Daayan, Ḍāin or Ḍāini is often mistakenly regarded as a rendering for a witch in Indian folklore, the term has been derived from the Sanskrit word dakini, which refers to a female paranormal entity from patala (the netherworld).
[1] Daayans are comparable to malevolent female spirits such as the succubi of Western folklore, they also resemble vampiresses by their alleged feeding behaviours that requires the blood or life-force of their victims.
[2] The daayan cult refers to a secret society which emerged during the 15th century in Harangul, a village in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra.
[6][9] One legend says that a daayan will hold a young man captive until he is old, using him sexually until he dies and joins the spirit world.
[12] Witchcraft is a major social problem in Jharkhand (a state in India that ranks 24th out of 29th in literacy), a large number of women are accused as witches and are killed.
A churel is a vengeful ghost that arise from the death of a woman during pregnancy or childbirth, with preternatural powers similar to a witch.
While in the western and eastern parts of India, it is believed that a churel looks like an old hag who lures small children away from their families to kill and eat them so as to keep herself younger.