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  BHOOT

     

 A bhoot or bhut is a supernatural creature, usually the GHOST of a deceased person, in the popular culture, literature and some ancient texts of the Indian region. Interpretations of how bhoots come into existence vary by region and community, but they are usually considered to be confused and restless due to some factor that prevents them from moving on to the afterlife, this could be a violent death, unsettled matters in their lives, or simply the failure of their survivors to perform proper funerals.

 

Characteristics of bhoots….

      Bhoots are able to alter and assume forms of various animals at will,

but are usually seen in human form. However, their feet often reveal them to

be ghosts, as they are backwards facing. As the earth is regarded as sacred

or semi-sacred in many traditions of the Indian subcontinent, bhoots go to

lengths to avoid contact with it, often floating above it, either imperceptibly

or up to a foot above. Bhoots cast no shadows, and speak with a nasal twang.

They often lurk on specific trees and prefer to appear in white clothing.

Sometimes bhoots haunt specific houses (the so-called bhoot banglas,

i.e. bhoot bangla), which are typically places where they were killed

or which have some other significance to the bhoot.

      Many stories in the region combine these elements. For instance, they

might involve a protagonist who fails to flee or take countermeasures

when they run across a bhoot. Instead, they unwittingly accept the bhoot's

companionship (e.g., makes the ghost a companion as he/she walks through

a forest, picks up the ghost in his car because it looks like an attractive

woman waiting by the roadside at night). They become progressively aware that

their companion is dressed entirely in white and has a funnily nasal voice,

before the horrifying realization dawns on them that their companion's

feet are turned backwards, or he/she is not casting a shadow in the moonlight,

or is walking without actually touching the ground. Bhoots are said to seek

out milk and immerse themselves in it. Consuming bhoot-contaminated milk is

considered a typical route for bhoot-possession of humans, which has also been

a frequent plot element in bhoot stories.