Are you ready for the spookiest time ever? Because on 30 October, it’s Bhoot Chaturdashi, also called Narak Chaturdashi, followed by Halloween on 31 October 2024. As the King of Fright Times is right here, let’s renew our interest in things supernatural and creepy. By now, most of us believe that those that go bump in the night are practically as timeless as the Himalayas, and for some reason they seem to love old cities and buildings. Kolkata, with a recorded history since 1690, is a favourite dwelling place of other-worldly beings, and if you care to listen, loyal locals will regale you with stories of alleged occult and mysterious phenomenon in most old locations. The housing society I live in was supposedly built on reclaimed ground that was the hub of anti-socials who carried out terribles crimes and disposed of bodies on the swampy land. Old residents claim there is a figure that walks along the ledges of building blocks when the moon is waning. More research on this is still awaited, but a highly inadvisable stunt, I say.
So, as the owls start their nightly hoots and vampire bats fly about, get set for your spooky fix with five time-tested haunted spots in the city as Prantika Das, our very own Kolkata girl from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, takes you around.
National Library – The sheer scale and architecture of this old Kolkata landmark in Alipore is daunting even during the daytime. The favourite dwelling of Warren Hastings, the man believed to play a pivotal role in consolidating British rule in India along with Robert Clive, it was known as Belvedere Estate back then. As reports go, Warren Hastings was deeply distrustful of one of his councillors, Phillip Francis, who apparently made good use of his busy schedule and frequent trips out of Kolkata to cosy up to Hastings’ houseguest and lady-love, the German baroness, Marian Von Imhoff. For the record, Hastings later married Marian after she divorced her husband, but that’s a story for another day. When he discovered that his deputy was over-friendly with his lady, Hastings challenged him to a pistol duel right on the western grounds of Belvedere Estate. As it happens, Francis was grievously injured in the duel with a shot in the neck, leading Warren Hastings to panic and asking for him to be carried indoors for medical aid. Proudly British, Francis refused his ‘opponent’s’ help, choosing to depart immediately for treatment in Kolkata that was cut off from Alipore back then by the river, Buri-Ganga. Francis’ luck was against him as the river was in spate owing to high tide. He was unable to make it to Kolkata and had to return back to Belvedere Estate in his palanquin in the dead of night, injured, bleeding, and dying. We are told night watchmen still hear a palanquin approaching and a seriously-injured gent climbing out of it covered in blood and bandages. Then, he disappears without a trace. The Britishers left India nearly a century back, but poor Phillip Francis’ ghost probably could not make it.
Hastings House – The dwelling place of Warren Hastings has the ages-old story of the nameless prowler who appears to be desperately hunting something among the cupboards and drawers in the upper story of the building. Seems it is not just you and me who forget keys and wallets but even ghosts, who fail to locate things they have misplaced in their other life. This ‘being’ never finds what he is looking for, so he comes down the stairs in an agitated state and leaves the premises in a huff. He is believed to be the ghost of Warren Hastings himself who misplaced a black box with important documents that were vital proof he hoped to present during his infamous impeachment. Interestingly, the black box was never discovered though Hastings placed a prominent advertisement for it in a leading newspaper with the promise of a handsome reward.
Writers’ Building – Situated in the heart of Kolkata, this cluster of brick-red buildings came into existence between 1877 -1882 and remained the seat of power for the British as well as the state government till the fairly-recent relocation to Nabanna. If you were inside Writers’ Building during the day, you probably realized it was a bustling township in its own right with scores of departments, offices, canteens, and even co-operative stores selling stuff that any household might require in an emergency. It would teem with politicians – ministers and party workers – and employees across levels. But, come sunset, people would start scurrying to leave the premises and certainly none preferred to stay back late and work into the night. More than a couple of eerie phenomena have been reported by caretakers and watchmen on duty at night – opening and closing of drawers and tap-tapping of typewriter keys in closed and locked office rooms, and of footsteps treading along deserted corridors. There have been reports of sightings as well – European gentlemen appropriately dressed in period clothes, appear and disappear as they please.
Park Street Cemetery – Considering it has graves from over a century, things are likely to get lively when darkness falls and forces from the other realm get active. The Park Street Cemetery that has a number of aesthetically-appealing old tombs is believed to have a palpable haunting vibe. Visitors have claimed sudden dizziness and breathlessness despite being perfectly normal and healthy. Some tourists have claimed unusual sightings and even captured them on their cameras. Later, no one could either identify or logically explain the ‘objects’ in their photos. Now, if you are stepping into one of the oldest non-church cemeteries of the world, should you not be prepared for some “unusual” charm and experiences?
Howrah Bridge – One of the most-iconic landmarks of Kolkata is the imposing Howrah Bridge across the Hooghly. Built between 1936 – 42 and inaugurated in 1943, it remains one of the vital thoroughfares between the cities of Kolkata and Howrah. Over the years, this stately bridge has been the silent witness of innumerable suicides. People who live around the ghats or visit it at different times of the day claim to sense paranormal activity underneath and around the Howrah Bridge, the most famous being that of the lady who silently drifts around in the night or early hours of the morning, or the pair of arms that suddenly jut out of the river midstream as if appealing for help.
They told us so –
- Parambrata Chattopadhyay – The Nikosh Chhaya director tells us that he once rented a house in Mumbai where Nasir, his housekeeper, was adamant about not staying on just after a few nights. Nasir reported that all night long he would hear strange sounds and it seemed to him there someone was walking around in another room. The poor man was terrified. Chattopadhyay then remembered how he was sick while staying in the house and would be frequently awoken from sleep. He prefers to label the happenings as supernatural.
- Gaurav Chakrabarty – Part of the ensemble cast of Nikosh Chhaya, he tells us of the very goose-bumpy story of how his wife, Riddhima met someone who had already exited the world! She was part of a group who met and interacted with a certain gentleman and later got the information from his son that he had already passed away.
About Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 –
Abbreviated as BB3, the upcoming Hindi horror-comedy is scheduled for release on 1 November 2024, perfectly timed with Diwali festivities. Here we find Rooh Baba visiting a haunted mansion in the Raktaghat kingdom and confronting not one, but two Manjulikas. A part of the film was shot in Kolkata.
With inputs from Antaripa Mukherjee and Neha Karmakar
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