The ghosts of two women, allegedly murdered in Calcutta's New Market, are said to haunt the area. As are a former police commissioner and the man who built the market.
Since its inception in the delayed 19th century, Kolkata’s historic New Market has been bustling with activity, attracting locals and tourists alike with its diverse range of shops, stalls and vendors, numbering nearly 3,000 different stores.
Even after several major fires, the market has come back to life and now offers everything from classic textiles and exquisite jewelry, to local cheeses that can only be found at the market, as well as delicious street food and aromatic spices.
Local legend has it that you can find anything at Nowy Targ, and if the stories are to be believed, you might even encounter a ghost or two.
The History of the New Market
New Market was originally known as Sir Stuart Hogg Market and is named after English colonists. By the 1850s, the British had a forceful influence over vast parts of the city, then called Calcutta.
Since the colonists did not want to mix with the native Indians in the local bazaars, they decided to build one for themselves. In 1874, the market was opened to English residents and had a vast colonial influence until the 1900s. And it was from this time that ghost stories began to appear.
Ghosts of murdered women
According to local legend, New Market is haunted by more than one ghost. The most celebrated hauntings involve women who were murdered near the market.
It is not known how many women haunt the market. Most people speak of two separate spirits, although sources vary. Although it is sheltered to say that more than three women have probably been murdered there over the years.
The women are also said to be Anglo-Indian and are often linked to a series of murders in 1868 in which at least five people were killed.
Their restless souls are said to wander the halls of the market, forever trapped between the lands of the living and the dead. They are said to sometimes appear in the narrow alleyway next to the market's clock tower.
People in the market claim to have heard women's voices calling for facilitate. However, when they went to facilitate, no one was there.
Hogg's Ghost
The murdered women aren’t the only ones to haunt New Market though. The man for whom the market is named, SS Inspector Hogg, is said to have appeared among the stalls and shops, refusing to leave the market he helped build.
He was Commissioner of Police in Calcutta, where he founded the institution of the deceased detective, and also Chairman of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
During his time as a police officer, he was involved in many murders that occurred throughout the city. Perhaps also in the alleged murder of women in New Market. Perhaps the ghosts haunting the market are connected to series of murders of 1868attacking white women in the streets near the market and near the police station.
In particular, the murder of Anglo-Indian prostitute Rose Brown, found on Amherst Street north of the market, changed the way police worked, being the first case to exploit photographic evidence. Five other women were killed that year, and it appears the killer was never found.
References:
https://www.kolkataonwheels.com/story-details/202
Stuart Saunders Hogg – Wikipedia
10 Haunted Places in Kolkata You MUST Visit to See What Horror Really Looks Like
New Market, Kolkata – Wikipedia
Ghost Hunting in Haunted Houses
Murder on Amherst Street and the Real Sherlock Holmes of Calcutta
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