National Library of India

The site of the National Library traces back to the 1760s when Nawab Mir Jafar built Belvedere House in Alipore following the political upheavals of the Battle of Plassey. He subsequently gifted the estate to Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal. Under Hastings, Belvedere became the focal point of colonial British administration in Bengal, hosting lavish balls, high-stakes political negotiations, and historic duels, including Hastings's famous 1780 pistol duel with Supreme Council member Philip Francis.

From 1854 to 1911, Belvedere House served as the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. During this colonial era, the mansion underwent major architectural enhancements under Governors such as Lord Metcalfe and Sir Charles Rivaz. Following the movement of the British Indian capital to New Delhi in 1911, the estate was designated as the Viceregal Lodge. After Indian Independence in 1947, India's Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad led the initiative to relocate the Imperial Library from Esplanade to Belvedere Estate. Renamed the National Library of India, it opened its doors to the public in 1953. In 2010, during a major ASI restoration project, engineers discovered a completely sealed 1,000-square-foot secret chamber on the ground floor with no doors or windows, sparking national intrigue.

The ghost lore of Belvedere House is dominated by stories of obsessive colonial spirits, historical duels, and structural mysteries.

The most prominent legend involves Lady Metcalfe, wife of Governor-General Lord Metcalfe, who resided at Belvedere House during the 1830s. Lady Metcalfe was renowned throughout colonial Kolkata for her extreme, fanatical obsession with cleanliness and order, forbidding anyone from altering book arrangements or leaving clutter. Readers and night staff claim her spirit still wanders the grand reading halls at night. According to local lore, if a late-night reader leaves books disarranged, creates a mess, or fails to return a volume to its proper shelf, they feel an icy cold gust of air on their neck accompanied by the rustle of a heavy Victorian gown and a stern disembodied sigh. She is said to monitor the aisles vigilant as ever, watching over every manuscript.

Another famous legend surrounds Warren Hastings himself. Scholars and night guards speak of hearing the sound of a horse-drawn carriage pulling up to the main portico on quiet evenings, followed by heavy boot steps striding toward the office chambers as if Hastings is searching for lost personal documents. The mysterious 2010 discovery of the 1,000-square-foot sealed room without entry points further fueled rumors of hidden colonial torture chambers, secret treasure vaults, or walled-up prisoners, ensuring Belvedere House remains Kolkata's most intrigue-filled heritage landmark.

Librarians, security guards, night watchmen, and late-staying scholars at the National Library have documented numerous eerie encounters over decades. Guard staff patrolling the silent main hall after closing hours frequently report heavy, rhythmic footfalls echoing behind them along empty marble corridors, only to find completely deserted halls upon turning around.

Several readers over the years have reported the strange sensation of someone leaning over their shoulder while sitting at study tables in the old reading room, accompanied by the distinct scent of 19th-century rose perfume or lavender. During major restoration works in the 2000s, construction workers refused to work night shifts after an accidental tragedy occurred, claiming to hear disembodied groans, muffled cries, and heavy footsteps near the central ballrooms. The 2010 discovery of the sealed doorless chamber by ASI archaeologists intensified public fascination with reported paranormal phenomena across the estate, leading to widespread national media coverage and supernatural investigations.

Belvedere House is an architectural masterpiece blending Italian Renaissance and British colonial neo-classical styles. Set within a lush 30-acre manicured estate, the mansion features grand double-columned porticos, soaring archways, wide sweeping staircases, and ornate high-ceilinged ballrooms converted into reading halls. High arched windows allow natural daylight to illuminate the central reading galleries.

The main palace building housed the historic reading rooms and rare document vaults for decades before books were transferred to the newly constructed Bhasha Bhavan building on the same campus for conservation. The ground floor contains the infamous 1,000-square-foot windowless, doorless room uncovered during structural surveys by ASI engineers.

The National Library of India is located in Alipore, South Kolkata, accessible by taxi, bus, or Netaji Bhavan Metro Station. The library is open to scholars, researchers, and cardholders on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM and weekends from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

Visitors can apply for a reader's pass or visit public areas of the Belvedere Estate. While browsing books and visiting the grounds is permitted during official hours, ghost hunting and wandering off-limit heritage wings late at night are strictly prohibited by security staff. Visitors are encouraged to explore the grounds during daylight hours to appreciate its rich history and architectural majesty.

The National Library's reputation as Kolkata's premier haunted building stems from its 250-year colonial history as Belvedere House, stories of fanatical historical figures like Lady Metcalfe, and genuine architectural mysteries like the 2010 sealed chamber discovery. The unique combination of quiet, cavernous heritage rooms and enduring colonial legends creates an unforgettable atmospheric setting for dark tourism enthusiasts, historians, and literary travelers alike.