The Legends of Oak Grove: Ghost Stories from Mussoorie

Mussoorie is the literary abode to the ghosts of a generation of Victorian writers including Emily Eden, Fanny Parkes, John Lang and Andrew Wilson. It is the town where Rusky explores his teens encountering hauntings and adventures. Located in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range, the “greater Mussoorie” includes a military cantonment Landour, and townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani. Its colonial history is shared with the schools of the Doon Valley like Oak Grove, Convent of Jesus and Mary Waverley, Mussoorie International School and many more.Various legends travel from the valley to the mess of these schools retelling ghost stories of Pahari Wilson and his second wife Gulabi and the infamous Madam Frances Garnett Orme from The Savoy Hotel. Interestingly, these legends have initiated the trend of ghost tourism in the valley. The heritage group “Been there, Doon that” explored various colonial mansions including George Everest House through a ghost walk.

Imperial History of Oak Grove:

The Anglo-Gorkha War of 1814-15 resulted in the annexation of the Doon Valley. Apart from an escape from the tropical weather, it was the rapid increase of Malaria in British cantonments that a quest began towards the horseshoe-shaped ridges above Dehradun. Captain Fredrik Young, founder of Sirmour Rifles and of Irish descent was simultaneously looking for a place to grow potatoes and ended up establishing Mussoorie in the mid 1820s. 

(Oak Grove website)

The valley eventually emerged as a nursery for various schools, primarily for British and Anglican children. John MacKinnon in 1834 established what came to be known as Stokes’ School, In 1845, Waverley Convent for European girls came into being. The second half of the 19th century also marked a rapid growth in Railways in British India which in turn gave rise to several schools across India. One such school which is sprawling to date is located in Jharipani. It was started as Sind Punjab Railway School in 1887. In 1888 it shifted to Oak Grove Estate and was christened Oak Grove School. Initially, it was limited to Anglo-Indian boys, it was only in 1889 that a girl’s section was added. AC Chapman was its first Principal but it’s the heroic legends of H.P. Watts (1918-1946) which is popular in the dormitory of the campus. It was the efforts of H.P. Watts that resulted in the democratization of the school and opening it to everyone, especially “Native” Indians. It took its motto from the Upanishads:

“Take us, O Lord, from Darkness to Enlightenment.”

The school holds a history of notable alumni including Olympic representatives.

The architecture of the school mimics the Swiss-Gothic form, a popular Colonial style. Like the other Colonial buildings of Mussoorie, it shares the features of pilasters, Glasgow-built lampposts, colonnades, gables, dormers, and balustrades. This backdrop of gothic architecture sets the aesthetic for the tellings and retellings of the Doon legends.

The Legends of Oak Grove

The circumscribed domains of Boarding school have always been a fertile space for storytelling. Ghosts of founders and students who committed suicide or the ground that has a cemetery underneath is a popular trope amongst all Boarding schools. The legends are peculiar to emancipate from this popular practice. Alumni of Oak Grove School recounts that “the locker room” located in the dormitory of girls was formerly a room to one of the Matrons who committed suicide in that room. It gradually became a site of horror and awe. An absence, a passing shadow and pathetic fallacies like winds and windows smashing the walls are evident in all the stories around the Locker room.

(Oak Grove website)

 Another popular legend is each passing batch, especially a student who has studied at the school since class third (the most junior class in the school), feels or encounters supernatural or paranormal activities in the school. Most of these stories emancipate from rumours but the stories remain chilling. The valley or ground, which is the spot for sports tournaments, is also renowned for the archetypal white saree spirits amongst the students. However, the most believed of all these legends is around the statue of H.P. Watts. It is a site of reverence and pride for the alumni, teachers and students. Watts is believed to have been beheaded in a conflict. Any minor or major damage to the statue brings unfortunate events to the school. However, it is important to note that these stories stand at the fine line between myth and reality. Hence, a possibility of reference to things that never existed is always a possibility.  Nevertheless, the tradition of retelling these flourish till today in the serene campus.

Rusty’s love for the Doon Valley

Ruskin Bond, the creator of our favorite bildungsroman character Rusty, has written dozens of ghost stories featuring Mussoorie as well as legends from Oak Grove. Apparently, Ruskin Bond’s mother has been associated with Oak Grove, as mentioned by the teaching staff. The infamous short story “The Face in the Dark ” is believed to have its genesis in Oak Grove. 

(Harper Collins India)

A ghost of a man without a face with a lantern is a frequent visitor in the nearby area as recollected by guards and members of non-teaching staff. Bond has also featured various sites from the Doon Valley like Simla Bazaar, and continued this tradition of folklore in stories like “Wilson Bridge”, which was named after Fredrick “Pahari” Wilson. In “A Mussoorie Mystery” he meticulously describes Oak trees and colonial buildings of the Kipling trail connecting Mussoorie and Dehradun. The ghosts from the boarding of Doon Valley travel to his books and his book travels back to those boarding schools continuing the organic gothic tradition. Whether myth or truth these stories have now become a part of the oral tradition of the valley. In his Introduction to “A Face in the Dark and Othering Hauntings,” Ruskin Bond aptly writes, “You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a ghost story. And while a good ghost story may not turn you into a believer in the supernatural, it can make you ponder upon the mysteries of human existence.” 

The tradition of narration of ghost stories featuring archetypal tropes has survived in boarding schools that were established during the colonial age. Imagination intertwines with the myth of creating escapes from the mundane. Perhaps, the ghosts of H.C. Watts and the matron sit around to listen to newer versions of these tales. Perhaps, they too retell these stories to other ghosts. Perhaps, it’s all a myth. But the oral tradition flourishes and new stories are made. 

References –

Arup K Chatterjee, The Conversation. “The Ghosts of a Literary Indian Hill-Station That Haunt the Writers of the Present.” Scroll.in, 22 Feb. 2017, scroll.in/article/829892/the-ghosts-of-a-literary-indian-hill-station-that-haunt-the-writers-of-the-present. 

Bond, R. (2016). A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings. Random House India.

“OAK GROVE SCHOOL : The History of Our Alma Mater.” Ogshistory.blogspot.com, ogshistory.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Grove. 

“Residential Spooks.” BusinessLine, 4 July 2014, www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/Residential-spooks/article20852780.ece. 

Singh, Pradeep. “Mussoorie: The Nursery of Schools | Garhwal Post.” Garhwal Post, 15 Dec. 2022, https://garhwalpost.in/mussoorie-the-nursery-of-schools/