Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Nicholas Gordon
Guest: Eric Chopra, author of "Ghosted" (Speaking Tiger, 2026)
Date: February 5, 2026

Main Theme:
Nicholas Gordon interviews Eric Chopra about his new book, Ghosted, which explores the haunted monuments of Delhi. The discussion traverses Delhi’s history, the cultural blending of ghostly folklore and myth, and examines how oral traditions and ghost stories illuminate the city’s layered past. Chopra shares insights from his research, reflects on the interplay of history and the supernatural, and considers the role of heritage in contemporary India.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins of the Book: Marrying Horror with History

• Chopra’s fascination with horror began in childhood and later merged with his professional interest in public history. The idea for the book emerged while curating heritage walks in Delhi, where visitors’s questions often moved from historical to supernatural topics.
  • “My love for horror married my love for history, and I started looking at the haunted monuments of Delhi.” (01:38, Eric Chopra)

What Makes Indian Ghost Stories Distinct

• Types of entities: Not all Indian supernatural stories involve “ghosts” in the Western sense; the concept of the jinn is particularly prevalent in Delhi.
  • “There is a universal spirit and entity known as the jinn… Delhi is inhabited by a lot of jinn, and a lot of these stay in the monuments.” (04:18, Eric Chopra)
• Local motifs and adaptations: Ghosts can reflect the geography and history—e.g., a headless British phantom in colonial Delhi, or the recurring figure of a woman in a white sari.
  • “The idea of this white sari clad woman who has twisted feet... is a recurrent motif in the Indian ghost story.” (05:26, Eric Chopra)

The Jinn of Delhi

• Jinn as wish-granting spirits or mischievous presences: At sites like Firoz Shah Kotla, residents appeal to jinn for blessings or help, tying knots and bringing offerings.
  • “[At Firoz Shah Kotla] people go and ask for their wishes… and they hope that the jinn are going to be their guardians… If their issues are resolved, they come back… and invite the jinn for weddings and for dinners and for these huge feasts that we call dawats.” (06:45, Eric Chopra)
• Other sites, like Jamali Kamali, feature jinn as malevolent: “There are… jinn over here who live and, you know, they will come and slap you.” (14:10, Eric Chopra)

Ghost Stories as Engagement with History

• Supernatural stories are not trivial: Chopra argues that oral ghost lore reflects community engagement and a living relationship with the past.
  • “These are legends that sort of reveal that people form a relationship with monuments.” (10:09, Eric Chopra)
• Delhi’s complicated past is reflected in its haunted sites: Each monument has a historical backdrop tied to the major eras—Sultanate, Mughal, colonial, and modern.
  • “Each monument that is haunted goes back to a historical moment in time. It reveals that there are certain answers from the past that are left... an investigation of these oral histories and ghost stories is going to reveal much more about the monument.” (12:17, Eric Chopra)

Jamali Kamali: A Favorite Monument and Its Queer Subtext

• Chopra’s favorite is the tomb of Jamali Kamali, “a gem box,” “always kept locked” with “the most gorgeous ceiling.”
  • “I begin [the book] there in the city of Mehrali... This is a locked tomb, which aroused curiosity. Why is it always locked?” (14:10, Eric Chopra)
• The site’s double burial raises questions—Was Kamali a close friend, a poet, a lover? The ambiguity has led to it being a focus of queer interpretations.
  • “Whenever it’s not even about queerness, it’s about two men are buried together in a tomb that’s always kept locked… Are we more afraid of love than… the ghosts and the jinn?” (19:14, Eric Chopra)

Evolution of Ghost Stories Across Eras

• Changing narratives: As political regimes changed, so did the kinds of stories—British ghosts appear in colonial monuments; older specters inhabit ancient tombs.
• 1857 Uprising and the ‘Headless Phantom’: In the Mutiny Memorial, Delhi’s colonial trauma is embodied in the legend of a British headless ghost who “asks you for a cigarette.”
  • “If he is headless, how is he going to smoke? But, yeah, you have a different ghost there. And it’s clearly because of the historical backdrop that was so intense.” (27:55, Eric Chopra)

The Modern Legend of Malcha Mahal

• A tale blending royal claims, exile, and tragedy: In the 1980s, a woman claiming descent from Lucknow royalty lived in an abandoned 14th-century lodge, becoming a media sensation.
  • “To everyone’s surprise, she took it [Malcha Mahal]… They begin to stay there, this family of three with their dogs… she then, according to legend, crushed diamonds and swallowed them and passed away, which, well, you know, is unbelievable.” (29:36, Eric Chopra)
• Youtubers & ghost tourism: After the last descendant died, the site attracted curiosity-seekers and was integrated into “haunted” heritage walks.
  • “But what ultimately happens is that this abandoned lodge becomes a haunted monument, a house of horrors… Youtubers then going there… hoping for a ghost to come back.” (32:24, Eric Chopra)

Contemporary Engagement: Social Media, Tourism, and Preservation

• Ghost tourism is not like in the West: Unlike London’s theatrical ghost tours, Indian sites are experienced more as sites of curiosity, sometimes risk, sometimes reverence.
• Opportunities and risks:
  • Positive: Ghost stories bring people to monuments, spark interest, encourage curiosity, and may help foster preservation.
    • “If it brings people to a monument with curiosity, that’s a very important aspect of this.” (37:07, Eric Chopra, quoting Dr. Swapna Liddell)
  • Negative: Excessive exoticization, theft, or dismissing the real historical context risks losing the monument’s true significance.
    • “A lot of times these ghost stories ghost the historicity of a monument. … [Some content] is only clickbaity in nature and does not want to go into the historical backdrop.” (39:54, Eric Chopra)
• Finding a balance: Chopra hopes ghost stories can ignite historical curiosity without sacrificing respect for the site’s complex past and the need for restoration and preservation.

Advice for Visitors

• Approach with curiosity and without judgment towards both oneself and the monument.
  • “Monuments are visual remnants of the past and there is a pleasure in being visually enchanted by them… Go with a curious eye and a non judgmental eye for yourself, but also you lend that to the monument.” (41:41, Eric Chopra)
• Knowledge will follow enchantment: Start with fascination, and inevitably you will “fall into the rabbit hole of history.” (43:06, Eric Chopra)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Delhi’s supernatural stories:

  • “Why do people believe monuments are haunted?” (02:38, Eric Chopra)
  • “The story of these monuments is as much the story of Delhi’s empires as it is the story of its hauntings.” (Summarized throughout episode)

• On Jamali Kamali’s meaning in the present:

  • “Over many years of its existence, a lot of heritage walks happen by queer-led curators, queer-led organizations. And there is meaning making because… the study of the past has been very heteronormative.” (19:14, Eric Chopra)

• On ghost stories and history:

  • "These are oral histories, though. These are legends that sort of reveal that people form a relationship with monuments." (10:22, Eric Chopra)

• On visiting historical sites:

  • “Even when they share a ghost story with me, they come from a space of both vulnerability and curiosity… To either dismiss that, to be judgmental and to say this is not how a rationalist thinks, that is a disservice to just how multifaceted humans are and how storied all of us can be.” (42:32, Eric Chopra)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origins of the Book & Blending Horror with History — 01:38–03:48
• Indian vs. Western Ghost Stories; the Role of Jinn — 04:18–09:39
• Ghost Stories Reflecting Delhi’s Historical Layers — 10:09–13:41
• Personal Favorites: Jamali Kamali & Its Subtexts — 14:10–19:14
• How Ghost Narratives Change with the Times — 21:31–29:07
• The Modern Legend of Malcha Mahal — 29:36–36:23
• Contemporary Engagement & Social Media — 36:23–41:29
• Advice to Visitors — 41:41–43:49

Where to Find Eric Chopra & What’s Next

• Most active on Instagram: @itihasology (44:09)
• Upcoming projects: Heritage experiences, history musicals, literature festivals; planning a new book on “Love in Indian Art.” (44:09)

This summary offers an accessible but thorough guide to the episode, tracing how haunted monuments serve as living links to Delhi's history, and how curiosity about ghosts can unlock deeper appreciation for the city’s cultural legacy.