A belief runs that the trunk of the evil spirit called Suropuro, that is the spirit of one who meets a heroic death, moves about like a Khavis.[129]
It is a common belief that evil spirits haunt trees, groves, deserted tanks and woods.[130]
Vetāl roams over burial and cremation grounds, as also Bhuchar, Khechar, Kāl-Bhairav and a number of other ghosts.[131]
The Jimp, Bābaro and some other ghosts reside in fortresses and unoccupied houses and roam about in the burning grounds. Chudela, Kotda and Brahma Rākshasa make their abodes on the tamarind, Shami (Prosopis spicigera), Bābul and Kerado trees and in deep tanks and wells in deserted places. Their favourite haunts are river banks.[132]
It is stated by some people that the Chudel, Vantri, Dākan, Jimp, Khavis and other ghosts generally haunt cremation grounds, fields where battles have been fought, thresholds of houses and latrines and cross-roads.[133]
Some declare that ghosts are also to be found in temples in which there are no images and in dry wells.[134]
The ghost preta is said to be as tall as a camel, the passage of its throat being as small as the bore of a needle. It is therefore believed to be always wandering about in quest of water.[135]
The evil spirit Jān haunts mountains and forests and Māmo the centres of filth, while Vetāl is found in cremation grounds.[136]
Jān, Brahma Rākshasa and Khavis reside in woods, trees, or on mountains, Khijadio Māmo lives in the Khijada or Shami tree and Amatho Māmo in a grove of trees. Spirits of high caste people not emancipated from the trammels of birth and rebirth have their abode in the Pipal tree.[137]
It is related that once a number of boys, on their return from a tank to which they had gone on a swimming excursion, passed by a Khijada tree, when one of them suggested to the others to throw stones at the tree, saying that any one not doing so would fall under the displeasure of God. One of the boys threw a stone at a neighbouring Bābul tree with the result that on reaching home he fell ill in a fit of terror. He began to shake and said, “Why did you strike me with a stone? I had resorted to the Bābul tree from the Khijado and you struck me there. I shall not depart until I take your life.” Evidently it was the Khijadio Māmo who had possessed the boy who spoke the above words; and an exorcist was called who drove him out by the incantation of mantras; after which the boy recovered.[138]