A lofty triple-arched gateway, surmounted by the figure of a Royal Bengal tiger, forms the main entrance to the National Library. Formerly known as the Beldevere House, built in the Italian Renaissance style, the mansion was the residence of Warren Hastings and then of the British viceroy for a while, before it was used as the official residence of the Lieutenant Governors of Bengal . This is India's biggest library. Apart from 8 million books in several languages, it has a large collection of rare manuscripts and documents. The compound has a serene atmosphere.