Tradition / Region: Bengali Mythology, Indian Mythology
Alternate Names: Nishir Daak, Nishi
Category: Ghost, Spirit
The Myth
The Nishi Daak is a feared nocturnal spirit from the folklore of eastern India, especially Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Its name means “Call of the Night,” and it is known for luring people away in darkness by mimicking the voice of someone they trust. The Nishi is rarely seen clearly. Most descriptions portray it as a distant, shadow-like figure that remains just beyond sight, hidden by fog, darkness, or trees. Sometimes it appears in the form of a familiar person, while other stories describe glowing red eyes and a twisted, unnatural face revealed only at the final moment before death.
The spirit hunts primarily at night, especially during moonless evenings or in heavy mist. It calls out softly to its victim using the voice of a loved one — often a parent, spouse, friend, or even a dead relative. The voice sounds completely real, which makes the spirit especially dangerous. Once the victim answers or begins following the voice, they gradually fall into a trance-like state. People under the Nishi’s influence become detached from reality and continue following the spirit no matter how far it leads them. Legends say victims can suddenly gain unnatural strength, forcing their way through obstacles or resisting anyone who tries to stop them.
The Nishi usually leads people into isolated places such as forests, abandoned roads, swamps, riverbanks, or mist-covered fields. Many stories claim the victim simply disappears forever without leaving behind a body or trace. In other tales, victims are later discovered dead, unconscious, or mentally broken after encountering the spirit. Some survivors are said to remain permanently traumatized after seeing the Nishi’s true appearance. Witnesses describe its eyes as burning like red embers and its presence as deeply unnatural and terrifying.
According to local beliefs, Nishis are often the restless souls of people who died violently, were abandoned without proper funeral rites, or failed to attain peace after death. In some traditions, entire families are cursed by such spirits, with the Nishi returning repeatedly over months or years to lure relatives to their deaths one by one. It is also believed that people killed by a Nishi may themselves become wandering night spirits if the proper rituals are not performed for them afterward.
Because of these stories, many villages developed strict warnings about answering voices after dark. People are told never to respond if someone calls their name from outside at night unless they can clearly see the caller. A familiar voice heard near lonely roads, forests, or fields is considered especially dangerous, since it may not belong to a living person at all.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Ghosts in Bengali culture. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_in_Bengali_culture