Situated roughly two kilometres from the Neamatpur New Road–Chittaranjan stretch, Bena village has stood completely abandoned for over two decades." />
States » EastPosted at: Oct 24 2026 9:07PM


Ghost village awakens: Deserted Bena near Asansol comes alive for one day to celebrate 150-year-old Lakshmi Puja

Asansol, Oct 24 (UNI) Deep inside West Bengal's largest civic body - Asansol Municipal Corporation area, a dilapidated hamlet hidden behind overgrowth prepares to break its eerie, year-long silence. Tomorrow, for the auspicious occasion of Kojagori Lakshmi Puja, nearly 30 to 50 families have returned to Bena—a "ghost village" under Ward 61, resurrecting a rich, 150-year-old tradition for just 24 hours.
Situated roughly two kilometres from the Neamatpur New Road–Chittaranjan stretch, Bena village has stood completely abandoned for over two decades.
The approach to this forgotten settlement is a harsh, muddy track extending 500 to 600 metres off the main pitch road.
On either side, the skeletal remains of 70 to 80 crumbling ancestral homes tell a story of rapid decay. In the absence of their owners, thieves have stripped the properties bare, uprooting everything from wooden doors and window frames to heavy iron gates.
The village’s descent into ruin began after 2004, triggered by the closure of the Kulti Growth Works of the erstwhile Indian Iron and Steel Company Limited (IISCO). Bereft of livelihoods, electricity, and clean drinking water, residents began migrating en masse.
Left with no human presence, nature aggressively reclaimed Bena. Thick weeds, dense bushes, and wild trees transformed the layout into a miniature forest where foxes, snakes, and rats reign supreme, and the buzzing of crickets pierces the air even at midday.
However, it wasn't just economic migration that emptied Bena; a wave of terror did.
Locals allege that around 2005, the village fell victim to unexplained paranormal activity. Terrified villagers reported hearing blood-curdling cries and maniacal laughter echoing through the empty streets at midnight.
Stones and bricks were routinely hurled at houses by invisible forces, unknown dead bodies were found abandoned on doorsteps, and livestock and fish perished mysteriously overnight.
Driven out by sheer fear of the supernatural, the last remaining families abandoned their homes by 2006.
Yet, despite the deep-seated fear of the paranormal and the utter desolation of their birthplace, devotion triumphs once a year.
The displaced families, now scattered across different regions, refuse to let their 150-year-old heritage die.
Tomorrow, they will reclaim the haunted ruins of Bena for a single day, lighting up the darkness to worship the Goddess of Wealth before returning to the safety of modern civilization by dawn.
Driven by terror and eerie discoveries, former residents of Bena village have opened up about the fear that forced them to abandon their ancestral homes over two decades ago.
Raju Majhi, a former resident who fled to the nearby town of Neamatpur in 2005, recalled the chilling encounters that sparked their exodus. “We repeatedly found human skeletons and skulls scattered right outside our houses for consecutive days. Out of sheer fear, we left,” Majhi said.
However, he suspects a more calculated criminal plot behind the scare rather than paranormal activity. “I strongly believe this was the handiwork of notorious wagon breakers operating along the Asansol–Dhanbad Grand Chord line. These anti-social elements deliberately frightened us away to turn our village into a safe haven for their illegal operations.”
Today, Bena stands as a ghost village for 364 days a year. The only exception occurs during Lakshmi Puja, when the displaced community briefly returns to keep their traditions alive.
According to Susmita Haldar, another former villager, the families pooled resources to bring temporary signs of life back to the deserted settlement. "All 30 families hired generator sets and LED lights just to clean the temple and worship Goddess Lakshmi," she explained.
"The temple was cleaned today for the rituals, but the moment the sun sets tomorrow evening, we will abandon the village again for another full year.”
For the displaced villagers, the financial toll of their forced relocation is compounded by an inability to move on entirely. Property values in the village have completely collapsed due to its dark reputation.
“We cannot even sell our houses because there are absolutely no buyers,” alleged Pritam Shaw, another displaced resident.
“Nobody wants to purchase property in a village branded as haunted, leaving the entire area completely deserted.”
West Bengal PWD and Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister, who is also the sitting Kulti MLA, Dr. Ajoy Poddar, has stated that the state government is fully prepared to restore electricity, provide drinking water, and repair roads in Bena village—but only after the displaced residents return.
"Unless the villagers return to Bena village, the state government cannot initiate any developmental works," Minister Poddar explained.
However, despite these administrative assurances, local residents—including Ajay Das, Sanjoy Mondal, and Priyanka Lahiri—remain deeply hesitant.
Many who briefly returned to the village to observe the single-night Kojagori Lakshmi Puja have reportedly expressed that they have no intention of staying back permanently, citing lingering anxieties.
UNI DC RN
Tags: #Ghost village awakens: Deserted Bena near Asansol comes alive for one day to celebrate 150-year-old Lakshmi Puja
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