About Rakshasa

Since more than one person has asked the name Rakshasa we decided to give an explanation of what the name means, where it comes from, and why we used it for our web site.

Hinduism

The term Rakshasa comes from Hindu mythology where the Rakshasas are demons that have magical and shape shifting abilities. In appearance, they are described as green, yellow, or blue. They have large stomachs and poisonous fingernails that can kill humans.

The Rakshasas feed on human flesh or contaminated food, and they tend to live in cemetaries. Being demons, they can cause illness and sickness, and they are also the cause of much mischief.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Our first exposure to the term Rakshasa did not come from Hindu mythology however. Instead, it came from an episode on a television show during the 1970's. The series was Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and it starred Darren McGavin as investigative reporter Carl Kolchak.

Every week, Carl Kolchak would track down a variety of creatures ranging from vampires, werewolves, zombies, spirits, and even robots and space space aliens. There was even an episode where he tracks down and kills a Rakshasa.

The episode was called HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS which was set in Chicago's Heights district. In this episode, Kolchak traces a series of killings to a Rakshasa that entrances it's victims by appearing as the person they trust the most. Kolchack meets an elderly Rakshasa hunter who provides him with a crossbow and arrows blessed by a priest of Brahma. In the end, Kolchak has to shoot the person he trusts the most, hoping that it is the Rakshasa in disguise.

Many people consider the Night Stalker series to be one of the best horror shows out there. It influenced Chris Carter of X-Files fame among many others, and it scared the hell out of us as kids. When we were looking for a domain to register for this website, we found that rakshasa.org was available, and we quickly grabbed it up.

So there you have it. We hope this answered your questions. If not, you can always send us email.