Jakni Bandh — the haunted bridge where the dead hitchhike in Goa

Jakni Bandh is a temporary bridge connecting the village of Dramapur to the town of Navelim in South Goa. The bridge, which crosses a creek through a low-lying, often-flooded area, has earned a fearsome reputation among locals. According to Goan folklore, the bridge is haunted by spirits who appear as hitchhikers or distressed travelers seeking a ride. Motorists crossing the bridge at night have reported seeing a figure standing at the roadside who vanishes when they stop, hearing voices calling for help from the creek below, and experiencing sudden engine failures on the bridge itself. In Goan tradition, bridges and crossroads are liminal spaces where the boundary between the living and the dead is thinnest. The area around Jakni Bandh is surrounded by rice paddies and coconut groves, and the flat, waterlogged landscape creates a misty, atmospheric environment after dark. Local belief holds that those who died by drowning in the creek become bound to the bridge, attempting to lure the living into the water. Villagers avoid crossing Jakni Bandh alone after midnight, and motorcycle riders report the sensation of an invisible passenger sitting behind them.