Dumas Beach — the haunted cremation shore near Surat, Gujarat

Dumas Beach, located about 20 kilometres from the city of Surat in Gujarat, is a popular beach destination that doubles as one of India's most haunted locations. The beach's dark reputation stems from its historical use as a Hindu cremation ground — the ashes of the dead were scattered into the Arabian Sea from this shore for centuries. Despite its transformation into a recreational beach, locals and visitors report persistent supernatural phenomena. Night visitors describe hearing whispered voices carried on the sea breeze, seeing shadowy figures walking along the waterline, and experiencing the sensation of invisible hands grabbing their ankles in the surf. Some visitors have reported being warned away from the water by a voice that seems to come from the sand itself. The beach's black sand — unusual for Gujarat's coastline — is attributed by locals to the centuries of cremation ash mixed into the shore. In Hindu belief, cremation grounds are liminal spaces where spirits congregate, and the combination of sea, sand, and the residue of thousands of cremations creates a location of particular spiritual intensity. Despite its haunted reputation, Dumas Beach remains a popular picnic spot during daylight hours, though few locals will visit after dark.