If you remember the wardrobe that transports Lucy into the magic world of Narnia you would know how doors are our ticket to an unprecedented world of Magic and Mystery. How do we fantasize about the likes of doors in real life? Well, there are actually places in the real world that have doors sealed for ages for one or the other reason.
Today, We have brought you 5 such mysterious doors which are sealed for one or the other reason. Let’s find their mysterious past and learn what the world has to say about them.
1. Taj Mahal
Shocked to see the Taj Mahal on this list? Well, the epitome of love which was built over a span of 20 long years has a few mysterious doors locked for no one to enter. It has a total of 1089 rooms but that are some rooms which are hidden from everyone.
Their locked doors made us wonder what’s there. Among the various theories, one is that the rooms are made up of marbles and too much exposure to carbon dioxide could turn it into calcium carbonate. As a result, the four towers
around the Taj Mahal may collapse. For the same reason, there is no ventilation in these rooms.
Another theory is that Mumtaz Mahal is buried there in one of those rooms, those who believe in this theory are of the view that the dead body of Mumtaz Mahal is present there in the same condition in which she was when she died.
Could you believe that the Taj Mahal that has Romantic notions attached to it could be mysterious enough to leave you bewildered!
2. The Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human, was built 4,500 years ago. It took 100 workers and three years to complete it. The mystery of the Sphinx is that there lie two rectangular Chambers at the depth of 25 Ft (7.6 M). These Chambers were discovered by seismographs and are located under the Sphinx’s paws. The researchers are of the view that there are two entrances to these Chambers but they are sealed.
Government officials have restricted further research and hence what lies behind the doors remains a mystery. However, some theories believe that the door to the chamber will lead us to the hall of records that contains document scrolls in which the Egyptians had managed to record the history of the missing continent of Atlantis.
3. Padmabhaswamy Temple
India has yet another mysterious door that has not been opened since the 16th century. The Temple of Sree Padmabhaswamy is in Trivandrum. The temple is a holy shrine to Maha Vishnu and was built in the 16th century and later the Kings of Travancore known for their wealth renovated it.
The temple has six vaults A to F and had been never opened until in 2011 when 5 out of the 6 vaults were opened. Treasures including gold, jewel, coins, and idols were discovered from these vaults. The estimated value of wealth was one trillion dollars. That’s pretty much a number to grasp! Well, you might be wondering about the 6th vault.
The B vault remains closed even today with two cobras decorated on the gate with no latch revealing that the vault is guarded by the cobras. The legend has it that in the 1930s some temple invaders tried to get into the vault but could not succeed because of the terrible Cobras that came out of nowhere.
Also, there is a belief that the door is protected by a fatal curse and can only be opened by ‘Sadhu’ who has the knowledge of ‘Garuda Mantra’. To much surprise auditor general Vinod Rai stated that vault B has been opened seven times since 1990 and nothing horrific happened.
4. Banff Springs
Banff Springs in Canada might be the best vacation to be at. The ambience of the hotel is peaceful and unhurried created with the view of Mount Rundle and the Bow Valley. However, there is an unfolding mystery behind the majestic hotel. Many ghost stories have emerged over the years such as the Sam McCauley-the bellman, the dancing bride, and room 870.
The hotel management although acknowledges the truthfulness of these stories except one – the mysterious room 873. No guest is allowed into the room including the staff of the hotel and how could one enter when there is no door! Yes, you heard me right, no door.
Room 873 on the 8th floor is mysteriously missing, there is no door to room 873 but instead a long stretched wall at the spot where the door was supposed to be. However, when you knock on the wall it is hollow which confirms a room behind the plastered wall. Legend has it that in 1928 a shocking incident happened, a married couple and their daughter checked in but none of them was alive to check out of the hotel.
At night the father murdered his wife and daughter before killing himself. From that day guests who booked room 873 were found of complaining about screams and bloody handprints of the girl on the mirror, as a result, the room was sealed.
5. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang, known today as the First Emperor died in 210 BCE and remained buried under the sand surrounded by Mercury for 2000 years. His biggest ambition was to conquer all six warring states of ancient China. He put an end to feudalism and reunited the country under the Qin Dynasty. In 1974 some farmers were digging a well near the old Chinese capital of Xianyang when they discovered a strange figure – a terracotta soldier. The excavation project that lasted for more than 4 decades revealed several thousand soldiers protecting the mausoleum of The Emperor.
According to researchers, there might be around 8000 soldiers, so far 2000 have been excavated. Using high techniques such as remote sensing, ground-penetrating radar, and core sampling the scientists have given shocking research. The Emperor’s tomb is much larger than it is believed – almost 38 square miles. However, what lies inside is a mystery and will remain so. The only guess so far is what Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian has written in his history records. According to Sima Qian, the mausoleum contains palaces and towers along with treasures.
These doors are mysterious and scary at the same time, do you know any such door which arouses mystery? I do, it is the most mysterious of all and is the door to my storeroom!
Also Read: Where does Vanilla come from? You would be shocked to know!