From the Folklore of Uttarakhand
Once a certain man started from his home to the house of his father-in-law on a day rendered unpropitious by Bhadra (an unlucky moment). The Bhadra followed him in the form of his own shadow. When he arrived there the Bhadra did the same. To his father and mother-in-law and to his own wife also two faces (he and the Bhadra in his shape) of like form and stature appeared to their amazement. None of them could in any way distinguish the real man and the Bhadra in his image. Two men of the same countenance and stature stood at dinner and bed. The girl was claimed by each of them equally. At last the parents permitted the girl to go with her husband.
She followed both to some distance when two roads from different directions met. The real husband was taking his wife to his own house but the Bhadra attempted to take her by another road. So a conflict took place when an arm of the girl was caught by her own husband and another by the Bhadra ghost. The real husband at last had recourse to the Raja of the place; so did the Bhadra ghost, each claiming the damsel to be his own wife before the king. After hearing the parties the ingenious king had a water-pot with two holes put before him, and wanted to test thereby the real man. So he said that he would allow him to have the wife who would pass into the vessel from one hole, and come out through the other, twice or thrice. Of course, it was impossible for a human being to compress himself thus and then come out through the hole. The other form Bhadra did this, however, as desired by the king. While in the act of doing so, the Bhadra ghost was ghost was shut up by the king within the vessel, by closing the holes. The king then allowed the man and his wife to go home, keeping the ghost confined within the pot for some months, when it disappeared by evaporation.
The Hindus therefore take care to avoid days polluted by the Bhadra, for all their undertakings, such as going on pilgrimage or other journeys, performing religious and social duties, building and occupying new houses, etc. On the whole nothing good is commenced during the portion of day and night which is eclipse by the Bhadra. This prevails during the first or second half of certain lunar dates, being the shade of a certain planet, according to astrology.
Source:
Himalayan Folklore: Kumaon and West Nepal, E.S. Oakley and Tara Dutt Gairola, 1935
Kotharian Lightning 