Greetings everyone! I just love the fact that another month is upon us. Fall is my favourite season. It makes me feel like I am in a Robert Frost Poem, don't you think?  

Fall is associated with the dead, but personally, I find it to be lovely. There is a beauty in it all. The time for some has come, but life will move on. Surely, we'll mourn the loss in winter but embrace the new come spring.

So, what is your favourite memory of the season or the beautiful month of October?

Mine is Halloween.

Where I come from, Halloween is not a big thing. It is not even a thing. But growing up with Harry Potter in magical England I have come to love the festival. My participation involved writing fanfictions and stories about the festive season. Also, the air in October is filled with the excitement for Halloween and obviously, exploring two of my favourite genres: Horror and Fantasy.

The mythical creatures have always enamoured me, be it novels or movies.

What is amazing to know that while there are certain mythical creatures in the pop-culture that are extremely famous (let's call them A-list Mythical Creatures), there are also these remarkable creatures who are culturally specific.

For example, Shinigami (the Death God) of Japan. So, I thought, why not write about culture-specific mythical creatures? After all, they have been the thing of nightmares for many a children and threats invoked by many parents.

Let's talk about some Indian Mythical Creatures for this issue, shall we?

1. Icchadhaari Naga/Nagin: Ichhadhaari Naga translates to Wishful Serpent and Nagin is female for serpent in Hindi. Now, Icchadhaari Nagin, for India, is basically, what vampires are for American pop-culture. We have a plethora of movies, tv series and even comics revolving around Ichhadhaari Naga and Nagin who are wishful shape-shifters and can shift into any human form. Of course, their abilities differ from folklore to folklore, but one constant part of their story happens to be the "Naag Mani" Mani translates to a gem. This gem is considered to be more precious than a diamond, and of course, it happens to be in possession of Naga. Many stories revolve around the vengeance for a stolen Naag Mani or a Naagin seeking revenge for a dead mate i.e. the Naga. The Naga was her lobster, and now, she wants revenge on the people who killed her partner for fun.

2. Ucchaishravas: Ucchaishravas is a seven-headed beautiful white flying horse pure white in colour. It is considered to be the king of animals. This horse was given to the demons or asuras against the devas or gods during the "Samudra Manthan" or the milking of the ocean process where the ocean was churned using a mountain and the ocean spouted a number of things including Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity; a vicious poison that carried the capability of destroying the whole world. The entire episode is an excellent read. You will surely leave with plot bunnies in your mind. 

3. Chakora: Discussion of mythical creatures would be incomplete without the mention of a romantic angle. North India has many tales revolving around Chandra (moon) and Chakora, a beautiful partridge bird who is supposed to reside on the rays of the moon. Like all good romances, it is a tale of patience and the eternal wait of Chakora for meeting Chandra. The description for chakora is a beautiful bird with huge silver wings.

4. Pishachas: Of course, it would be weird to have a list full of good mythical creatures and no dangerous maleficent creatures. So, the next on our list is Pishachas, commonly known as, Pishach. Their origins in Hindu Mythology talk of them as children of krodha or anger. In local slang many people who are particularly evil with volatile tempers are called Pishach. Pishachas are said to have red protruding eyes and pale skin. They are also said to be feeders on human flesh and some demon worshippers used to offer their children as sacrifices for Pishachas.

Interestingly enough, Pishachas have their own language to communicate known as Pishachi but also have the ability to adapt human tongue.

5. Yakshas: Yakshas are nature-spirits. They like to protect the hidden natural treasures. They possess the ability of emotions, pretty much like humans. These mythical creatures have a mention in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts. Indian Literature has taken a keen interest in Yakshas, Kalidasa's famous poem; Meghadoota describes Yaksha as a romantic vying for his love. 

So, here comes an end to my list. Tell me what you think about the article and if you'd like to see articles on similar topics in the future.

Have a great month ahead!