Who is who of ghosts and spirits in Kashmir?

By Kanwal Krishan Lidhoo

Almost anywhere, usage of certain words pertaining to ghosts and spirits springs up unconsciously in our daily conversation. Many may not know much about them now, thus, let us revisit and try to understand  the who is who of these ghosts and spirits in Kashmir.

1.The Jins ( Variously called dgins, Jenie, elves, Devv, Drethaakh, Tasrup etc.) They seem to belong to all sexes and have the power to cast spells of evil and capture the victim subjecting him or her to  infinite torture.

2. Yechh is supposed to be one of the aboriginal inhabitants of Kashmir, whose characteristic seems to be that of a heathen.  Yechh also has a co-relation with trans-Himalayan diety `Yaksha’.

3.Divath is believed to be the inhabitant of houses. “Wachya Divath’’ is  still uttered  in Kashmir by one and all, irrespective of religious or other affiliations  to curse somebody to deprive  him or her  the protection of peace and calm, incur losses of all kinds and to get indulged in domestic troubles. It is supposed to mean that one has lost the protection of devtas as some unwanted action on part of the individual may have offended them.

4.Brahm Brahm Chouk belongs to the category of Tasrup. Adolescent boys and girls along with weak and disease-prone individuals come under its spell near Numbals (marshy lands), cremation grounds and graveyards.

5.Whoph Whoph…. When some Kashmiris used to pass by an old dilapidated house, they were often reported to have been held captive by the evil spirits dwelling there. Whoph is thus a term associated with the spirits of these barking dogs and snarling cats.

6.Mushraan is a kind of spirit that appears in a very wretched and dirty countenance of an old fat heathen who pounces upon a victim by giving it a big tight hug and starting a process of decline, disease and wastage of the body of the individual and his resources. 

7.Daen or Dyn belongs to the same category of evil spirits as has been known in other parts of the sub-continent.

8. Raantas is the exclusive daen of Kashmir who also finds mention in Afghani, Iranian and Turkish folklore where it is known as `Aal, and Goul’. Its feet are reversed and its eyes exist alongside its nose only.

9.Rih is an undefined female who employs the technique of casting a spell to capture a man with an intention of eating him!

 10. Parish is a very beautiful female, perhaps also known as Pari. Its body is supposed to be made of four elements only with the predominance of the fire element and naturally, it is supposed to devour its victim by consummation of fire or make the victim  unbelievably restless.

Ghosts, spirits are  part of Kashmir language, folklore

Presently belonging to the age of reason which we proudly own as a statement of existence—all this may sound irrational and superstitious  but the same continues to be  an important part of language and folklore of Kashmir.

Kashmir Rechords has compiled this list after an exhaustive and  detailed research on the folklore of Kashmir.  Special mention may be made  about  a very rare book “Keys to Kashmir’’. Author unknown, Lala Rukh Publications, Srinagar, 1953, incorporating an extract of  Vigney Godfrey Thomas’ 1848 AD edition titled “Travels in Kashmir, Ladakh, Iskardu’. 

 We also urge our esteemed readers to share and help us in adding whatever information they have at their disposal regarding the subject.