Introduction My (Ahona’s) earliest memories of the supernatural blend with memories of hot rice, white steam like spirits rising from my plate, the sounds of shakha-pola (bangles) on Dida’s hand clamouring as she approached with a ladle full of dal and the words from Dadu’s stories taking on strange shapes and colours, as the ghosts … Continue reading Editorial: Childhood “Prets” and Other Premonitions
The House of Rizwan
I am telling a friend about an incident back in school. He is not even listening to what I have to say. I start narrating, nonetheless. I cannot recall what prompted me to begin. Maybe need to get his attention. Or, just say something interesting to enjoy his company for a few more minutes. So, … Continue reading The House of Rizwan
Inexplicable
Dr. Krishnendu Das Gupta Teacher and Scholar We Bengalis have a tradition of ghost stories. Compared to the occidental vampires and werewolves or the genie of the Middle East, ghosts, ghouls are part and parcel of Bengali rural life. They are very many in number and their ghost class depends on their nature of death, … Continue reading Inexplicable
B for ‘Bhoot’: In Conversation with Manisha Naskar
Manisha Naskar is a well-known freelance animator and illustrator from Bengal. Her work includes illustrations for famous Bengali children's stories like Satyajit Ray's Pagla Dashu for Pratham Book's Storyweaver and an animated adaptation of "Mr Shashmoler Sheshratri" (A Strange Night for Mr. Sashmal) as part of her diploma project . In this interview, Manisha opens … Continue reading B for ‘Bhoot’: In Conversation with Manisha Naskar
The Cult of the Great Tree-Witch
By Payal Priya “Paya I ate ....now play round and round.” My 3-year old niece Myra came running with my phone in her hands. YouTube can make her do anything; she can eat while listening to CoComelon, she learns rhymes and alphabets from Shafa/ Vlad and Nikki , she dances to the tunes of Chak … Continue reading The Cult of the Great Tree-Witch
All the Things They Said
By Ankana Bag One particularly rainy day, the students of Class 8, Section F begged their teacher Batakrishna Majumder to tell them a ghost-story. Batakrishna was an arts and handicrafts teacher without much inclination to talk, so he mildly suggested that the students themselves tell the stories while the others listen and quietly work on … Continue reading All the Things They Said
That Night
By Plabi Pradhan Even in the 21st century we often witness or sense so many unearthly things which cannot be explained by any logic or science. We can't articulate them by any framework of cause and effect; we just feel or experience them. A very weird kind of feeling. Twenty eight years old now, I'm … Continue reading That Night
Aha Bhoot, Baha Bhoot
আহাভূত , বাহাভূত Sujoy Kumar Das একেবারে শিশুবেলায় অখাদ্য খাবার খেতে না চাওয়া বা অন্য কোনো বেয়াদবি'র অব্যর্থ টোটকা ছিল ভূত পেত্নীর ভয় দেখানো। বাড়ির সামনের উঠোন ছাড়িয়ে, অদূরের ওই জমাট অন্ধকার বাঁশঝাড় মাথা দুলিয়ে সন্ধ্যা থেকেই ভয় দেখানো শুরু করতো। উপরি পাওনা হিসাবে ছিল, সন্ধ্যে থেকেই শিয়ালের তার সপ্তকে উচ্চস্বরে বিলাপ ক্রন্দন, – হুক্কা … Continue reading Aha Bhoot, Baha Bhoot
Yet Another Convent Haunting
By Asmita Bhattacharya Many of us today may not be staunch believers in God. But how many of us can truly, confidently deny the fear of ghosts? As a child, pre-teen, and well into my teen years, I was a scared atheist. I didn’t know any chants or all the lines of any prayer to … Continue reading Yet Another Convent Haunting
To Believe or Not to Believe: Bengali Childhoods and Indigenous Horror Fiction
By Dr. Stella Chitralekha Biswas Born in a quintessentially Bengali household, I grew up listening to a fascinating plethora of bhooter galpa that catered to my ever-increasing appetite for the same. In fact, having doting grandmothers and other female kin within the household meant endless evenings and nights of storytelling that sent shivers down our … Continue reading To Believe or Not to Believe: Bengali Childhoods and Indigenous Horror Fiction