IF YOU thought Chennai was this lazy, sleepy, laid back, peaceful city at night, you must be dreaming. Wake up! You've not seen the dark side of the moon yet!
Chennai has spooks galore. Dangerous places. Tricky places. Sidey places, shady places, dirty places, lonely places, places where strange things happen as the night falls. Here's a random top five scary-spooky-spots of the city.
Ghostbusters, venture at your own risk. For you might find things that can get more dangerous than ghouls or spirits--humans with not so good intentions. Places that will convince you that evil truly exists, especially where people don't dare to go when its dark.
Broken Bridge:
Now, this place is quite a metaphor for a life leading nowhere. DO NOT venture after say, eight or nine at night. A kilometre and half away from Besant Nagar beach, Broken bridge is a famous film shooting spot during day-time. In the evenings, romantics head there. As it gets late, some folks interested in the sand from the beach check in, lorries et al. You have to cross a hamlet of fishermen to get to this place. But chances are that you will NEVER EVER get them to hear you when you need help! Deserted, absolutely no lights, just a bridge that extends into the middle of the backwaters and ends abruptly.
Before you decide to get adventurous, here's some trivia you should consider: the nearest mechanic who can fix your tyre is at least 4 kilometers and many many hours away depending on what time your mysteriously deflated tyre/s need/s attention. Carrying an ID will surely help police identify any bodies recovered from the spot next morning.
St.Thomas Mount:
Admittedly, it REALLY IS a beautiful place at night, especially to watch planes landing. It's breath-taking to see the plane swoop down (seemingly very close to trees and houses) to the runway. But the scary part, crime rate is extremely high in that area. Either you will have the police telling you that when they see you or the thugs, whoever reaches first.
To top the eeriness, there's very selective lighting on top of the hill. Before you decide to go there at night, it would be a wise idea to take a powerful torch.
The road that leads to the city from St.Thomas Mount, people say, is the darkest road in Chennai with trees on either side. You never know what/who would suddenly pop up. If you get past the road and see the OTA gates, Congratulations! You probably, are still alive.
The Marina (stretch from Port to Besant Nagar, Valmiki Nagar, Neelankarai and beyond):
Yes, a lot of turtle walks happen and as long as people walk around in groups of 30-40, it does appear like a safe place. But you just can't expect people intoxicated in spirits to `behave' or just wish you `Good Night', especially if you are in a small group! Even the men in uniform won't have mercy on you. Simply because its not allowed by the law to hang around these areas so late in the night. Crimes committed in these areas range from robbery to murder.
The Watergate and the pier:
It's probably one of the breeziest places by the beach in the evenings. Romantics usually head there, for it appears to be a relatively safe place with the Navy quarters (near the Napier's bridge) and security all around. The rickety old Watergate and the pier that a lot of fishermen frequent is a favourite hangout among youth, the ideal place to catch up with old friends. But once its dark, civilisation around is deaf to all that can happen there. Beware.
Mind:
This is one place that is the most haunted place in the city. Your mind. If there's fear in your mind, you could get scared watching K3G (very likely, considering there wouldn't be too many people in the hall) or even at what is probably the safest place--your bed. Horror movies are bad for the mind, unless they simply tickle you.
Remember: There is a very thin line between being brave and foolish. And Chennai walks that line, every night.
