Mohatta Palace — British Raj ghosts haunt Karachi's Clifton museum

The Mohatta Palace in the Clifton area of Karachi, Pakistan, was built in 1927 as the summer residence of Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, a Hindu businessman from Marwar. The palace, constructed in pink Jodhpur stone and yellow Gizri stone, is now a museum and cultural centre. Museum guides and visitors have reported poltergeist-like activity including objects being moved from their display positions, doors opening and closing without explanation, and the sound of footsteps in the galleries when no one is present. The ghosts are said to be from the British Raj era — figures in colonial-era clothing have been seen in the corridors and near the windows overlooking the gardens. Some visitors have described seeing a woman in a white sari near the main staircase, possibly connected to the Hindu family that originally built the palace. The partition of India in 1947, which created Pakistan, displaced millions and left deep emotional scars on buildings and communities. The Mohatta Palace, built for a Hindu family that would have left Karachi during partition, carries the weight of this displacement. The palace's beautiful Mughal and Rajasthani architectural details, now housing Pakistani art and culture, embody the complex, layered history of the subcontinent.