GHOSTS AND SPIRITS IN BENGALI CULTURE

Like the wide variety of Shaak/Saag, Bengali eats virtually any green leaf converting it into a Shaak/Saag

Like the wide variety of fish in Bengali cuisine

Bengali culture has a wide variety of Bhoot

Shakhchunni is a ghost of a married woman, who died young and had a lot of unfulfilled wishes and desires. The name Shakchunni derives from the word "Shankha Churni" or one who has shattered Shankha(bangles). A Bengali married woman wears a red Pola(coral) and white Shankha(sea shell) bangle.

Petnis are the spirits of unmarried women and are said to inhabit marshy areas, near ponds and lakes. The name originates from the female form of the Sanskrit word "Pret" meaning Ghost, thus "Pretni"

Daaini are old hags who practice black magic and live in a secluded area. They are rumoured to abduct children and turn them into animals.

Mecho bhoot is a ghost which loves fish. They are said to live in ponds with lots of fish and it is said that they demand that fisherman in the late-night give them their catch by uttering the phrase “Machh Diye Ja” in a nasal tone (which means “give me the fish”). Mecho bhoot also punishes people who steal fish from fishermen or fish mongers

Skondhokata, or the headless ghost. They are said to be the spirits of people who lost their heads/beheaded, in modern times in train accidents.

Brahmadaityo is one of the most popular ghosts in Bengal. They are depicted as an old Brahmin man, who is helpful and rarely causes harms to humans, unless disturbed. They live on a peepul tree. The name derives from "Brahma"(Brahman) and Daitya(Demon).

Nishi are nocturnal spirits that calls out a person, mimicking the voice of their loved ones. The call is called Nishi dak, nishi means ‘night’ and dak means ‘call’. Once a person responds to the call they become hypnotised and follow the voice only never to be seen again. No one should respond to a voice at night and should wait for the person to call you at least three times because the Nishi cannot cry out more than twice.

Pishach are very similar to the concept of ghouls. They are generally portrayed to haunt cemeteries and are flesh-eating demons who prefer to live in the dark. They have the capacity to take on several forms. The female form of Pishach is known as “Pishachini,” and although she is said to have a repulsive appearance, she can occasionally assumes the shape of a young, pretty maiden to seduce young men. She steals their virility and blood.

Damori is a name that refers to those supernatural entities conjured by the tantriks.

Besho Bhoot live within bamboo gardens, and walking past these areas after dusk was considered dangerous. The name Besho comes from Bansh meaning Bamboo.

Gechho bhoot live in trees, hence the name “gechho”, which comes from the Bengali word for trees – gachh.

Ekannore have only one leg, hence the name, Ekanore. They generally live on palm trees and hunt down naughty children. My daughter was pretty scared of an eagle which used to sit close to my house window when I was posted at Kashmir. My wife had named it Ekannore.

Kanabhulo ghosts can hypnotize people and then drag them to unknown places, and eventually kill. Their typical victims are people who are walking alone on a deserted path at night.

Aleya/Atoshi Bhoot is the name given to a strange phenomenon of light that happens near the marshes (similar to the Will-o'-the-wisp), especially reported by the fishermen of the Sundarbans delta region. Locals believe that these are the ghosts of fisherman who died whilst fishing. Aleya is a feminine name from Arabic/Persian while Atoshi comes from feminine form of Persian "Aatish" meaning "light". It is commonly methane burning in marshes which are visible only at night time.

Another bhoot of the Sundarbans is the Begho bhoot aka Tiger bhoot. Begho Bhoot are ghosts of people who were killed or eaten by the tigers in Sundarbans

Mamdo bhoot is the ghost of a dead Bengali Muslim. The name Mamdo comes from the word Mohammedan. They are the Muslim counterpart of the Brahmadaitya.

The British have gone but left behind the Saheb Bhoot. Commonly the ghost of an Englishman. They commonly inhabit the old European bungalows and houses "Gora Saheb Bari".

The common universal Betal, Rakkhosh(Rakhsas) etc are also there. A Khokkosh is a smaller version of a Rakkhosh. A Rakkhoshi is a female.