Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India

by Rakesh Khanna, J. Furcifer Bhairav, Rashmi Ruth Devadasan (Illustrator)

An encyclopedia of evil entities and folkloric fiends from across the country, from Ladakh to Kerala, Lakshadweep to Nagaland, Naraka to Tuchenkwaka.

"I was not prepared for how deeply this book captivated me... Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India is exemplary of what a book can be, how it can operate. It’s a bridge across space, time, and language" -- Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

"...A welcome effort in compiling the astonishing diversity of otherworldly beings who make the Indian subcontinent their home... As you browse through the entries, it feels like traversing a colossal hypertext, the denizens of the netherworlds all interlinked, all shapeshifting. A vast and teeming multitude is revealed, abounding with grotesque imagery" -- Jaideep Unudurti, OPEN

Inside this book you will find...
Featuring illustrations by
Poetry by
With a new translation by

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, Horror, Indian Literature, Folklore

472 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2020

About the author

Rakesh Khanna grew up in Berkeley, California, of mixed Punjabi and Anglo-American heritage. He co-founded Blaft Publications in Chennai with his wife, Rashmi Ruth Devadasan, in 2008. The company publishes translations of bestselling Indian-language pulp fiction, folklore, and graphic novels.

Reviews

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my review forGhost Demons And Monsters Of India. It is the different types of exactly that ghost monsters and demons and their origin stories for those of you who love the paranormal
And the macabre will definitely love the book. It is packed full of stories that will give you hours of entertainment and a few sleepless nights. I want to thank Watkins publishing and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like an exhaustive encyclopedia of various mythical creatures of India. I would highly recommend breaking it up and reading other books in between. Although the stories were fascinating, there was a while where I really cared about it much less..

Teaching ancient civilizations, I was able to use portions of this book for a fun activity for my classes. Students had to draw one of a selection from the book based on the description given by the authors. This was a big hit, and perfect timing in the class since we are studying Ancient India over Halloween. It is a nice break from irrigation, social structures, etc and gives an opportunity to display reading comprehension.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. The opinion is my own.

This is a wonderful encyclopedia with entries by Alphabetic order (exceptions are entries that are more of umbrella terms that within have several entries).
Several entries have more than what the entity it is: sometimes it's context (e.g. a demon from mahabhárata and the scene associated), sometimes it's the specific legend and how they act, sometimes there are poems (!!), hystorical details, the local practices for the entity (evil entities made from human spirirts have a certain tratment post death for example), etc.
There are also illustration in some cases.
All in all, definitely worth a look if you like to read about Entities and Legends and very much looks like a great reference for those curious.

[Erica Couto-Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Aavi means ‘vapour’ in Tamil. It is the word used for the steam from an idli cooker, the morning haze above a village lake, or the misty cloud of a person’s breath on a chilly night in the Nilgiris”. As a freak of etymology, semantics and all things horror, Ghost, Monsters and Demons of India is a book just down my alley.

This encyclopedic work gathers a wealth of information regarding the supernatural in Indian religion and folklore. Since I have no academic expertise in Indian culture, I am not in a position of evaluating the accuracy of the information provided by authors Rakesh Khanna and J. Furcifer Bhairav. Therefore, my review is based solely on my impressions as a reader and horror fan.

Ghost, Monsters and Demons of India collects hundreds of alphabetical entries on spiritual beings and daemonic creatures from the cultural traditions of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other nearby regions. As an area that has seen an intense cultural exchange and suffered colonial dominion over the centuries, a good deal of the entities described are the result of these interactions with both Western and non-Western populations.

The authors first give a general overview of the creature and often expand this by including several specific legends and further information regarding popular practices to deal with the supernatural. Some of these monstrous beings are ubiquitous in the country and some are specific to certain regions and landscapes, as is the case with the airi of the Kumaon jungles and the Masaan of Northern and Eastern India. The authors use folktales, myths, and other religious compositions as main sources, and although the title of the book suggests that the ghostly and monstrous are the focus of the book, it also offers hints at the marvelous in its broader sense. Therefore, there is plenty of space for flying horses, witches, unicorns, and dragons, but also for railway ghosts, vampires, and warrior giants.

If you are interested in non-Western mythology and folklore, if you want to explore different imagery of horror, or if you are a writer/artist in search of new sources of inspiration, I am pretty sure this book will give you a plethora of pleasure and entertainment. Oh, and there is a twenty-page-long final bibliography for you to delve into!

[Deepan Maitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Indians, we have a diversity in gods and deities, of the various forms of the almighty and the supernatural saviours. But what about the species at the other end of the line, will they go unnoticed? Definitely not!

Blaft publications has come up an encyclopedia that will educate you in aspects of these supernatural ghostly beings! Demons, spectres, monsters and so many more–learning about these otherworldly has never been so fascinating.

I’ve always wondered how and why the ghosts and demons have been called “otherworldly”. I mean to say, they’re as much part of this world as you are, so what’s the point of letting them know they’re different ! And not all ghosts are bloodsuckers, neither are all monsters spine chilling. Some of them are very docile, chilling around here and there, minding their own spooky small businesses.

In case you want to know about triple-rooted night-flying Vedic necromancers or bloodthirsty vampire queens riding on donkeys, this book is perfect for you. From seven-headed boar monsters to a Himalayan drum-playing spirit teacher whose wife is a Yeti. From dead call-centre employees to mythical beasts like Kabandha and Mohini Pey, this thick book will make you gawk in wonder to get to know that even the supernatural world is so teeming with diversity and difference.

The research of team at Blaft is outright bizarre and humongous. Collecting modern ghost stories is one thing, but digging deep into forgotten folklores of secluded regions and churning out such legends? Not an easy job. But the result is absolute delightful. This collection isn’t meant to spook you or burden you with gory details. It will just familiarize you with the origins and dwellings of these creatures, in the good humor of reciting a story.

In case you are minutely interested in folktales, legends, urban myths and fantasies…in case horror and supernatural interests you…this book is calling you! This could be having 400+ demons, monsters and ghosts and I don’t see why you shouldn’t want to read about them, lest you meet some of them unexpectedly in future! (Don’t tell me then that I didn’t warn you !)

Thanks Blaft Publications for the copy.

[Rasika Muley · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point in life we all have been told things like, don't brush your hair in the evenings or the chudail will possess you, don't play under the tamarind tree after sunset because she dwells there, etc. I was very fascinated by the idea of these extra terrestrial beings what we call as ghosts, demons, chudails or whatever other names. I grew up reading about spirits, ghosts etc and watching fear files, ahat, sshh... koi hai, anhonee and so many other horror shows & movies. So, if you too are a fan of spooky tales and reading folklores then this encyclopedia of Ghosts, demons and monsters of India is perfect book for you.

This encyclopedia covers stories & legends from all over the country. You will get to know about more than 400 types of ghosts and otherworldly creatures right from mohini, rakshasa, the naale ba bhoota of Bangalore, chetkin of Maharashtra, the motorcycle bhoota of Rajasthan, Yakshini to yeti the Himalayan creature. This book doesn't give you the in -depth details about them but just makes you aware of the prevailing ghosts & mosnters of the respective regions. This book also gives you a slight insight about the inception of these stories & therefore, it's absolutely intriguing to learn about the thought process, beliefs, fears, strengths etc of the people who believe these creatures to be true. There are many short poems, fables telling about the origins of these creatures which keep you extremely hooked.

The research team has done it's job so well that they have turned the impossible into possible by digging out all the legends from remote parts country and pooling the information into a single book.

The illustrations are so perfect & exciting that the words and the pictures of this book are enough to leave you gawking.

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it more stars if I could.
I rarely read encyclopedia style folklore books, for three reasons:
1. They often stick to the best known creatures / stories
2. They often don't cite their sources
3. They usually don't include the actual stories
This book clears all three bars by a mile. In almost 500 pages. I kept reading and reading one awesome entry after the other, and there was always a "wait, there is more!" sense to it :) And when I thought I could absolutely not be surprised by anything anymore, even the letter Z managed to deliver some delicious WTF moments. It was a great read, filled with stories and creatures I have not encountered before. And yes: each entry comes with citations, the book has a bibliography, and many entries contained actual stories attached to the creatures. Creatures not only from Hindu lore, but from all kinds of cultures, traditions, communities and languages from all over India. In terms of time frame, it was similarly broad, from ancient texts to 21st century hauntings. I especially appreciated the pop culture references the authors included. I am not even usually a big fan of dark folklore and ghosts, but I can honestly say: Every page was a new, exciting discovery.
SPOILERS
There were Roman androids, extraterrestrial robots, a female demon slapping people to death with one long boob, a giant boar carrying a whole forest on its back, ghosts lapping up urine, spirits stealing designer clothes, a mysterious deity residing in a tower, and a little devil insterting typos into books.

Instant classic, deserves to be a bestseller in its genre. It already had me at coining "necrodiversity" in the introduction.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like an exhaustive encyclopedia of various mythical creatures of India. I would highly recommend breaking it up and reading other books in between. Although the stories were fascinating, there was a while where I really cared about it much less..

Teaching ancient civilizations, I was able to use portions of this book for a fun activity for my classes. Students had to draw one of a selection from the book based on the description given by the authors. This was a big hit, and perfect timing in the class since we are studying Ancient India over Halloween. It is a nice break from irrigation, social structures, etc and gives an opportunity to display reading comprehension.

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Favorite Quote | The human brain seems to have a natural predilection for describing and classifying demons. Every culture on earth has invented a complex pantheon of bad guys.

| My Review | I’ve always been curious about Indian mythology, especially as a writer craving inspiration for more mythological creatures to add to my stories. This book was a god sent! It’s filled with so many interesting monsters, vastly different from the cryptids here in America. I totally recommend this, especially if you're in the mood to sleep with one eye open. It gets spooky!

I think writers and D&D DMs would love this book!

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and fun guide to ghosts, monsters, and demons of India, complete with chatty definitions and stories, variant lore, and much more. It's great to dip in and out and learn something new, and reading it cover-co-cover was a pleasure. It's a great resource for writers as well as those reading Indian and Southeast Asian SFF who want to learn more about the supernatural dwellers of that area.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating guide for the various ghosts, monsters, and demons that are part of Indian cultural traditions. Set up as an encyclopedia, the entries are alphabetical and have tons of information regarding the legend behind, the beliefs related to, and recent sightings. This is a great resource for anyone who has interest in folklore, the paranormal, and non-Western mythology. Occasional illustrations add to the spooky vibes.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[JadersCorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc netgalley review

Easy to read and reference, the layout is great! Definitely a buy for me, and deep dive on some of what was within the pages. The authors didn’t lack knowledge when compiling the stories that make up this book. It does read like a encyclopedia/dictionary for those who are not into this or for those who are.

[Tasmin Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always interested in books like this that show other cultures' mythology. opening my eyes up to some different creatures and stories.

this book gives enough information about each creature. which honestly is pretty cool for research when writing.
it's well written and informative definitely worth picking up.

I was given a copy of this Arc from Netgally for an honest review

[Tasmin Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always interested in books like this that show other cultures' mythology. opening my eyes up to some different creatures and stories.

this book gives enough information about each creature. which honestly is pretty cool for research when writing.
it's well written and informative definitely worth picking up.

I was given a copy of this Arc from Netgally for an honest review

[Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tome of information with amazing art work for some of the creatures mentioned. The only thing I wished for was more artwork as it was so well done and I would have loved to have seen it for more of these beings.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot to learn about Indian culture and this is a fascinating book that kept me reading and made me learn a lot.
Well written and engrossing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Abhishek Jamalabad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start with this: the title might make this book seem deceptively trivial.

This is a very well-researched, very engagingly written, exhaustive, alphabetically-ordered guide to the ghosts, monsters and demons of India. At its core, the book is clearly academic from an anthropological lens, but the language makes it an absolute joy to read - this is a book that will make its way to your bedtime reading stack. For those interested, it is replete with citations to the source material. When it comes to the catalogue of entries included, the authors seem to have left no stone unturned, for I even found one ghost that is restricted to a tiny community of people I happen to know personally. There are also a few drawings inside, and they are really well done - I can't tell if more drawings would have been better or not, because this book reads just fine without visuals.

I wonder if it would have been nicer to have the entries grouped under categories, rather than arranged alphabetically by their traditional/local names, because the book isn't easy to navigate... But then maybe that's part of the fun of it, because having to sift through the whole thing makes you end up 'discovering' a lot.

10 out of 5 if I could! If you are even remotely interested in folklore (let alone the supernatural/paranormal), give this book the throne it deserves on your shelf.

[S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I practically swam through this quirky encyclopedia full of paranormal entities from Indian records, religious texts, urban legends, indigenous stories, and world myths. Even better, it's from a publisher based in my city!

A reader can look forward to facts about linguistics, sociology, geopolitics, and history, as well as folktales and lore. I particularly enjoyed skipping between Tamil Nadu and Nagaland, the Andaman Islands and Arunachal Pradesh. The authors have made some very deliberate choices in how they presented the narratives of marginalized peoples, and the effort they put into their research is clear to see. I'm very glad I splurged on the hardcover version before it sold out, because I can see myself coming back to this.

Thanks to this book I also spend far too much time hoping to turn into a corpse-eating log demon who sleeps on beaches until a pretty lady awakens me from my slumber.

*There are a few typos to be corrected in future editions and a TOC would have been a life saver, but overall, it's a wonderful read that takes you on a surreal journey through South Asia.

[Nandini]

Didn't complete because I didn't like the way that the names of the ghosts were ordered....alphabetically.....like hello surprise me.... I don't want to feel like I'm reading a dictionary???!!! Will complete it soon though because the descriptions ARE super interesting.

[Alecia Hefner · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Ghosts,Monsters and DemonsofIndia is a very informative book. I enjoyed learning about all the different folklore and stories of these beings.

Thanks to #Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and honest review