A haunted boutique hotel in Kalimpong frequented by Bollywood stars

Every town and neighbourhood in every city has an eerie house, spooky warehouse, or an old scary cemetery that is avoided by people after nightfall. These are the places that inspire the generations of spooky stories. One such house is in Kalimpong, the scenic hill station in Bengal, known for its landscaped gardens and beautiful hills. The Morgan House – as it is called – was built in the 1930s. Given its pretty location, it would be hard to tell that it is a haunted house until you learn about its history.

How this lodge became haunted – the back story
The Morgan House was made especially to celebrate the wedding of Mr. George Morgan, a jute baron, with a lady who was an indigo plantation owner. After the wedding, Mr and Mrs Morgan occupied the British colonial mansion, spread across 16 acres of land on the Durpindara Mountain. It was their summer home for a long time. As an added bonus, the house overlooking the majestic Kanchenjunga mountain range, proved to be the perfect place to start a new life post marriage. But, the happiness did not last lost for the Morgans. It so happened that Mrs. Morgan died a premature death, and Mr. Morgan left the house soon after. A trust took the ownership of the house after its abandonment and after India attained Independence the government took control of the property. It is now being maintained as a boutique hotel. Going to the mystery behind Mrs. Morgan’s sudden demise, it is believed that her husband tortured her before she died, and hence, her unhappy soul still haunts the house. Although, there have been no sightings of Mrs. Morgan’s ghost, but people have heard tapping of high-heeled footwear in the corridors of the lodge.
A place ‘haunted’ by the movie stars

Even though it is not certain whether this lodge is really haunted by the lady ghost, it has indeed been in demand by Bollywood actors namely Sunil and Nargis Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Leena Chandavarkar, Om Prakash and so on. As a proof to their stay in this house, there are testimonials framed and hung on one of the walls in the lounge area. Even the Bengali actor Utpal Dutt, who has starred in comedy films like ‘Golmal’ and ‘Hamari Bahu Alka’ would often visit Kalimpong and stay at this place. So, isn’t this a good reason to plan to visit and experience the same joy that even the stars crave for?

More details

Currently, the house is being run by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC). It was formerly called Durpin Tourist Lodge or Singamari Tourist Lodge. Other sites close to the mansion are the Kalimpong Cantonment area, and tourists may also visit Kapher, Relli, Deolo and Labha valleys.
The Morgan House is located 75 km from Siliguri, 75 km from Gangtok by road, and 52 km from Darjeeling. By train, tourists can alight at New Jalpaiguri, and air fliers can take the flight to Bagdogra.

Address: Chandraloke, Kalimpong, West Bengal 734301
Tariff: Starts at INR 10,000 onwards (inclusive of breakfast)