Mystery of Agatha Christie's India story finally solved

WHY DIDN’T THEY ASK MATHEW? There was constant speculation over whether Agatha Christie ever came to India, but never any proof, even though she was known to be an avid traveller. Now, her grandson tells writer Manjiri Prabhu that she definitely had visited — not once, but twice
Some mysteries need to be actively cracked, but some solve themselves with time.

There has been constant speculation about Agatha Christie’s India connection. One question has recurred over the years, but has never really been accurately answered: did Agatha Christie ever visit India? The internet and popular belief will state that she did not. I, too, had often puzzled over how Christie, a world traveller, had never actually been to India. In fact, in a video in 2021, I had even concluded that she indeed hadn’t.

Until one cool but sunny Easter day in Wales.

In March 2024, I met Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, and his lovely wife Lucy, at their charming home in Wales. Prichard, now in his 80s, had been very close to his grandmother.

It was a memorable day, but it turned momentous when Mathew showed me Christie’s personal memorabilia — her passports, her first typed and edited manuscripts, rare photos, her camera, and her last portrait painting, which hung on one of the walls of his house.

When Mathew signed and gifted me a copy of his grandmother’s latest biography, I also realised what a mammoth task he had been entrusted with — to preserve her legacy, and how he had upheld that trust: a proud grandson of the Queen of Crime.

It was when I mentioned how strange it was that Christie had never visited India, that he glanced at me with a twinkle in his blue eyes, and said, “Oh, but she did!” I was startled. This was contrary to all that we believed. A few minutes later, as I skimmed through the numerous black-and-white, well-preserved photos, I found some that made my heart race — pictures of Christie with a garland, descending from an Indian Airlines plane. Here, finally, was the missing link to a long-standing puzzle.

I was on the threshold of solving a real mystery, but I needed to know more. At my request, the archivist Joseph Keogh dug deeper and came up with some fascinating, unpublicised facts. Christie had indeed visited India — not once, but twice. From her passport stamps, he traced her travel itinerary for the two trips.

Her first trip was in Jan 1960, when she visited Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), then India and Pakistan. From Jan 11 to Feb 2, she travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai), headed to South India’s Madras (now Chennai), did some sightseeing at the Ajanta Caves, and then on to Delhi. Between Feb 2 and 9, she went to Nepal and returned to Patna and Delhi, finally leaving for Karachi on Feb 17.

Some letters were also found that referenced her trips. It appeared that the 1960 trip was for a lecture tour by her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan.

The following are extracts from two letters that Christie wrote to Edmund Cork in Cyprus, her literary agent and lifelong friend.Jan 11, 1960 | Future plans are, roughly, leave for Madras today — go via southern India to Bombay arriving 17th or 18th — Then some sightseeing near Bombay Agenta Caves (sic) etc and on to Delhi and then to Nepal on Jan 31st for a week — c/o British Embassy would find us there as I’m not sure what the hotel is.

Jan 20, 1960 | Our plans are a bit different at the moment as accommodation at hotels is very hard to get exactly when one wants it but we shall be in and out of the Ashoka Hotel at Delhi between Jan 28th and Feb 2nd — and then Nepal (c/o British Embassy Kathmandu) 2nd to 9th then in and out of Ashoka again finally leaving it on Feb 17th for Karachi. So forward anything you think I ought to see to the Ashoka at Delhi — but nothing that I needn’t!!

Another letter was from Christie, then staying at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi, to Rosalind, her daughter.Feb 16, 1960 | On our arrival here yesterday evening, several archaeologists were waiting with two porters and loads of archaeological material from their… dig. The examination of same intrigued the Ashoka guests very much.

Christie’s second trip to India, a year later, seemed to be for leisure. The passport has a Palam, New Delhi stamp (month not specified) in 1961. This time she visited Srinagar in Kashmir and stayed at the Oberoi Palace. This is what she wrote to her daughter Rosalind:

Oct 30, 1961 | Lake and mountains rather lovely. This is a Hotel rather like at Jaipur — converted Rajah’s Palace — miles and miles of corridors — enormous rooms and we are in a kind of supersuite looking over lake. It’s all terribly dried up by this time of year — one ought really to come in May-June. Now one must be content by rich beds of red salvia and dahlias in the Hotel garden. Temp is about 50 at night. Delicious hot sun to sit in and about 60 in day. Suits me very well. We made some excursions — to the various Mogul gardens — and to a lake… which is very beautiful and ringed with snowclad mountains. You can see the mountains now after the rain. We have to leave here and go to the Hotel in the town — but expect that our booking for Nov 2nd to Delhi will be all right.

From Delhi, she wrote again to Rosalind.
Here we are in the Ashoka. I’m glad we had a good ten days and in a perfect Hotel for old ladies (very few of them nowadays) where I could sit, in the sun — and look at a view like a Japanese print. Lovely! The letters revealed Christie’s bright, chirpy personality and tongue-in-cheek humour, her eagerness to explore India and her appreciation of scenic beauty. She seemed happy to be in India.

But I pondered why her trips were not well-known. Was it because photographs were a rarity then or because she checked into the hotels in her husband’s name — or perhaps simply because Agatha Christie was a private person?

Whatever the reason, I was thrilled with my discovery. That sunny day with Mathew, Lucy and Gwynnie the dog carried an extra fulfilling zing because of this exciting revelation.

I had always sensed a deep connection to Agatha Christie. But being the chosen one to unravel the mystery of her India trips felt truly special.

The author is an award-winning writer of mystery novels

[Extracts and photographs used with permission from Mathew Prichard and The Christie Archive Trust. Special thanks to Lucy Prichard and Joseph Keogh of The Christie Archive Trust]
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