In the mythology and folklore of India, yakshas are semi-divine beings, servants to Kubera, the god of wealth. They help to guard Kubera’s treasures, and are often found in woods and forests. Yakshas and yakshinis are usually benign and if pleased, very helpful to humans. They are often called punya-jana, ‘good people’.

In Kalidasa’s great poem, Meghaduta (‘cloud-messenger’) tells the story of a yaksha who, banished for a year, asks a cloud to carry a message to his beloved wife.