Shaniwar Wada — the screaming child prince of Pune's Peshwa fortress

Shaniwar Wada in Pune, Maharashtra, is a fortification built in 1732 that served as the seat of the Peshwas, the prime ministers who effectively ruled the Maratha Empire. The fort's most famous ghost is that of Narayan Rao, a young Peshwa who was brutally murdered inside the fort by his uncle's guards in 1773. According to historical accounts, the teenaged Narayan Rao was hacked to death while crying out 'Kaka mala vachva!' ('Uncle, save me!') — unaware that his uncle had ordered the assassination. Since then, his screams have been heard echoing through the ruins of Shaniwar Wada, particularly on the nights of the new moon. Security guards and visitors report hearing a young man's terrified screaming coming from the fortification's interior, the sound of running feet on the stone floors, and the clash of weapons. The fort was largely destroyed by fire in 1828, leaving only the massive outer walls and the entrance gates, but the ruins retain their power. Shaniwar Wada is one of the most visited haunted locations in India, and the story of Narayan Rao's murder is one of the most compelling — a historical atrocity whose victim has refused to be silenced.