Hindu names for the vampiric undead include:

• Vetala
• Bhuta
• Gayal
• Churel

The vetala is essentially a vampiric demon or a demi-god. But a vetala sometimes takes possession of a corpse and animates it.

The term bhuta is sometimes applied in a way that includes all of the Hindu vampiric demi-gods, demons, and undead. But its special meaning is the revenant of a man who died under such circumstances as:

• Dying by accident.
• Dying by execution as a criminal.
• Committing suicide.

In some regions of India, a Hindu who dies under such circumstances is apt to be buried instead of being given a proper funeral where the body is cremated. The bhuta often satisfies its appetite by eating the intestines and excrement it finds in other corpses. But it also attacks humans, causing them to become sick, and death often results.