Agrasen Ki Baoli — the step well that compels visitors to drown, New Delhi

Agrasen Ki Baoli is a 60-metre-long, 15-metre-wide historical step well (baoli) in the heart of New Delhi, believed to date to the Mahabharata era and rebuilt in the 14th century. The baoli descends through 103 steps to what was once a deep pool of water, and it is believed to exert a supernatural pull on visitors. According to legend, the water of the baoli was once black and had the power to mesmerize people, compelling them to walk into the water and drown. The step well's haunted reputation persists even though the water has long since dried up. Visitors descending the 103 steps describe an increasing sense of dread and claustrophobia, a feeling of being watched from the arched niches that line the walls, and whispered voices that seem to come from the stone itself. Some visitors report feeling a strong compulsion to continue descending even when they want to turn back. The baoli's architecture — narrowing as it descends, with rows of arched chambers creating a repetitive, hypnotic pattern — may contribute to the psychological effects. The step well was featured in the Bollywood film 'PK' and has become one of Delhi's most popular haunted tourist destinations.