Ghosts, spirits and paranormal activities are something that some people believe, and some don’t. But one thing that is sure about it is that you cannot just ignore it. From the time a child can understand, he knows what “Bhoot” is! Kolkata is the cultural capital of the country, but as you look deep in it, you can discover the haunted secrets of the city. Kolkata is home to many ancient buildings and some of them are home to ghosts and spirits! The city is also considered to be a hub of tantra and black magic. Sounds interesting, right? Do you have a chill down your spine or do you get excited from the horror tales? Are you a horror movie buff? Are you among those who go to see every horror film in the theater just to get the extra thrill?
If you are one of them, who finds adventure in spookiness, then you must surely visit these haunted places once you are in Kolkata.
1. National Library, Alipore – A Haunting in Kolkata!
People reading alone in the library have felt the presence of someone breathing down their neck; this is what people say about The National Library in Kolkata. This happens even more when they do not keep a book in place from where they took it from. It is also said that sounds of footsteps are heard near them. Apart from being the largest library in India, this spookiness in this library makes it one of the most haunted places in Kolkata. There are many stories which connect to these supernatural events taking place. Some believe that it is the ghost of the wife of Lord Metcalfe who keeps roaming in the halls. The librarians working there have also complained that they have felt their chairs being drawn away, books being dropped down and pages rifled. If ghosts who enjoy a good laugh and good books could easily be your favourite kind of ghosts, consider visiting this mysterious library!
Another eerie secret of this place opened when a mysterious room was discovered in this 250 year old building that nobody knew about. Nobody could even enter the room as there was no opening, not even trapdoors. There have been so many supernatural activities in the library that one would not even find a guard during night shift. Who wants to risk his life, right? If you wish to feel the spookiness, this place is a must visit!
2. Under the Howrah Bridge – Top Haunted Places in Kolkata
There is a spot just under the Howrah Bridge which is near the Mullick Ghat flower market which is believed to be center for various paranormal activities in Kolkata. The wrestlers who practice in that area on a daily basis claim that they see flailing hands in the river and they are not sure whether those hands are of human beings or some spirits playing tricks with them. People believe that there are the spirits of those people who lost their life in the Ganges- either by committing suicide or by drowning. Some people also recall the incident of witnessing a lady in white, sobbing and calling their name in a nasal tone which lure them into a state of trauma or to their deaths. You try to save the apparitions, you might end up losing your life!
3. Nimtala Shamshaan Ghat
The Nimtala Burning Ghat is one of the oldest burning ghats in Kolkata and is also considered to be one of the most haunted places in Kolkata. It is believed that on the night of the Kali Puja, the aghoris come to the ghat for their various rites and to invoke the Shamshaan Kali, who is believed to be their reigning deity. The locals believe that the name must not be said out loud. They feed on the left over flesh of the burnt bodies and use this ritual to generate occult powers in themselves. These occult rites and gory sacrifices have rendered the Nimtala Burning Ghat4. Writer’s Building
No one works here after sunset! You ask why? The most powerful building of Kolkata is also one of the most haunted places in Kolkata. The Writer’s Building used to house the secretariat building of the state government of West Bengal. The empty rooms in this 300 year old building have some hidden secrets. Story has it that this building has been haunted for many decades and the caretakers staying here could not continue their job for more than one month. This was the place where famous revolutionaries Binay, Badal and Dinesh killed Captain Simpson of the East India Company. The large rooms in the building are said to be inhabited by the ghosts and someone’s shrieks are heard late at night even though the building is deserted after 7 pm.
5. Putulbari – A haunted house full of dolls in Kolkata
Putulbari or the “House of Dolls” is situated near the Sovabazar jetty, not far from the haunted Nimtala Ghat. Now, the very thought of dolls in old houses with cobwebs and noises build an eerie feeling within us, isn’t it? There are some inhabitants in the house till now, but no one dares to visit the upper stories of this haunted house. If you are seeking for some paranormal adventure in Kolkata, you may surely try visiting Putulbari. The huge architecture of Roman style along with some dolls on stands just multiplies the spookiness of the place and will immediately give you jitters when you see it. The Babus (wealthy owners) who inhabited the place in the old days used to sexually exploit young women here and even killed some of them. Now it is said that the spirits of the women are still haunting the place in order to seek justice. Deep in the night, one may sense a shrill laughter or even clinking of bangles and anklets! Isn’t this just too scary to hear?
6. South Park Street Cemetery
It is quite common for us to click photographs whenever we visit a tourist spot in the city. So did a group of friends who visited the cemetery but that was followed by a really strange occurrence. A group of healthy friends suddenly fell ill and one of them even had an asthma attack. This famous tourist spot in the city is the oldest one among all the burial grounds in Kolkata built in 1767, and also the spookiest one. Paranormal activities like shadows moving, cameras dysfunctioning or capturing eerie images and health deteriorating have been witnessed in this place. People staying nearby are so afraid of this haunted place that they keep their windows shut at all times.
7. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club
If you pass the race course on the moonlit nights, especially on Saturdays, you might see “Shaheb er Shada Ghora”galloping over the stands. The story dates back to the 1930s when there was a race maniac named George Williams. He loved his horses more than he loved his job and family and his favourite one was a pearl white horse named Pride. She was known as the Queen of the Tracks and she won many races, fame and prizes for her master. But with age, she was fading and her last race was the Annual Calcutta Derby. Pride lost the race and George Williams lost his fortune. The next morning, she was found dead on the tracks and it is supposed that the spirit of this horse can still be seen now. As this spooky story made the rounds, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club earned an infamous reputation as a haunted place in Kolkata.
8. Rabindra Sarovar Metro Station – One of the most famous haunted places in Kolkata
Suicide in Kolkata Metro has been a common thing of late, but it is quite weird that 80% of the suicides of all suicides in the City of Joy (ironically) take place at Rabindra Sarovar Metro Station. Although it is one of the busiest metro stations, it can be termed as the “Paradise of Suicide”. The last train is said to be haunted and people have seen eerie shadows and weird images moving and then disappearing in the gust of wind. Even some of the station attendants and train drivers have said that they have seen figures walking around aimlessly. Take the last train, and Calcuttans say that you won’t see a single living soul at this haunted station when the train pulls out of the station.
9. Kolkata Dockyard
The Kolkata Dockyard was once owned by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. This is not one of the famous haunted places in Kolkata but there are some eerie stories which are lesser known. The residents of this area believe that thespirit of the Nawab wanders in a place in order to seek revenge from the British for setting up a home in his much loved property.
10. Lower Circular Road Cemetery
The South Park Street Cemetery is not the only haunted cemetery in Kolkata. The Lower Circular Road Cemetery is also known for paranormal activities. The story about this place goes like there was a Civil Servant in the British Era, Sir William Hay MacNaghten, who was killed brutally during the first Anglo-Afghan War. His body was ripped apart and it was his wife who visited Afghanistan, assembled the left over parts of his body, returned to Kolkata and buried it here in the Lower Circular Road Cemetery. In case anyone narrates his story near his grave, the huge tree above the grave starts shivering.
11. Hastings House
This one is yet another haunted place in Kolkata which you must surely visit if you aren’t a faint-hearted person. There is a rumour that one could hear the footsteps of a person, supposedly Warren Hastings, who come to the place in search of his folder. That folder contained some old papers that could have saved him from getting impeached in London. Presently it’s the Women’s College of Calcutta University. Some students claim that they have seen a man riding a horse visit the place.
Another story about this place goes like that there was a boy who lost his life while he was playing football so hisspirit also haunts this house. Students have suffered from terrible injuries when they play football. So, if you are planning a visit, make sure you do not have a football with you.
12. Wipro Office, Salt Lake
The Wipro Office is one of those haunted places in Kolkata whose stories you’ll hear young people narrate, rather than the older generation. It is now that Salt Lake has become the IT hub of Kolkata, but once upon a time it was a part of the Kolkata wetlands. The office of Wipro is supposed to be built on a graveyard and the local residents of that place claim that they have seen strange visions in the darkest hours during the night. People are strictly advised not to wander in the Third Floor of the Tower 3 and the floor is shut all most all the time as it is haunted by many ghosts. People working the graveyard shifts in this office have often complained of hearing and seeing things whenever they leave use the lifts or step out of the buildings.
The city of joy is full of dark secrets and mysteries in every wall and every street. There are many more haunted places in Kolkata apart from these few. The National Museum, the Clive house and many other places have reported paranormal activities in the city. No one knows how much truth is there in these stories, so why don’t you just go and explore the places, if you are not afraid!
