Mavalli, Bengaluru, India
When the gates of Lalbagh close at dusk, a forgotten night caretaker still wanders the ancient rock hill, seeking lost visitors.
Ask any morning walker in Mavalli and they will tell you never to linger near the Peninsular Gneiss hillock after the evening gate bells toll. Back when the botanical garden was expanding, a night caretaker was tasked with securing the Kempegowda watchtower before dusk. One foggy night, while checking the perimeter near the glass house, he spotted a flickering brass lantern moving atop the three-billion-year-old rock hill. Thinking it was a trespasser, he climbed the stone steps into the dark, calling out in Kannada. He was never seen again, but his lantern was found upright on the watchtower ledge the next morning. Locals say his restless spirit, known as the Sentinel, still patrols the garden paths. If you are trapped inside after closing, you will hear heavy boots crunching dry leaves behind you. The phantom will offer you a lantern to guide your way out. But whatever you do, never look straight into the light, and never step off the paved walking path onto the damp roots of the ancient trees.
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