Ghost Hunter International Ex Lead Investigator - Robb Demarest interviews Gaurav Tiwari, Founder of Indian Paranormal Society about the Paranormal Research in India.

1. Investigator Spotlight
Indian Paranormal Society
Breaks Through Countrywide Barriers
By Robb Demarest
T
his month’s Investigator
Spotlight has gone interna-
tional! Paranormal Under-
ground is excited to profile para-
normal investigator Gaurav Tiwari,
founder and director of Indian Para-
normal Society and lead investigator
for Ghost Research & Investigators
of Paranormal (G.R.I.P.).
“We are a professional, non-
profit association of dedicated
paranormal researchers, ufologists,
parapsychologists, and enthusi-
asts,” Gaurav said. “We focuse on
researching and understanding the
human condition through the scien-
tific study of aerial, psychical, and
anomalous phenomena, its reality,
reach, and impact on humanity.”
Gaurav is also a certified lead-
ing paranormal investigator, certi-
For many years, paranormal investigator Gaurav Tiwari fought to break
fied paranormal investigator, and
stereotypes about paranormal investigation within India. Today, his paranor-
certified UFO field investigator for
mal team, Indian Paranormal Society, researches locations across India and
ParaNexus.
educates the public about the paranormal field.
In January 2009, Indian Paranor-
mal Society formed G.R.I.P. — based
in New Delhi — to investigate and
research paranormal phenomena The team wasn’t always popular continued to work in favor of para-
throughout India under the leader- or even respected. normal research by educating the
ship of Gaurav. G.R.I.P. not only “G.R.I.P. was not being taken public and doing shows on paranor-
helps clients with paranormal encoun- seriously by the majority of people mal investigation for Indian news
ters, but the team gained widespread in India, as paranormal research and channels. Gradually, paranormal
popularity in India and abroad thanks investigation was something modern investigation and research became
to their popular TV series based on and new to this country,” Gaurav more accepted in a society that was
real paranormal investigations, called explained. inundated by pre-conceived notions,
Girls Night Out on MTV. But Indian Paranormal Society according to Gaurav.
12 Paranormal Underground August 2011

2. “Today, Indian Paranormal who took interest in my field and
Society is expanding its wings all dedicated a part of their lives to
over India to educate and research,” learning about the paranormal by
Gaurav said. accompanying me on investigations.
Continue reading to learn more We named this team of Indian
about Gaurav, Indian Paranormal Paranormal Society as Ghost Re-
Society, and G.R.I.P. search & Investigators of Paranormal
(G.R.I.P.), which is specifically meant
***** for haunting and parapsychology-
related investigations.
Q: Tell us about your back-
Today, G.R.I.P. has a good repu-
ground? You grew up in India
tation in India. We have around 14
but have spent time in the U.S.
investigators, which allows us to cover
as well, correct?
most of the states in India. Many oth-
Gaurav: I grew up in a family of ers are joining us as members.
nonbelievers in India. I then moved
to Florida to learn to fly commercial- Q: Was it hard to get a team
ly. I had some very good times in the started where there had been
United States for the 3.5 years that I almost no teams before? What
spent there. were some of the early chal-
Ghost Research & Investigators of Para- lenges and triumphs?
Q: What drew your interest to normal (G.R.I.P.) was formed out of Indian
Gaurav: It was not as difficult to get
the paranormal field? Paranormal Society to investigate haunt-
ings and parapsychology-related investiga- the team started as it was to make
Gaurav: Because I grew up in a fam- tions across India. the general people understand about
ily of nonbelievers, I always thought what we were doing. When we started
that spirits and ghosts were nonexis- investigating in India, people thought
tent. But, on the other hand, I always we were Tantriks and exorcists.
paranexus.org) in 2008. I am thank-
had a curiosity to hear about them. We then started educating peo-
ful to Doug Kelley for his guidance
Then life got busy with the gen- ple through news channel and print
and education that he has provided
eral things, and I lost the idea about media about the paranormal and the
in the field of paranormal research.
spirits and ghosts. But my inter- logic behind it; and this manifested
It really changed my life ... a com-
est in them returned when I faced rationalists of India to debate with
mercial pilot turned serious paranor-
some situations in my own house me on national television. I could
mal researcher!
in Deland, Florida. There were five logically stand strong against them.
The idea of establishing Indian
people living in the apartment, and Eventually, there was a definite
Paranormal Society was on my mind
we all witnessed different so-called craze about paranormal research
paranormal experiences there. in India. This craze started right
I then researched on the Inter- “Eventually, there after our show on MTV called Girls
was a definite craze
net and found out about paranormal Night Out, as I believe people were
research and paranormal investi- really bored reading and watching
gators. I got myself enrolled with
ParaNexus for my basic guidance in
about paranormal those typical Hollywood/Bollywood
types of ghosts.
the paranormal field. research in India.”
Q: What has been the general
Q: How did G.R.I.P. come reaction to your team, and what
since then. I came back to India in
about? Was it easy creating a you are trying to accomplish?
mid-2009. It was not easy to con-
team, and how does the team
vince my family members, who are Gaurav: Most of the people appre-
operate now?
still nonbelievers, but my Dad sup- ciated our efforts. Mostly youngsters!
Gaurav: It all started in Florida ported me. But many made fun of us. They
when I joined ParaNexus (www. I am also thankful to my friends thought we are trying to fool people.
August 2011 Paranormal Underground 13

3. Investigator Spotlight
While investigating a bungalow located near a beach in Mumbai, Gaurav found unexplainable scratches on his arm.
The location was near a very old children’s cemetery adjacent to the bungalow.
Some even said that I was a selves before they have tried to learn spirit); Pret-Aatma (malevolent spir-
jobless pilot trying to fool people about the spirits. it); and ParamAatma (the supreme
to earn some money. But time and spirit, God). If we dig further in the
hard work is slowly shutting many Q: Could you give us an over- Vedas, other categories of spirits and
mouths and raising many hands in view of the Hindu belief sys- their nature have also been defined.
appreciation. tem as it pertains to spirits and So, undoubtedly, Hindu religion
how that affects you as a Hindu boasts of a great understanding in
Q: What are the overall goals of paranormal investigator? spiritualism and God. Hinduism has
G.R.I.P., and what do you feel taught me to respect and love all the
Gaurav: Like every other religion,
makes G.R.I.P. different from religions equally, which should be
Hinduism is based on spirit com-
teams in both India and the rest the first quality for any paranormal
munication and spirituality. In fact,
of the world? researcher.
all the religions have the same core
Gaurav: I look at it more as a
Q: India, to me, is one of the ulti-
combined effort between teams to
contribute something to paranor- “Like every other religion, mate destinations for paranormal
investigation. The belief system,
mal research. I am happy that my Hinduism is based on the stories, and the absolutely
team maintains professionalism in
this field. Professionalism embraces spirit communication jaw-dropping locations make
this a dream to anyone looking
various things, such as seriousness,
knowledge, positive attitude, cour-
and spirituality.” to seek out spirits. Tell us about
some of the incredible locations
tesy, good communication, etc.
that you have investigated? What
Every G.R.I.P. member has a belief in spirits and demons.
has been the best so far?
sense of personal responsibility, are Old Hindu manuscripts, called
assertive and logical, respect clients the Vedas, are believed to be written Gaurav: India has been a land of
and their property, are confident, by the God himself; they speak of kings and wars. Also, there were so
and they have learned about them- different types of spirits: Aatma (any many tragedies that happened dur-
14 Paranormal Underground August 2011

4. ing the British Rule. India doesn’t of unexplained EMF rising to 8 to The entire night, the cameras
only have great-looking Mahals and 12 mG. We also recorded some had a tough time. And whenever the
forts, but there are many sad stories strange EVPs and registered many strange sound started coming out of
hidden behind the walls of those EMF+temperature fluctuations at the the camera, our EMF meters regis-
great forts. same time. Some of our investiga- tered a heavy spike. It looked like
There are so many great loca- tors also heard their names being something was attacking the camera
tions that we have visited for our whispered. with EMF. The strangest part is
investigations. One of them is Bhan- During the shooting of MTV’s that the cameramen swear that the
garh. Another is “Kuldhara Ruins,” Girls Night Out in Kuldhara, one strange problem never appeared in
Rajasthan. This place has a deep of our producers also got partially their cameras before or after that
history. Our experience there was a possessed. We had placed more investigation.
little disturbing. than 30 IR dome cameras to record
There are many more other great any activity. After the shooting, we Q: Bhangarh has been a dream
locations, including haunted bunga- watched the footage from many location for me, and you and I
lows, towers, island, hospitals, private tapes. But when the tapes were sent actually became friends by first
farm houses, railway station, etc. to the editing lab, all the tapes were talking about this place as you
blank except for one. and your team were the first
Q: Could you discuss the dis- This happened again when we to do a full-scale investigation
turbing experience you men- were there to re-investigate the place. here. Could you tell us about
tioned? Our working cameras started emit- this location … the history, the
Gaurav: It is said that the residents ting weird sounds together, and our ghost stories, and your investi-
of 84 neighboring villages in Rajas- cameramen were astonished with gation?
than, including Kuldhara, vacated problems in two cameras at the same
time. But they were soon working Gaurav: Bhangarh is a place be-
the villages overnight around 200
fine again. tween Jaipur and Alwar in Rajasthan,
years ago! No one knows for sure
where they migrated to, but they are
believed to have migrated to a place
somewhere near Jodhpur.
The residents were Paliwal
Brahmans — said to be very intelli-
gent and residing there for about 500
years. So what made them do such an
act? Stories say that the ruler of these
villages pounded the Paliwals with
heavy taxes and treated them very in-
humanly; the ruler was unethical and
forceful. They had no alternative but
to vacate all the 84 villages overnight
and just disappear from the vision
and reach of the ruler.
When the Paliwals left the villages,
they left a curse that nobody could
ever inhabit the villages again. Resi-
dents of Jaisalmer say that there have
been attempts by some families to stay
there, but they did not succeed.
We have been to Kuldhara
twice for investigations. And both
the times we came back home The G.R.I.P.’s team currently uses equipment like the K-II meter, EMF detec-
with great experiences. During the tors, EVP recorders, DVR, IR cameras, non-contact IR thermometers, night vision
investigations, you will find pockets goggles, motion sensors, IR still cameras, and a laser grid during investigations.
August 2011 Paranormal Underground 15

5. Investigator Spotlight
twice and found many reasons why
we think people believe Bhangarh is
haunted, including:
• No one really knows the real
story behind destruction of Bhan-
garh; even the Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) is not sure.
• The legend became myth, and
people nearby started believing the
place was really cursed.
• Superstition is at an extreme in
this area and nearby villages. That is
why villagers themselves, being afraid
of spirits, stopped outsiders from
visiting Bhangarh ruins after dark.
• Matrixing: Our brain has
Prior to the establishment of Indian Paranormal Society and G.R.I.P., organized a tendency to form images from
paranormal investigation was virtually nonexistent in India. distorted shapes. Most of the pillars
and bushes at Bhangarh are short
in length and appear like humanoid
India. It is known for its ruins and maid in the market buying scented figures in the dark.
is worth a visit; the place is beautiful oil. Seeing this, he got an idea by • Wild animals: Sariska Wild
and scenic. What remains, though, which he could meet the princess. Life Reserve is adjacent to the bound-
are ruins of a once beautiful and rich He used his black magic and put a aries of Bhangarh, and many wild
kingdom. spell on the oil, which would hyp- animals, including panthers, tigers,
It is said that the city of Bhan- notize the princess by her merely monkeys, jackals, and wolves, visit
garh was cursed by the Guru Balu touching the oil, and she would sur- Bhangarh ruins in search of water.
Nath, causing the town’s evacuation. render herself. • The overall environment
Balu Nath sanctioned the establish- The princess foiled this plan at night in Bhangarh looks very
ment of the town but said: “The though. She had seen the tantrik spooky. Anyone going there alone
moment the shadows of your palaces enchanting the oil, and as she threw can surely freak out due to the
touch me, the city shall be no more!” it away, it rolled over a stone. As strange sounds and activities of wild
Ignorant of such foreboding, animals and spooky scenery.
one ambitious descendant raised the
palace to such a height that it shad- “We captured a Class Q: Now as much as I have
owed Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat A EVP of a spirit always wanted to investigate
and thus the town was devastated in India, there must be some
as prophesied. The small Samadhi, child replying to our places around the world that
where Balu Nath is said to lie bur-
ied, is still there. questions.” you have on your list. Could
you share these places with us?
The other myth speaks about
Gaurav: Waverly Hills Sanatorium,
the charm of the princess of Bhan- soon as the oil touched the stone,
The Tower of London, Myrtles
garh- Ratnavati, who was said to be it started rolling toward the wicked
Plantation, Amityville … there are
very beautiful. In the same region, tantrik and crushed him. While
so many more on the wish list.
there lived a tantric — a sorcerer dying, Singhia cursed the palace
named ‘Singhia’ who was well-versed with the death of all who dwelt in it,
Q: What is the best piece of evi-
in the occult and was desperately in without any rebirth in their destinies.
dence your team has captured
love with the princess, knowing that The very next year there was a battle
to date?
he would never be allowed to even between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh,
see her or meet her alone. and Ratnavati died. Gaurav: We captured a Class A
One day, he saw the princess’ G.R.I.P. investigated Bhangarh EVP of a spirit child replying to our
16 Paranormal Underground August 2011

6. questions. It was taken at a haunted mosity? Events? Books on the have any idea what they are really
house where the owner complained paranormal? trying to do. I recently found a video
of child spirit activity. of a group trying to find spirits with a
Gaurav: Indians have mixed men-
fake iPhone application. I was later
talities ... most of them are believers
Q: Did you learn why there informed that this group is charging
and few of them are nonbelievers. I
might be a child there? What their clients fees up to 4$00 to get a
have met many Indians who have a
were the questions and an- ghost (which they found using their
great knowledge in the field of the
swers? iPhone) out of the house.
paranormal. But there was no orga-
Another group was running a
Gaurav: The owner of the house nized group for this kind of research
Website using Indian Paranormal
complained that he heard a child until we got established.
Society’s name, and they were trying
crying every night. He also said that I have met a lot of old people
to make money using our name.
his wife was always pushed or pull who have been researching in this
They are in legal trouble now.
when she was alone at home. field since 1955. They used their
I am planning to launch a book
This is a bungalow located near homemade custom EMF meters and
on the Indian Belief Systems and their
a beach in Mumbai. There is also other gadgets too. There are many
affect on people’s life. I have stated all
a very old children’s cemetery on in India who will laugh at your face if
kinds of belief systems practiced within
the beach adjacent to this bungalow. you speak to them about the para-
India and also how the general belief
When we investigated, I not only normal, but the modern school of
system affects the society.
found a weird, unexplainable scratch thoughts in Indians is changing. Most
We have planned many future
on my hand, but also recorded a of the youngsters now are educated
events that are in pipeline, such as
child saying, “Yes, throw, wait, now,” and have open minds to understand
the first-ever ghost tours in Indian
in Marathi. We did not capture any- and accept the possibilities.
Territory.
thing else. We tried to reinvestigate Indian Paranormal Society
the place, but the owner had moved receives thousands of applications
Q: If an investigator comes to
to another city. every month from people wanting to
India, what do you think their
be paranormal investigators.
Q: Now you were the lead biggest culture shock would be?
There are many other teams
investigator for MTV’s Girls emerging in India, but most don’t Gaurav: India is definitely a rich
Night Out. How was that expe-
rience for you? Did it change
your impression of other para-
normal shows that you have
watched?
Gaurav: MTV Girls Night Out
helped me a lot in becoming more
responsible as a paranormal investiga-
tor. The experience was great. I have
seen and learned so many new things
during those investigations. I could
also learn from my mistakes and
refine my investigation techniques.
It has made me learn that it real-
ly takes a great effort to make a great
paranormal show. I now have higher
regards for other good paranormal
shows for their hard work.
Q: How is the paranormal According to Gaurav, India is a dream location for many paranormal researchers as
scene in India? Is there coop- a result of the society’s rich spirituality and historical locations. “People here are
eration among teams? Ani- very cooperative, especially with visitors to India,” Gaurav said.
August 2011 Paranormal Underground 17

7. Investigator Spotlight
Q: What are some of the popu-
lar misconceptions about India,
and could you clear them up?
Gaurav: The most popular miscon-
ception in India about the spirits is
that all the spirits are negative and
that is why most of the Indians are
terrorized by just the mere name of
ghosts.
But Indian Paranormal Soci-
ety is gradually finding success in
educating people about the thin line
between the belief and the reality.
Another misconception is that
all the spirits want to possess human
The most popular misconception in India, according to Gaurav, centers on spirits
beings. We have helped to show that
being negative in nature, which is why most Indians are terrorized by the mere
suggestions of ghosts.
this is a misconception by visiting
places that are said to have posses-
sion activities.
location when it comes to spiritual- Q: I know we have discussed the
ity. This is indeed a dream location difficulty in getting new technol- Q: You have investigated in both
for many paranormal researchers. ogy in India. What equipment the U.S. and India. Are there any
People here are very cooperative, do want to add to the G.R.I.P. differences you have found?
especially with visitors to India. arsenal, and what equipment do
But the only problem an inves- you never leave home when you Gaurav: Yes, there are many differ-
tigator would face is that people are go on an investigation? ences when you speak of the belief
not very open to talk about spirits systems in both countries. Also,
and ghosts. People do not want to Gaurav: We are waiting for a lot of Indian haunted locations are full of
speak about their experiences to an equipment, like full-spectrum cam- dust, and you will not find electricity
outsider due to shame, fear of spir- eras, EVP boosters, thermal imagers, at most of the locations, which some-
its, or fear of being laughed at. TriField Natural EM, geophones, times is a big problem if you are not
Even though the young genera- etc. We currently use equipment carrying a generator system.
tion in India is slowly getting onto like the K-II meter, EMF detectors, Also, most of the people in In-
Western track about this, many EVP recorders, DVR, IR cameras, dia do not know what a paranormal
families still have conservative non-contact IR thermometers, night investor does, so you will need time
lifestyles. vision goggles, motion sensors, IR to make them understand about
India is a developing country. still cameras, laser grid, etc. what you are trying to do. Otherwise,
There are mixed standards of places Most of the equipment is made they will consider you as a Tantrik,
in every state. Some are very ad- in the U.S., UK, and China. India which is a person who practices
vanced, and some are a little slow. doesn’t have any store or lab that Black/White Magic or sorceries.
Many haunted locations are so makes such equipment. Most of them use Black Magic
remote that it takes two to three days You might find EMF meters, IR to harm others. They are also found
to get there. Not every place has an thermometers, and digital record- to practice cannibalism, as well as
airport or local transport facilities. ers in the market, but they are also other such practices.
At some of the places, roads are so highly overpriced to have been
narrow and broken that you cannot imported from U.S. or China. *****
take a vehicle. If one gets equipment from For more information about G.R.I.P.,
Food, on the other hand, is other countries, he needs to pay a Indian Paranormal Society, and Gau-
something that every outsider will heavy custom duty. The overall pain rav Tiwari, visit www.gripteam.org,
love. India is known for different and effort to bring such equipment www.facebook.com/gripindia, and
flavors of food. to the country is little tough. www.youtube.com/gripindia.
18 Paranormal Underground August 2011

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August 2011 Paranormal Underground 19