👻 Night Watch at Brijraj Bhawan: The Benevolent Ghost of Major Burton

Built in 1830, Brijraj Bhawan is an elegant blend of Rajasthani arches and British colonial symmetry. It was once the residence of Major Charles Burton, the British political agent in Kota, who met a gruesome fate within these very walls during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.

Major Charles Burton

Later, the palace became the home of the Maharaja of Kota, and eventually transformed into a boutique heritage hotel. Visitors today are greeted by vintage furniture, riverside balconies and if the stories are true, something supernatural.

💀 A Night of Blood: The Death of Major Burton

In the summer of 1857, during the first Indian rebellion against British rule, Major Charles Burton returned to Kota with his two sons. Unaware that rebel sepoys had taken over the region, they sought shelter in Brijraj Bhawan.

As night fell, the rebels stormed the palace. For five hours, Burton and his sons defended themselves, firing from behind furniture, their servants begging them to escape. They were eventually overpowered, dragged out, and executed inside the central hall.

Major Burton and his sons were executed here during the 1857 uprising.

Their bodies were buried near the same floors that now host candlelit dinners for tourists.

“He was a loyal officer. Maybe he’s still loyal still guarding his post”.

  Said by the former Maharani of Kota, according to palace staff.

 🕵️‍♂️ The Guard Who Slept

Time – 2:37 AM.

The chandeliers of Brijraj Bhawan had long gone cold. Guard Rakesh leaned against the sandstone pillar near the royal dining room, eyes flickering shut.

Multiple guards have reported hearing a voice followed by an invisible slap

Then came a whisper, almost inside his head:

“Don’t sleep.”

He jolted upright, heart racing. The corridor was empty.

Seconds later—SMACK. A sharp sting across his cheek. No one there. No sound. Just silence.

“I thought someone was playing a prank,” he recalled.

👻 The Ghost with a Cane

Over the decades, sightings of an old British man have continued:

• Pale, tall, white mustache
• Cane in one hand
• Often seen in the central hall or near the main staircase

“A tall, white-haired man in a colonial coat. He stood at the window and vanished as I walked up to him.”

 Reported by a British journalist staying at the palace in 1981 (SeeksGhosts)

🧊 Signs of the Supernatural

Guests and staff have reported:

• Sudden cold breezes in sealed rooms
• Cigar smoke lingering without a source
• Footsteps pacing on wooden floors with no one in sight

• The voice—stern, British, commanding:

“Don’t sleep.”

“No smoking.”

Even more strange—those who disobey the voice have reported being slapped or pushed.

“Many guests say they feel watched—especially in the central hall. Some leave within hours.”

—Hotel staff member (Amy’s Crypt)

🎭 Truth or Local Lore?

Skeptics argue that:

• The “cold spots” are due to airflow from river tunnels
• “Voices” may be echoes from neighboring rooms
• The haunting is part of urban legend tourism

But they can’t explain the six-second footage blackout during multiple incidents.

Or why every witness describes the same man—tall, British, with a cane.

🏨 Would You Dare to Stay?

Room 103 of Brijraj Bhawan

Today, Brijraj Bhawan is one of Rajasthan’s most atmospheric hotels.

And Room 103, near the central hall, is where the bravest visitors request to stay.

The hotel doesn’t advertise its haunted reputation. But the staff won’t deny it either. Ask around and you’ll hear their stories—some whisper, some laugh, but none call it fake.

🕯 Final Words

So if you ever visit Brijraj Bhawan…

If the lights flicker…

If you smell cigar smoke in a no-smoking zone…

If you hear footsteps or feel a sudden chill…

Don’t panic.

It’s only Major Burton.

Still guarding the palace.

Still watching over his post.

Still there.

Just…

Don’t sleep.