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ASURAS: In Hindu
mythology, the Asura are a group of power-seeking
deities, sometimes referred to as demons. They were
opposed to the devas. Both groups are children of
Kashyapa. Mitra, Maya, Varuna and Vritra are the most
well known Asuras.
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AHIRAVAN: In the Ramayana Ahiravan was a demon who secretly
carried away Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the
nether-world, and consulted his friends and decided to
sacrifice the life of the two divine brothers at the
altar of his chosen deity with due ceremony. But Hanuman
saved their life by killing Ahiravan and his army.
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BRAHMAPARUSH: This bloodthirsty monster took ghoulish
delight in completely consuming the people it attacked.
Its method of devouring its victims was highly
ritualized: the Brahmaparush would begin by drinking the
blood through a hole in the skull, following that the
brain would be consumed. The feeding ritual would not be
complete until the vampire performed a macabre dance
while entangled in the intestines of the corpse it had
destroyed.
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BHUTA (GAYAL): The
Hindu Bhūta is a type of evil spirit. It is especially
the evil ghost of a man who has died due to execution,
accident, or suicide. Generally thought of as a male
spirit who had returned from the grave unable to rest as
the burial rites had not been correctly carried out on
the deceased. This angry spirit would attack members of
his family in revenge for their religious malpractice.
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BRITASUR (VRUTRASUR): A Brahmin named Brita who became the
head of the demons. He turned to violence and began to
battle with the devas. Hence, he became known as
Britasur. The ‘Asur’ means demon.
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CHUREL: These
vampires were believed to have once been pregnant women
who died during the festival of Divali. The Churel were
extremely ugly vampires with sagging breasts, black
tongues, thick, rough lips, wild hair and back-to-front
feet. They were thought to be bitter and angry due to
their untimely death and as a result attacked the
families and attractive, young men.
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DAITYAS (GIANTS): In Hinduism, the giants are called
Daityas. They were a race who fought against the gods
because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers.
Some Daityas from Hindu mythology include Kumbhakarna
and Hiranyaksha.
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DASA: The Dāsa are a tribe identified as the enemies of the
Aryan tribes in the Rigveda. The word Dāsa, later
acquired derogatory connotations, meaning 'servant',
implying that they were subordinated by the Aryans.
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KALI: This vampiric
goddess possessed a terrifying countenance and was said
to appear on battlefields during long and bloody wars.
Her skin was charred black in tone, her eyes and
eyebrows were blood red and she had an extremely long
tongue with which she became drunk on the blood of her
victims. Represented as a black Medusa, with every
characteristic of horror and dread.
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KOKA AND VIKOKA: The twin brothers Koka and Vikoka serve as
generals under the demon Kali (not the Goddess),
overlord of Kali Yuga. These two brothers are supreme
demons, great fanatics and adept in the art of war. They
are intimately connected, powerful, hard to defeat and
are even feared by the Gods. In their battle with Sri
Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of Lord Vishnu, the
brothers display their mastery over the dark arts by
raising themselves from the dead faster than Kalki can
kill them.
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KUMBAKARNA: Demon Giant.
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MAHISASURA (MAHISHA):
According to Hindu mythology Durga manifested herself to
relieve and protect the gods from the demon 'Mahisasura'
who had driven them out of heaven and set out to
perpetuate his evil dominion there.
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MAHORAGAS: Demons shaped like boas or pythons, with large
bellies; also called ‘human but not human’. Demons of
reptilian personality.
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MASANI: Attacks travelers at night as they pass by the
burial grounds in which this female vampire hides,
sleeping by day in a funeral pyre. The ash from this
pyre is what gives this vampire her black-skinned
appearance.
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NARAKASUR: Another legend talks about the Demon named
Narakasur who had managed to acquire such awesome powers
that he began to terrorize the three worlds. He was
killed and defeated by Lord Krishna. As a symbol of that
victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon
king's blood. Krishna returned home early morning on the
day of Narakachaturdashi. The womenfolk massaged scented
oil on his body and gave him a bath to wash away the
demon’s blood. Since then the custom of taking an oil
bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional
practice especially in Maharashtra and in the South.
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PANIS: A class of demons in the Rigveda. The name
means "bargainer, miser, niggard". Especially applied to
one who is sparing of sacrificial oblations.
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PISACHA (PISHACHA):
In religious teachings, a personification of Brahma's
anger at the immortality and vices that had developed in
humanity. This grotesque deity took pleasure in the
consumption of whole corpses but also had the ability to
cure diseases if approached in a respectful manner.
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PRETAS:
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RAKSHASA: These
beautiful female would appear to men and lure them to
their death but would also attack babies and pregnant
women to drink their blood. There were many legends
associated with the Rakshasa (injurer); some believed
that if a child were forced to eat human brains then it
would become one, others believed that these vampires
caused stomach sicknesses in people who had trespassed
into their territory and that these fanged creatures
lived in trees and could spy on those passing beneath.
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VETALA (BETALA):
The vetala vamire is an evil spirit in Indian folklore
who haunts cemeteries and takes demonic possession of
corpses.
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VINAYAKAS: In Hindu mythology the Vināyakas were a group of
four troublesome demons who created obstacles and
difficulties.
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YAMA: God of Death.
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