Editing Vetala (section)

==Description==
In Hindu folklore, the vetala is an evil spirit who haunts cemeteries and takes [[demonic possession]] of corpses. They make their displeasure known by troubling humans. They can drive people mad, kill children, and cause miscarriages, but also guard villages.

They are hostile spirits of the dead trapped in the 'twilight zone' between life and [[afterlife]]. These creatures can be repelled by the chanting of [[mantras]]. One can free them from their ghostly existence by performing their funerary rites. Being unaffected by the laws of space and time, they have an uncanny knowledge about the past, present, and future and a deep insight into human nature. Therefore many sorcerers seek to capture them and turn them into slaves.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rosen |first1=Brenda |title=The mythical creatures bible : the definitive guide to legendary beings |date=2009 |publisher=Sterling |location=New York |isbn=9781402765360 |page=193}}</ref>

There is also a strong Vetala cult in the [[Konkan]] region, under the names of [[Betal]], Vetal, Vetoba. Since Betal is said to be the husband of the goddess [[Shantadurga]], there will be a temple dedicated in honour of Betal either within the temple complex of Shantadurga or somewhere in the sylvan surroundings. There is a [[Shree Betal temple|Betal temple]] in Amona, Goa. Betal is a form of [[Bhairava]] and is the head of all spirits and ghouls and vampires and all kinds of [[pisachas]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}