The Mahatma Letters and the Shrine at Adyar

Record summary

Letters attributed to the Theosophical Mahatmas were received, displayed or discussed in connection with the Adyar headquarters and were sometimes interpreted as evidence of disembodied or supernormal agency. Their handwriting, delivery mechanisms and authorship became part of the wider Coulomb and Hodgson controversies. The lead is relevant because it links apparition-like claims to material artefacts, hidden compartments and transmission narratives rather than to a conventional visible ghost. Researchers should distinguish individual letters, later compilations and retrospective claims about how they appeared.