The Spirit Of A Lady

I never had a personal experience, but heard many stories. Now, I would like to share an incident which I came to know from my grandmother.

There used to be a lady named Jaya Lakshmi in the village Muggulla (near rajahmundry in andhrapradesh). She was suffocated to death by her in-laws due to some family problems when she was pregnant. She was very fond of small children. But unfortunately she died when she was about to become a mother.

From then, her spirit would come near the houses where there are newborn babies. At the time of my mother's birth, the same thing happened. My grandmother went to her parents for delivery who stayed in muggulla. Jaya lakshmi came and just stood by a pillar near the room in which the baby is. My grand father worked in a nearby town and he came to see his daughter. After washing his legs he went into the house. He saw jaya lakshmi there near the pillar. He thought she was some relative from my grandmother's side who came to see the new born baby and he wished her. There was no response from her. He did not mind and went inside to see his daughter and he asked my grandmother who the lady was. And when they looked at the pillar there was no one. That day night the baby started crying.

Then my grandmother remembered that there was a lady near the pillar whom my grandfather saw. They called of a priest and said the same. He said that it might be the spirit of jaya lakshmi and gave an amulet and said my grandmother to chant hanuman chalisa (the prayers of a hindu god who is known to keep the evil spirits away)

After chanting the prayers the baby calmed down.

The same happened with many other villagers and they used to keep chappals, brooms and pieces of iron near the new born babies.

They also kept a knife under the pillow and the holy ashes (vibhoothi) on the forehead