Background
Spirituality and the belief in ghosts is almost impossible to date, but it stands to reasons that one of the oldest countries would have the longest lasting traditions and beliefs. The idea of live after death is sometimes assumed to have begun in the country of India, and then spread westward to the rest of the globe. One of the oldest presumed ghosts in the known world is the Indian bhoot. The bhoot is very similar to the ghosts believed in by those in America, being assumed to be the spirit of a person who died violently or someone who has unfinished business in the world of the living. The name bhoot Sanskrit word meaning “past being”. Unlike ghosts from North America, bhoots are always of an evil nature and exist to cause mayhem.
History
Bhoots are able to appear in the form of animals, but typically take the form of a human being. In human form is where problems arise as there are many tells from which a person can determine human from bhoot. A bhoot with have his or her feet turned backwards, give no shadow, and speak in a nasally tone. Additionally, as the earth is considered sacred in a majority of Indian traditions, the bhoot will avoid stepping directly on the ground, and will instead hover slightly above it. While bhoots are known to haunt houses, more often their tales are far more personal. Many tales involve a human who accidentally gains the companionship of a bhoot by allowing it into their car, or letting it walk with them through the woods. Other stories include bhoot possession, which occurs when a human drinks milk that a bhoot has immersed themselves in, as the spirit is notorious for its obsession with milk.
The name bhoot is often misused to describe other types of spirits in Indian tradition. While behaving almost identically to a bhoot, the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth or while pregnant is referred to as a churail. These female spirits are notorious for enamoring men who they meet, and while falling in love with a churail is considered to mean imminent death for the male, it has been known for the man and churail to actually get married and spend the rest of the humans life together. Additionally mistaken for a bhoot is one of the few friendly spirits in India, the bhutas, who are the spirits of deceased heroes and deities, who are actually protective and powerful if pacified correctly. They are not, though often wrongly referred to as, demons.
Travel Information
The most current bhoot which has gained international attentions is a spirit haunting the Karkardooma court complex in East Delhi. The bhoot has been blamed in the death of two workers, one electrician who was electrocuted inside the building, and a lawyer and his family, who died in a flood. In India the law has no place for the paranormal or superstitious, but lawyers are the court complex put aside their previous claims against the supernatural, and voiced their complaints in September of 2014. Debate of any evidence supporting the existence of the bhoot ensued, but the complaints still continued.
The Karkardooma Court Complex’s address is Maharaja Surajmal Marg, New Delhi, Delhi 110032, India. Since Kakardooma is a work place only specific sections are open for visiting. The post office, police department, stamp vendors and cafeteria are some such places. The building closes down a 5:00pm exactly, however, and even police are not taking chances of being around the Court Complex after dark.
Temporary Citiations:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ghost-haunts-delhi-court-karkardooma-court-complex-supernatural/1/383413.html
http://www.indianparanormalsociety.com/evil-ghosts-of-indian-society/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhoot_(ghost)
http://www.delhidistrictcourts.nic.in/Citizen%20Charter/KKD_CC.html
Spirituality and the belief in ghosts is almost impossible to date, but it stands to reasons that one of the oldest countries would have the longest lasting traditions and beliefs. The idea of live after death is sometimes assumed to have begun in the country of India, and then spread westward to the rest of the globe. One of the oldest presumed ghosts in the known world is the Indian bhoot. The bhoot is very similar to the ghosts believed in by those in America, being assumed to be the spirit of a person who died violently or someone who has unfinished business in the world of the living. The name bhoot Sanskrit word meaning “past being”. Unlike ghosts from North America, bhoots are always of an evil nature and exist to cause mayhem.
History
Bhoots are able to appear in the form of animals, but typically take the form of a human being. In human form is where problems arise as there are many tells from which a person can determine human from bhoot. A bhoot with have his or her feet turned backwards, give no shadow, and speak in a nasally tone. Additionally, as the earth is considered sacred in a majority of Indian traditions, the bhoot will avoid stepping directly on the ground, and will instead hover slightly above it. While bhoots are known to haunt houses, more often their tales are far more personal. Many tales involve a human who accidentally gains the companionship of a bhoot by allowing it into their car, or letting it walk with them through the woods. Other stories include bhoot possession, which occurs when a human drinks milk that a bhoot has immersed themselves in, as the spirit is notorious for its obsession with milk.
The name bhoot is often misused to describe other types of spirits in Indian tradition. While behaving almost identically to a bhoot, the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth or while pregnant is referred to as a churail. These female spirits are notorious for enamoring men who they meet, and while falling in love with a churail is considered to mean imminent death for the male, it has been known for the man and churail to actually get married and spend the rest of the humans life together. Additionally mistaken for a bhoot is one of the few friendly spirits in India, the bhutas, who are the spirits of deceased heroes and deities, who are actually protective and powerful if pacified correctly. They are not, though often wrongly referred to as, demons.
Travel Information
The most current bhoot which has gained international attentions is a spirit haunting the Karkardooma court complex in East Delhi. The bhoot has been blamed in the death of two workers, one electrician who was electrocuted inside the building, and a lawyer and his family, who died in a flood. In India the law has no place for the paranormal or superstitious, but lawyers are the court complex put aside their previous claims against the supernatural, and voiced their complaints in September of 2014. Debate of any evidence supporting the existence of the bhoot ensued, but the complaints still continued.
The Karkardooma Court Complex’s address is Maharaja Surajmal Marg, New Delhi, Delhi 110032, India. Since Kakardooma is a work place only specific sections are open for visiting. The post office, police department, stamp vendors and cafeteria are some such places. The building closes down a 5:00pm exactly, however, and even police are not taking chances of being around the Court Complex after dark.
Temporary Citiations:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ghost-haunts-delhi-court-karkardooma-court-complex-supernatural/1/383413.html
http://www.indianparanormalsociety.com/evil-ghosts-of-indian-society/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhoot_(ghost)
http://www.delhidistrictcourts.nic.in/Citizen%20Charter/KKD_CC.html