The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops: A Haunting Tale on Manali-Leh Road

A huge pile of trash marks on the side of Manali-Leh Road by the Gata Loops marks the grave and the ghost temple put up for a ghost allegedly haunting the area after dying in a snowstorm. What is the strange story behind The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops?

Are you planning an adventurous road trip from Manali to Leh in the Indian mountains of Himachal Pradesh? Chances are you’ll pass through the famous Gata Loops along the way through the mountainous landscape, a pretty unknown place except for the locals. While this stretch of road is known for its challenging 21 hairpin bends, it also holds a spine-tingling story that travelers often encounter.

Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India

Gata Loops, true to its name, is a series of winding and looping roads that form 21 hairpin bends. Situated on the Manali-Leh road at an elevation of approximately 17,000 feet, these loops stretch over 10.3 kilometers, with each loop spanning between 300-600 meters. However, the last two loops deviate from this pattern, being 800 and 1,000 meters long, respectively.

What is the Ghost Temple in Manali

Among the bikers hiking up the mountains, or travelers passing through, they gather around and tell tales of mystery about the area. One of those tales is about the strange Ghost Temple of Gata Loops with a harrowing story behind it.

A huge pile of trash and plastic water bottles and cigarettes marks the place of the Ghost Temple in Manali at around the 19th bend of the Gata Loops. But what exactly is it, and who is the ghost haunting this particular stretch of road?

Read more: Check out all of the Haunted Roads around the world

Exactly when this happened varies according to those that tell it. Some place it in 1999, perhaps an October night. A truck carrying goods found itself in a dire situation as the winters in these parts can be quite treacherous.

A huge pile of trash marks on the side of Manali-Leh Road by the Gata Loops marks the grave and the ghost temple put up for a ghost allegedly haunting the area after dying in a snowstorm. What is the strange story behind The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops? — **The Ghost Temple of Manali-Leh Road:** On the loops of Manali-Leh Road, a pile of trash have collected around the believed ghost temple of a driver that supposedly died and haunts these parts. //Source: The Ghost Of Gata Loops – Vargis Khan

While trucks are known to navigate these loops, for those seeking a less challenging route, shortcuts are available. The steeply elevated roads are wide enough for trucks, making them a preferred choice for transporting goods.

Crossing the treacherous Rohtang Pass during the cold autumn going to winter night when it had already snowed in places, this truck faced mechanical problems and the trucker was unable to fix it. With no help in sight and facing harsh weather conditions, the driver and his assistant helper decided to wait for assistance.

A Desperate Journey

The driver embarked on a challenging walk to the nearest village, Sarchu, to find a mechanic, leaving his unwell helper behind to protect the cargo. However, heavy snowfall held the driver and stopped him from returning.

Several days later, when the weather cleared, the driver returned to find his helpmate’s lifeless body. The severe cold, hunger, and thirst had claimed his life. Local villagers buried the deceased by the road’s 19th bend that soon turned into The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops.

The Ghostly Apparition of The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops

Over the years, travelers reported encountering a young man along their journey who sought water and provisions close to The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops. Those who stopped and gave the man a water bottle saw it slipped right through his hands.

Believing this figure to be the ghost of the deceased helper, local villagers established a small shrine to placate his spirit. Passersby often leave mineral water and cigarettes at the shrine to prevent potential wrath or calamities along the way.

What happened that winter night is hard to prove or disprove. People are still giving away water to the bricks that make a little clearing by The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops. Inside it is a real human skull placed inside. Or so the saying goes at least.

Regardless, some travelers claim to have experienced the apparition of the ghostly helper around the area of The Ghost Temple of Gata Loops. If you dare to venture along this eerie path, tread with caution, but remember that a world of enchanting landscapes awaits you beyond Gata Loops.