Bhuta

Bhuta is a vampire creature from the legend of India.  Bhuta which means “bad nature spirit” is born when a person who has a physical deformity dies.  People who also die prior to their proper time like those who committed suicide is also said to transform into this vampire spirit.

Bhuta appeared like a shadow and has the ability to take over a corpse.  Once a bhuta managed to possess a corpse; it can now spread sickness and death.  It also has the ability to take the form of other animals such as owl and a bat.

Bhuta unlike other vampire creatures has some similarities to a ghoul; they tend to feed on a lifeless body.   But they are also known to crave for milk from time to time.  When that happens, a bhuta would devour an infant who just ingested fresh milk.

This creature can usually be found lurking in the cemeteries or graveyards where he could feed on corpses.  But in some instances, it can also be seen in a place where he has a strong connection when he was still alive.  For example, if the body that the bhuta possessed is used to be an alcoholic person, the bhuta would be often spotted in bars.

It is easy to distinguish whether a bhuta is present in the area; they said that the strong essence of bhuta permeates the skin that would make every person uneasy.  Even animals that smell it tends to stay away from that area.

In India, it is believed that celebrating a Mecaru Ceremony every 15 days will prevent the bhuta from attacking anyone.  Eventually, the creature would find at peace with its environment.  This creature is also considered as a companion of Shiva.  It has a low tolerance to the smell of burning turmeric, they said that if a bhuta is exposed with this type of smell for so long it will eventually dissipate.

In regions where there is a strong belief in Bhuta, a small shrine called bhandara can be found where sacrifices were left for the creature.