Tradition: Indian Mythology
Alternative Names: Bhūta, Bhoots, Bhut
Category: Ghost
The Myth
A bhoota is a supernatural being in the traditions and popular culture of the Indian subcontinent, usually understood as the ghost of a deceased person whose spirit cannot find rest. The reasons for a spirit becoming a bhoota vary between regions and communities. A violent death, unresolved matters from life, or the failure of surviving relatives to perform proper funeral rites may prevent the dead from moving on to their next existence. Consequently, bhootas are often restless and troubled spirits that linger among the living, haunting places connected to their deaths or former lives. They are particularly associated with cremation grounds, abandoned buildings, ruined palaces, old forts, and deserted houses.
Bhootas can usually appear in human form but are also capable of transforming into animals. Despite their convincing appearances, they may reveal their supernatural nature through distinctive features: their feet face backwards, they cast no shadows, and they often float above the ground to avoid touching the earth, which is considered sacred or semi-sacred in many traditions. They are frequently described as wearing white clothing, speaking in nasal voices, and lurking among the branches of particular trees. Some haunt specific houses, especially places where they were killed or which hold deep personal significance. They may also seek out milk, and consuming milk believed to have been contaminated by a bhoota is associated with spirit possession.
Stories about bhootas often involve travelers encountering an apparently ordinary stranger at night. A person might offer a lift to a beautiful woman standing beside a road or accompany someone walking through a forest, only gradually noticing that their companion wears white, speaks strangely, and never quite touches the ground. The realization that the stranger’s feet are reversed or that they cast no shadow reveals their true identity. Such tales portray bhootas as deceptive and unsettling beings whose human appearance conceals their supernatural nature.
A particular type of female bhoota is the churel, the spirit of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth. Churels may appear as ordinary women, but their feet or other features are reversed or unnaturally oriented. They can change their appearance and are said to lure young men at crossroads, in fields, and in other isolated places. Men who fall under their influence may be led to their deaths, although some stories describe relationships or even marriages between humans and churels. The broader concept of the bhoota also extends beyond the Indian subcontinent: in parts of Southeast Asia, related terms derived from Sanskrit refer to malevolent spirits or demonic giants, while in Pakistan the word may be used for both human ghosts and jinn-like beings.
Sources
“Bhoota (ghost).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhoota_(ghost)