Tradition: Bengali Mythology
Alternative Names: Shakchunni, Shankhachunni, Shankhachurni
Category: Demon
The Myth
A Shakchunni is the ghost of a married Hindu woman who died while her husband was still alive. She retains her attachment to marriage and domestic life after death, particularly when the desires and experiences associated with married life remained unfulfilled.
Shakchunnis are typically described as thin and emaciated, with greenish skin resembling leafy vegetables. They wear the red-and-white sari traditionally associated with married Bengali women, together with conch-shell bangles and vermilion on the forehead. Even as ghosts, they remain conscious of their appearance and adornment, retaining the symbols of their former married status.
Because of their longing for domestic and marital life, Shakchunnis are said to possess or influence married women, particularly women from wealthy households, in order to experience married life again through them. Stories of Shakchunni possession appear in Bengali folktales, including tales collected in Thakurmar Jhuli, where an ojha or exorcist eventually defeats or drives away the spirit.
The Shakchunni is particularly fond of fish. Her craving for fish reflects the traditional association of fish with married women’s domestic life and with the well-being and longevity of their husbands. Folklore differs over whether she prefers fish that is raw, fried, burnt, or even rotten.
Shakchunnis are also associated with certain trees, particularly sheora (Streblus asper) and mango trees. They are said to sprinkle water mixed with cow dung around the places where they dwell.
Sources
“Shakchunni.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakchunni