It has been said that India is impossible to sum up in words. It has a unique aura and mystery, a unity in diversity of cultures, faiths and spiritual viewpoints. There is no way to include everything in one album, and as India has the largest population of Hindus in the world, we occasionally reference some Hindu traditions.

India has inspired our music for many years. We have been involved in Indian classical, folk and fusion music for over half our lives and it has woven itself into our musical lexicon. Rather than portray India in music on this album, we thought of dwelling on how the spirit of India has affected us, sending us on our own journey, which continues 23 years on from when The Rain Garden began. In tracing our own journey, we created the musical journey on this album which we hope you will enjoy as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Jai Uttal, Oregon, Al Gromer Khan, Oregon, Paul Winter, Collin Walcott

recorded digitally Oblong Studios, Leicester

Nightfall in Odayam

• India is The Rain Garden's first album in 10 years andis their first duo CD release. 2 duo cassette albums were relased in the early 90s but they haven't been rereleased on CD.
  
  
• Nightfall in Odayam includes sounds recorded at night by a rice field in Odayam.

1. The Ganges – Om
The journey starts at the river Ganges, which Hindus regard as the holiest of rivers. It was named after the goddess Ganga, the daughter of the mountain god Himalaya. “Om” is a sacred syllable that is chanted in Hindu and Buddhist prayers and mantras and symbolises the whole universe coalesced into a single sound and represents the union of mind, body, and spirit.

Chris Conway – piano, keyboards, swarmandal, frame drums, temple bells, vocals, sound effects

Carl Peberdy - sitar

2. The Endless Path
This piece reflects the long and winding path in search of enlightenment – the path can take you up hills and down valleys, and onto high plateaus, but the path ahead is always there. A true spiritual journey never ends.

Chris Conway – low Irish whistle, acoustic & electric 9 string guitars, keyboards, vocals, percussion

Carl Peberdy – sitar, vocals, tabla

3. Soul Searching
This piece captures the feeling of the soul's search, which sometimes can be a lonely one. Then, often unexpectedly, one can find something – a connection, a community, a creative thought. The hypnotic repeated chanting (to the god Rama) is taken up by voices and rhythm, and the bamboo flute and voice rejoins energised by what it has found.

Chris Conway – bamboo flute, low whistle, keyboards, vocals, frame drums, percussion

Carl Peberdy – vocals, sitar

4. Unfolding Lotus
The lotus flower has been a divine symbol in Asian cultures from ancient times onwards and symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and enlightenment. Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul and the flowers beauty, growing untouched from out of the muddy water where it grows symbolizes the purity of heart and mind.

Chris Conway – piano, low Irish whistle, keyboards, acoustic & electric 9 string guitars, vocals, percussion

Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals

5 Mandala
A mandala is a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual importance in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Mandalas may be employed for focusing attention, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

Chris Conway – tin whistles, acoustic & electric 9 string guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals

Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals

6. The Aravalli Mountains
The Aravalli mountain range is located in western India running approximately 300 miles from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan state. Rajasthan is an area with a strong folk music and dancing tradition and this piece has been inspired by Rajasthani folk music, with the usual Rain Garden twists of course.

Chris Conway – tin whistle, keyboards, harmonium, samples, percussion

Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals, gopichand

7. Bhajale Sita Ram
The melody is taken from a traditional "Dhun", sung repeatedly for spiritual purification.

Chris Conway – bamboo flute, tin whistles, acoustic 9 string guitar, keyboards, percussion

Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, manjira, kartal

8. Nightfall in Odayam
This piece features a field recording made at night in Odayam in Kerala, South India amid coconut palms by a flooded rice field. Spotted owlets, crickets, frogs that sound like dripping water, and Indian flying foxes can be heard. Atmospheric music was added including some of The Rain Garden's more exotic instruments.

Chris Conway – piano, electric 9 string guitar, theremin, keyboards, sound effects

Carl Peberdy – sitar, bells, gopichand, rain stick, wind chimes

9. Govinda
The words of Govinda are taken from one of the best known Hindu bhajans. It is sung in praise of Krishna, and translates as “All glories to Lord Govinda! All glories to Lord Gopala!  All glories to Lord Sri Hari, the husband of Radharani.”

Chris Conway – low whistle, keyboards, electric 9 string guitar, theremin, effects, vocals, percussion

Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals, ghoongru

10. Return To The Ganges
We reach the end of the journey with a feeling of deep peace and contentment and, coming full circle, we return once more to the Ganges.

Chris Conway – low whistle, electric 9 string guitar, keyboards, sound effects

Carl Peberdy – sitar