VASUS: in Vedic Hinduism, the eight attendants of Indra: means “excellent.”
VIBHUTI: white scared ash-powder worn by Sadhus in devotion to Siva.
WALLAH: “fellow”: a very common suffix, as in “chai-wallah” and “dhobi-wallah”
YAKSHAS: semidivine beings living under the Himalayas.
YALI: mythical leaping leonine beast.
YONI: the vagina as sacred source.
ZAMINDAR: Indian village landowner.
ZENANA: the women’s part of a traditional Muslim house.
Thanks to Ritu Parvaaz for Hindi assistante.
SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack to River of Gods features tracks from the following artists.
Talvin Singh, Thievery Corporation, A.R. Rahman, AmarBaaba Maal, Asian Dub Foundation, Autechre, Badmarsh and Sri, Bjork, Black Star Liner, The Blue Nile, Boards of Canada, The Chemical Brothers, Dead Can Dance, The Fake Portishead, Future Sound of London, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Goldfrapp, Jamyang, Joi, Jeff Buckley, Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham: original movie soundtrack, Nitin Sawhney, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rakesh Chaurasia, Sigur Ros, State of Bengal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian McDonald is the author of many science fiction novels, including Desolation Road, King of the Morning, Queen of the Day, Out on Blue Six, Chaga, and Kirinya. He has won the Philip K. Dick Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel, been nominated for a Hugo Award, and has several nominations for the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.