Religious gardens where the spirits of ancestors reside.
'Yes,' said Tebby, glancing again at the note which had just been passed to him. 'It seems they are a bit fierce, these Chalakanesian women. Tell me, President Heineman. What is a mirarilusistan?'
A mirarilusistan? This was a most unlikely question! It was - well, almost civilized! A question like that had no part in a mudpit brawl. Heineman became instantly suspicious. He did not pause, no, Nodo had trained him never to do that, but he launched into a prevarication phrase, a meaningless rhetorical device designed to give him time to think:
'I'm glad you've asked me that question, because it's a good question, and I'm perfectly happy to answer it.' [NoP Ch4]
'I can certainly tell you the nature of a mirarilusistan,' said Heineman. 'It's a Garden for the Dead. It's built to honor the ancestors. According to our religion, the ancestors actually dwell in the various mirarilusistans which you find scattered through Chalakanesia. The largest of these mirarilusistans is known as Paradise, and is found on the island of Zachalacharo.' [NoP Ch4]
The Gardeners are the priests of Chalakanesia, the functionaries who supervise the maintenance of the mirarilusistans, the Gardens of the Dead which are the focus of Chalakanesia's institutionalized ancestor-worship. The main Gardens of the Dead are on the island of Zachalacharo, but smaller mirarilusistans are to be found throughout Chalakanesia, as every household maintains its own garden-in-miniature. [WoH Ch2]