In most Indian languages derived from Sanskrit, Bhoot or Bhoota means “ghost”. The word usually refers to the spirit of a person who died in an accident, committed suicide, or was murdered. A person may also become a Bhoot if they died suddenly of some acute illness, or because they passed away with some unrequited desire, or because their funeral rites were not performed correctly. The word can also be used as a catch-all term for any sort of ghost or evil spirit, especially in combination with Pret (Bhoot-Pret).

Bhoots abound in mythology, folklore, and popular culture. Their description depends on community and geography, but there are several elements that are common to most stories.

Bhoots are shape-shifters; but most of the time they appear in human form. In many tales, they try to fool people into thinking they’re not ghosts at all. One way to discover their true nature is to check their feet. Bhoots don’t like to make contact with the earth, so they float just a tiny bit above the ground. Also, some of them have their feet reversed — their toes point behind them, rather than in front. Their ears are often pointy and bat-like.

Bhoots don’t cast shadows. They speak through their noses with a nasal twang. They are most active on warm nights and on hot, dry days when the sun is directly overhead.

Bhoots are usually confined to the house they died in. If the house is abandoned and dilapidated-looking, it’s called a Bhoot bangla. Or they may be confined to a village, the boundary of which they may not cross; or to a flat complex, or an office building. Old stone ruins are often said to be full