits attached with the bungalow.

However, Minister for Town Planning and Urban Development, Nabam Rebia, who supervised the ceremonial procedure along with the Chief Secretary, Shakuntala Gamlin, rejected the haunted theory. 

“I don’t believe in superstition or rituals and have always discouraged any such practices in my personal life too,” the minister said. 

Terming the “paranormal activity” a man-made psychosis and superstitious belief of the people, Rebia said, “I'm really wondering how society has come to this point that such things exists in this world.”

Maintaining that the ceremonial procedure conducted during the inauguration was not a ritual to thwart evil forces surrounding the bungalow, Rebia said, ''the rituals being performed was just a part of formalities which every individual do before opening of their homes or others to bring good luck and prosperity.''

Furthermore, Rebia hoped that the blessing of all religious leaders will help to remove the misconceptions about bungalow among the public.

The guest house will be also be used as a training centre for civil service officers, the CS disclosed.

The construction of the state-of-the art CM bungalow, undisputed in terms of its generous design and grandeur, started during 2007-08 and was completed in the year 2009-10 with an estimated cost of Rs 59.55 crore during the regime of late former Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu.