There are various ghost stories surrounding the National Library of Kolkata

 

National Library of Calcutta

Alipore's elite Belvidiare
Garden House is now the National Library. Prince Azim Us Khan, grandson of
Aurangzeb and son of Bahadur Shah Jafar I, built the ' Belvidiare Garden House'
in 1700 AD for his own residence. He was the Subedar of Bengal-Bihar-Orissa.
The word belvediare means beautiful view in Italian. A particular Gothic style
palace is called 'Belvidiare'.

After being ousted by
the British, Mirzafar moved to this house in Alipur. He later gifted Belvidiare
Garden House to Warren Hastings. Warren Hastings was the Governor of Bengal
from 1772-1774. After the Boxer War he go back to England. He then returned as
the Governor General of India in 1782 AD and was accompanied by his lover, the
beautiful German Baroness Marian Inhoff. Now Belvidiare was became their
residence. Then Hastings sold Belvidiare House to Major Tolley in 1780. After
many changes, Belvidiare became the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of
India during Lord Dalhousie's tenure. Witnessing a long history, this building
became the National Library in 1953.

However, this
Belvidiare building in British Calcutta witnessed a historical duel. The duel
took place under a tree near Belvidiare Estate. Here contested between Warren
Hastings and Philip Francis and there was this competition about German
Baroness Marianne. Francis was wounded by Hastings in the duel. German Baroness
Marianne Imhoff and Warren Hastings eventually married. The Hastings couple
ball danced in the estate's hall. In this event were attended by the invited
elites of the British society of Calcutta. Hastings spent the rest of his life
in his native England and died there. But he still could not forget Belvidere
estate. Late in the night of the English New Year, a carriage stops in front of
the deserted estate. Gov. General Warren Hastings comes to participate in the
balldance at the party!

Apart from this, the
guards of the National Library have said that a woman's cry can be heard in the
darkness of the night. Others say the spirit of Lord Metcalfe's wife still
haunts the place. After reading a book, if he does not correctly pick it up, he
hears heavy breathing sounds near his neck. And for all these reasons, it is
one of the most 'ghostly' places for the exorcists of Kolkata.