Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Urmimala Dev
Ghosts have been an intrinsic part of the socio-cultural beliefs of the people of West Bengal. There are different categories of ghosts that inhabit different kinds of trees and marshes. These folktales became popular when they were spread by word of mouth and later on such stories were also printed in the early part of the 20th century. Ghosts, or “bhoots”, are frequently depicted in Bengali literature, folklore, and tales passed down from within the communities, gaining shape in accordance to the societal structure and cultural experiences in Bengal.
Shakhchunni is a ghost of a married woman, who died young and had a lot of unfulfilled wishes and desires. The word shakhchurnni comes from the word Shankhachurni. Shankha are conch shell bangles that are a symbol of a married Bengali woman. These kinds of ghosts are important part of the oral stories narrated by people in the region. They inhabit trees and attacks any person who passes by. Petnis are the spirits of unmarried women and are said to inhabit marshy areas, near ponds and lakes. It is also said that they have fondness for fish and attacks people on their way from the market. Another kind of ghost who loves fish, is Mecho bhoot. 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”). It threatens to harm the individual and also occasionally steals fish from baskets of fishermen. Another very interesting kind of ghost is the skondhokata, or the headless ghost. They are said to be the spirits of people who lost their heads 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 have been depicted in multiple folklores and are shown living on a peepul tree. It can be said that they maintain their hierarchy even after death in contrast to the habitat of the female ghosts’, the abode of a Brahmadaitya demonstrates not only his dominance on the social scale but also how gender and social normativities permeate into the “other” realm of our world. The concept of Nishi is very interesting. Nishi are spirits that calls out a person, mimicking the voice of their loved ones. Once a person responds to the call they become hypnotised and follow the voice only never to be seen again. According to folklore, 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.
Bengali Hindus observe the 14th day of the Krishna Paksha, which is also the night before Kali Puja as Bhoot Chaturdashi. Fourteen earthen lamps are burned on this night in houses across Bengal to please the spirits of the past fourteen generations of ancestors. These lamps are thought to guide the spirit of the ancestors and help them in finding their way home as they descend to earth the night before Kali Puja. There are several other kinds of ghosts in West Bengal and they are intricately associated with the culture of the land. Ghost stories are something loved by Bengalis and everybody from children to older generations enjoy listening to it.
GALLERY
A depiction of petni catching fish from a river
Source: https://jhiblog.org/2017/02/13/historicizing-ghosts-reimagining-realities-in-nineteenth-century-popular-bengali-fiction/
A benevolent brahmadaittyo protecting a man from a group of evil ghosts.
Source: https://archive.org/details/folktalesbengal00daygoog/page/n58/mode/2up
The depiction of a Rakkhoshi queen at the king’s palace, an illustration from the classic Bengali folk-lore collection Thakurmar Jhuli (1907) by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder.
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_in_Bengali_culture
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Chowdhury, Shraddha. “Why Bengalis Will Watch out for Ghosts This Friday.” Condé Nast Traveller India. Condé Nast Traveller India, November 11, 2020. https://www.cntraveller.in/story/kolkata-diwali-kali-pujo-bhoot-chaturdashi-2020-story/.
Maiti, Anwesha. “11 Different Kinds of Ghosts We Find in Bengali Culture.” Storypick, September 16, 2015. https://www.storypick.com/ghosts-of-bengal/.
“Historicizing Ghosts: Reimagining Realities in Nineteenth Century Popular Bengali Fiction.” JHI Blog, September 4, 2021. https://jhiblog.org/2017/02/13/historicizing-ghosts-reimagining-realities-in-nineteenth-century-popular-bengali-fiction/.
“Folk-Tales of Bengal: Lal Behari Day : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Macmillan, January 1, 1883. https://archive.org/details/folktalesbengal00daygoog/page/n58/mode/2up.
