Darkest days and longest nights

The first day of the Magaram month, was when Kali and her yakshas were said to come out at night," recalls Anand Neelkantan, author of Asura Tale of the Vanquished, in which he has delved into the realms of Indian epics. "We would be asked to stay away from certain sacred groves; the banyan and the palm tree were considered off limits. A bonfire would be made from the fallen leaves to ward off evil spirits. Some of us children put on the masks of bhutas and yakshas and play-fight amongst each other. It was a Halloween of sorts."

Halloween, celebrated in most Western countries each year, is a time for remembering the dead, the day when the barrier between the spirit world and the human world is said to the thinnest, and when the occult is at its strongest.

However, in Indian culture, with its long and varied history of the occult, it's not just one day that the spiritual powers are afoot. Renowned astrologer and numerologist Sushil Chaturvedi reveals there are several such occasions throughout the year. "The Sharad Paksha, for instance, which comes just before the Navratas, is considered to be the time where your ancestors come to visit your home. Among many Hindus, there's a ritual of inviting Brahmins to come to your home and feed them the favourite dishes of the departed. The Brahmins, supposedly act as conduits for the spirits and bless the home," he explains.

The Navratas, which follow, are also considered to be days of power. "Munis, rishis and spiritual followers of different gods chant mantras throughout the night to gather the spiritual power in the universe," says Chaturvedi.

These are also nights when darker, occult practices are afoot. For instance, the fourth day of the Navratas (dedicated to Goddess Kali) and the following Amavasya (new moon night) of Kali Puja, is also the time to cast spells.

"Ultimately, it depends on which God you worship. I am a worshipper of Vishnu. However, there are those who worship bhutas and pishachas and draw power for them for their spells," warns the astrologer, "You'll often find watermelons that have burst open, with the juice flowing out like blood, placed within circles. It is said that if you walk through them, you will die."

The dark night before the Kali Puja is when Bengalis light 14 candles in their homes, much like the Jack o' lanterns, to ward off evil spirits. Some say that Kali, in her chandi rupa brings 14 spirits with her into the world of the living to wreak havoc. Some say that it's this day when 14 ancestors of the family descend to the Earth for a visit. Whatever the story, the light is kept burning from twilight onwards to ward off evil. And 14 different sags (green, leafy vegetables) are eaten to keep evil spirits out of the body. In rural Bengal, children are kept safe at home. It's said on this night, tantrics kidnap children and sacrifice them at the altar of demons and ghosts to enhance their powers.

"In India, where tantric practices thrive, such as Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Northeast, stories and practices surrounding ghosts are also numerous," explains Neelkantan.

While lighting candles or a bonfire often symbolise protection from evil in different cultures, a practice one often sees in rural India, as well as certain temples where exorcism is performed, is that the person who is possessed is beaten with a broom or with bamboo to rid their body of the evil spirit. In the lush hills of the Northeast, the Jaintia tribe has a similar practice in July, during harvest season, called Behdienkhlam. "Priests will use a stick to hit the roof of the house and throw a bucket of water on each house to ward off evil," says Nancyonette PL Mawlong, who belongs to the Khasi community, but has witnessed the procession many a times in Shillong.

Evil spirits, ghosts stories and spells still abound rural India. However, as Neelkantan laments, urbanites, stuck in the nine-to-five grind, often forget the dark stories whispered in the night. "So many of the sacred groves have been cut down. The stories around them are no longer told. But some are still there, and people will hopefully continue to remember."