Day LIII - Makara

Fishy elephant,

Aquatic mount of deities,

Hindu love symbol.

A symbol of fertility and water (the source of all life), the Makara is a marvellous creature in Hindu mythology understood to be an aquatic hybrid. Said to have a fish's body and the head of either a dolphin, a crocodile or an elephant, the Makara serves as the mount of such gods as Ganga (divine personification of the River Ganges) and Varuna (highly-powerful and prominent deity of Sky, Waters, the Celestial Ocean, the Underworld and Law) acting as their vahana (symbolic associative animal). All-in-all, the creature acts as a powerful emblem in Asian religion adorning Hindu sites and occasionally appearing in Buddhist imagery. As far as fertility icons go, an inspirational elephant with a fishy tail is unique and has a certain appeal; as does the idea that the love-dispensing deities of India ride the waves on the back of the marvellous aqueous entity. Here's to the Makara, the majestic manifestation of life, water and love in Hindu folklore.

Day XXXIX - Mucalinda

Beneath the snake's hood,

Sheltered from the epic storm,

Buddha meditates.

In Buddhist legend, the Mucalinda makes its appearance in the story of Prince Siddhartha's Enlightenment, providing protection for the Buddha from a seven-day rainstorm. The great serpent king - often represented as having seven heads - is said to have risen up from the Earth and shielded the meditating Buddha from the elements by wrapping his coils around the revered figure's form, using its immense hood to provide shelter from the storm. Because of such benevolent actions beneath the Bodhi tree, the supreme nāgā (snake-being) has been venerated and appreciated across a wide range of art and sculptural works across Asia. Massive respect is due for the hooded hero that is the Mucalinda, ensuring that really bad weather doesn't obscure the path to nirvana.

Day XIII - Churel

Poor impure woman,

Scary hair and backwards feet,

Ghost stuck in squalor.

Unlucky is the impoverished Indian woman who dies during a period of 'ritual impurity'. Hindu mythology has it that low-caste females unfortunate enough to pass away whilst giving birth or going through 'that time of the month' become Churel: saggy-breasted, bedraggled ghosts with backwards feet and no mouth. Doomed to hang around graveyards or squalid places until a successful exorcism is performed, Churel are also said to seek to capture young men, possibly to suck their blood. They've been condemned to a really crummy afterlife because of poor time-keeping, poverty and the simple fact that they are women. Surely death should not be so discriminatory.

Day VI - Karkadann

Lord of the desert,

Has a decorated horn,

Antisocial beast.

Reigning over the plains and desert lands of the Middle East, North Africa and India and looking totally ridiculous at the same time is the fearsome Karkadann. Translated from Persian as 'Lord of the Desert', it's described as a tetchy rhino-like beast who terrifies any intruders on its territory by charging at them with its massive horn, which is engraved with the likeness of a human head. Myths tell of them using the horn to hoist elephants and being an all-round brutal horror, but all it takes is the call of a ring dove to calm them. The Karkadann: scourge of the desert plains and priceless object of fantasy for antique dealers.