My friends and I have gained a lot of interest in hauntings, and we hear about many haunted places in Kolkata, we don't want to waste time and money and would like to know about the famous haunted places. We would like to have a list of the top 10 haunted places in Kolkata, so we can plan our trip and know which places to visit first. Please mention some brief information about why the place is haunted, if it is known.
Hello, @Nilay, welcome to the forum! Overview Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, was founded officially at the end of the 16th century by the British. However, the region and its surrounding areas has had native rulers and were even conquered by the Portuguese and Dutch at some points in time. It's only inevitable for Kolkata to have have long and winding stories hidden behind its ancient walls and structures. Unfortunately, not all stories are of joyful conquests or events, as each city has their own tragic and misfortunate stories as well. The same goes for Kolkata and with a long history behind it, it is only natural that it has become a hotspot for various spooky stories and haunted tales. There are various places around Kolkata that speak and breathe of the paranormal, places that can be quite scary but always on the list of the thrill seekers. The Top 10 Haunted Places in Kolkata 1. St. Thomas School Field - The St. Thomas School Field is located in Kidderpore in Kolkata. Originally, the location of the field is the place where the Kidderpore House was built. This was the place where Warren Hastings and Philip Francis fought, as they were known to be such rivals back then. Though no one died in the duel, the latter, Philip Francis suffered from injuries due to the sword fighting. After the rule of the East India Company, the house was converted into a school, which was around the year 1798. But it served another purpose during the World War II, when injured soldiers were treated in the premises by health professionals. Once the war was over, the school served its purpose again, even having been converted into a separate boys and girls school. The original Kidderpore House has since then been demolished but strange stories still surface the place until this day. During night time, clanking of swords, the clattering of horse shoes and other noises are heard by students and other residents. Perhaps because of such long history behind it, the people that once roamed the mansion premises have become trapped in it. Thankfully, there has been no dangers associated with the unusual sights or noises though. Scare Level - Medium Address - No. 4, Diamond Harbour Road, Kidderpore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700023, India Tourism at Night - Not Allowed 2. Old All India Radio Centre (Old Akashvani Bhavan) - The new All India Radio Centre in Kolkata is now located in Maidan. Prior to this though, the old location was in Garstin Place, known as the Old Akashvani Bhavan. While there are many haunted stories relating to the old radio station, the most known of which is the haunted story related by actor, Soumitra Chattopadhyay. Back then, Soumitra Chattopadhyay was a radio announcer for All India Radio Centre and it is here that he encountered the disappearing gora sahib of the bhavan. As related by him, one night, he was on duty as the announcer and he had just played a track. During that time, microphones are just lowered in volume during track playing so the slightest noise can be caught by the microphone. After Soumitra Chattopadhyay lowered the microphone volume, a man started pushing the door and tried to go in. The sudden noise startled the actor and he got irritated with the man who, as it appeared to be, seemed to be a gora sahib. The gora sahib left after seeing the disappointed look on the actor's face. Soumitra Chattopadhyay then called the lower reception area and asked who is the man who barged on his doors, but their answer spooked him. No one was seen climbing the stairs to reach his office by the lower reception area! Incidentally, the story goes that the lower floor of the building was once occupied by a wine merchant, which is beloved to be the gora sahib that Soumitra Chattopadhyay saw. That's not all though, the old radio station has other spooky stories, so much so that the management decided to shift the office years after, as many employees refused to work here or just resigned because of the haunted happenings. Even just walking past by the old radio station can send some shivers, as sudden gushes of cold air can be felt by the passers-by, even if it's not winter season yet! Scare Level - High Address - No. 1, Garstin Place, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India Tourism at Night - Allowed (Outside) 3. Writer's Building - Established in the year 1777, the Writer's Building in the Benoy Badal Dinesh Bagh Square in Kolkata is considered as one of the oldest buildings in the city. The building has this red and cream facade, with a largely Victorian era style of architecture. The building served as the hub of the writers of the British East India Company hence the name. Over the next years, the building was occupied for several other purposes, wherein even a school was established in its premises. But it was only in the year 1930 that a tragic event occurred in the building. On the eighth of December of that year, three young men, Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta, dressed in European outfits and carried loaded revolvers upon them. They only have one goal, to assassinate the cruel British officer, Colonel NS Simpson. They were triumphant, having killed the British ruler at the fifth block of the building. But what followed was a long battle between the three young freedom fighters and the British soldiers after that. Overpowered and on the brink of death, but still fighting for their country's freedom, Badal took cyanide poison while the other two, Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their own guns. Both Badal and Benoy died but Dinesh, having survived, was hanged thereafter. While this story of bravery and martyrdom gives us a glimpse of the paths that young individuals have to take back then, it has also left such a dark mark on the Writer's Building. Perhaps the most haunted part of the building is the fifth block where the tragic event occurred. But there are also other rooms in the property that has been sealed off from the public or the employees, as they are believed to be haunted by spirits who still reside here. Further, those who walk past the building during night time hear unusual sounds and noises even when the employees themselves abandon the building by afternoon. Scare Level - High Address - Lal Dighi, Benoy Badal Dinesh Bagh Square, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India Tourism at Night - Not Allowed Writer's Building (Image from Adam Jones) 4. Oberoi Grand Hotel - The Oberoi Grand Hotel is located in the Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Kolkata. Initially though, the location was owned by Colonel Grand, who established his private mansion here. After that, a certain Annie Monk occupied the place, establishing a boarding house in it. A nearby theatre owned by Arathoon Stephen can also be located within the area. As time passed by, the boarding house owned by Annie Monk was bought by Arathoon Stephen and since then, the Grand Hotel was established by the latter. It was in the year 1939 when Mohan Singh Oberoi bought the property and converted it into a luxury heritage property. Mohan Singh Oberoi was the founder of the Oberoi Chain of Hotels. There's a hidden story behind all of this though, one that makes the hotel a haunted one. Before being converted into a heritage property by Oberoi, a cholera epidemic hit the city of Calcutta. The hotel was not spared due to a faulty drainage system and it lead to the death of six guests of the property, which included the famed American jazz pianist, Teddy Weatherford. The hauntings of Teddy Weatherford are very mild, with incidents of knockings on the door and also of piano music playing in the distance heard by guests. However, one area of the property remains closed off to both guests and employees and this is the Chowringhee Wing of the property. This area was where the theatre once stood which caught fire during the year 1911. Though there are no recent spooky tales with the wing, the very fact that it remains closed off to guests and employees ignited a lot of curiosity and possibly paranormal stories around it. Scare Level - Medium Address - No. 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016, India Tourism at Night - Allowed (For Staying Guests) 5. Indian Museum - Kolkata is home to some of the oldest structures in the country, which includes the Indian Museum, established in 1814, which makes it the oldest museum in India. It has a beautiful pure white facade, along with simple arches that highlight its Victorian architecture even more. Beyond the beauty of the building, it is also believed as one of the most haunted places in Kolkata. Aside from the creepy displays of an ancient Egyptian mummy, Mughal weaponries and armouries, amongst others, the museum was once the venue for the detainment of Indian freedom fighters who fought against the British during the earlier 20th century. There have been instances of people hearing noises of marching boots within the premises. These noises are believed to be of the freedom fighters who have remained settled in the high walls of the building. Scare Level - Low Address - No. 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Colootola, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016, India Tourism at Night - Not Allowed Indian Museum (Image from Biswarup Ganguly) 6. National Library - The National Library in Alipore in Kolkata is believed to be the largest of its kind in India, established in the year 1953. Initially, the library began as the Calcutta Public Library, which was established much earlier, around the year 1836. In the year 1903, the British proceeded with the amalgamation of the Calcutta Public Library and The Imperial Library which would later become the National Library of Calcutta. The library is within the premises of the Belvedere Estate which was built around the early 18th century. The building was once the home of the British lieutenant generals of the British along with their families. One of which was Lord Charles Metcalfe, who also initiated for the building of the library. His wife was named Susannah Selina Sophia, also known as Lady Metcalfe. Lady Metcalfe was known as a strict woman, enforcing everyone to return the books that they have borrowed in its rightful place. Even today, there have been incidents of people in the library feeling this heavy breathing upon them, most especially if they haven't returned the books yet on their rightful place. The caretakers of the library have also related spotting a woman dressed in a mid-1800s outfit. In 2010, a secret chamber was also uncovered in the library, to which there are no doors or openings of any kind to access it. The ASI drilled a hole in one of the walls of the chamber and they found only mud within the secret chamber. Still, some still feel a bit mystified about the fact that there's an arch in one of the walls, which lead to its discovery. Whatever lies hidden within these muds, only time will tell. Scare Level - Medium Address - Belvedere Road, Block A, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700027, India Tourism at Night - Allowed (Up to 20:00 on Weekdays Only) 7. Hastings House - The Hastings House was built during the early 18th century as the residence of Warren Hastings, the first British Governor General of India. Now, the mansion has been converted into a school, the Institute of Education for Women, Hastings House. There are many haunted stories surrounding the mansion but the oldest and most famous of which is the one related to Warren Hastings himself. So according to history itself, after Warren Hastings resigned as the Governor General of India, he returned to England, eager to get back to his peaceful life. However, on a turn of events, an impeachment trial was started against him which lead into a seven-year battle, him against the people of England. He did win the case but only after many many years of spending money and precious time. The case could have been much shorter, if only his old black bureau from the Hastings House in Kolkata was preserved and sent back to him. As the local stories go, Hastings is still in search of this black bureau and many nearby residents have found his carriage and his spirit in the mansion premises. For instance, a local resident by the name of Paul Bird, encountered the phantom carriage of Warren Hastings as he was going home and even more puzzling is that his wife also spotted the same coach from their house. In the middle of the 19th century, Lady Braid Taylor and her family resided in the mansion itself. A spooky event occurred in that her son saw the ghostly apparition of Warren Hastings, as he accurately described the attire of the man. It is believed that Warren Hastings, until now, is searching for that important old black bureau that could have cleared his name earlier during his impeachment. Scare Level - High Address - Raj Kiran Building, Alipore Road, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700027, India Tourism at Night - Not Allowed 8. Royal Calcutta Turf Club - Located close to the Hastings House is the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, also known as the Race Course. It was established in 1847 in Kolkata, as a means of integrating and regulating horse racing in the city. Now, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club remains as a horse racing ground, with events occurring usually during the weekends. But there is also a spooky story behind this known horse racing attraction. During the early 20th century, there lived a man named George Williams who resided on the same Hastings House. He is known to be an avid horse race fanatic and even owned five horses. Out of these five horses, his favourite was Pride, a pure white horse who gave him nothing but pride, as the name suggests. The horse, at her peak, gave tons of money and fame for George Williams. But of course, even such glory must come to an end, as ageing horses are known to have health complications that lead to the loss of many fights for Pride. The horse's last race was for the Annual Calcutta Derby, which unfortunately, she lost and cost her master a lot of money. The next day, Pride was found dead on the Royal Calcutta Turf Club tracks, shot with a gun as evidenced by the bullet marks on her body. As per tradition back then, horses were killed when they are aged and not of good health already. But until now, Pride can be seen running in the tracks in the wee hours of the night, perhaps still wanting to make her owner proud. Many incidents of people witnessing a foggy horse-like apparition has been related over the past few years here. Scare Level - Medium Address - Maidan, Khiddirpore Road, Race Course, Hastings, Kolkata, West Bengal 700022, India Tourism at Night - Allowed 9. Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station and Lake - Who knew that a metro station itself could be a haunted ground for spirits? The Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station, a part of the Line 1 of the Kolkata Metro, has been dubbed as the Paradise of Suicide. About 70% of the metro suicides occur in the Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station. Just last March of 2016, a man named Niladri Dutta, jumped in the railway tracks of the metro station, which lead to his death. That's not all though, because Kolkata Metro drivers have reportedly been seeing apparitions in the tunnel, a bit further from the station itself. The ghost apparitions were seemingly seen walking around the tracks of the railway. The ghosts seem to appear during the last leg of the journey, that is just before the closing time. The nearby Rabindra Sarobar Lake is also noted for numerous suicide attempts, thereby giving the entire area a more eerie vibe. Perhaps, the spirits from the lake, as it has an even higher suicide rate than the metro, ventures into the nearby metro station as well. Scare Level - High Address - Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Charu Market, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700033, India Tourism at Night - Allowed (Until the Last Train Only) Rabindra Sarobar Lake (Image from Morning Light) 10. Wipro Office - Last on this list is the Wipro Office in Salt Lake City in Kolkata. Wipro itself is a global company, catering to clients under industries like automotive, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and more. The company is vast and even its branch office in Kolkata is set upon a huge land. However, there seems to be an off-limits building to both employees and visitors, that is the Tower 4 of the premises, more specifically its 3rd Floor. All the other buildings of the Wipro Office can be accessed by employees, but this one is restricted due to haunted stories about it. A bit of a background first, the Salt Lake City, before being converted into an IT and BPO hub, was a lush jungle back then. It was also considered as an open graveyard, not your usual graveyard where bodies are laid upon to rest, but the kind that criminals used to dispose off bodies that they murdered. Perhaps, the area where the Tower 4 is located, must have many such bodies laid upon it during that time, hence the occurrence of ghost sightings and other unusual events. One such event is relayed upon by an anonymous person online. One night, he, along with his colleagues, needed to reach the 10th floor of the Tower 4, as they are stranded for the night and they can stay in the lodge there. They continuously pressed the lift's button but it took a long time before the lift reached their floor. As they boarded the lift, they pressed the 10th floor button and proceeded for their destination. To their surprise, the lift stopped on the 3rd floor and won't continue the journey despite them pressing the 10th floor button. Incidentally, a colleague needed to use the bathroom as well so they continued walking across the hall for the bathroom. As they were doing so, they passed by the office and work desks of the 3rd floor, spotting an eerie black and white picture of a mother and her two daughters, with eyes as if furiously watching them. Odd as it is, there was even a purple Converse sneakers in the table. Finally, they reached the bathroom and the colleague did his bathroom duty, oblivious to the bathroom notice stating that visitors are not allowed inside the area after 22:00 in the evening. A short while later, the colleague went out of the bathroom, seemingly frightened and asking around if anyone went inside the bathroom premises. No one did and so they tried opening the door, only to find it jam-locked. Once opened, no entity was seen in the bathroom and so they continued back to the lift. As they passed by the office and work desks again, they looked at the same work desk as before but mysteriously, the framed picture and the Converse shoes were missing from the bay. The Tower 3 of the Wipro Office is also believed to be haunted. Scare Level - High Address - Plot No. 1, 7, 8 & 9, Block DM, Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091, India Tourism at Night - Not Allowed (Except for Employees) Conclusion The existence of ghosts has long been a mystery to many of us. For the few who have actually experience such spooky events, they are firm believers of the paranormal side of life. For the many who still haven't experience such encounters with these spirits, they are either still waiting for that first ghostly encounter or just truly skeptical about the existence of such creatures. There's no doubt though that when it comes to such haunted stories, we are always eager to find out more which is why there's no dearth of haunted places to explore in any city of the world, including Kolkata.
