The magician's assistant is named Maya. Maya is a Sanskrit word meaning "the supernatural power wielded by gods and demons to produce illusions".
For this, Joseph LoDuca was nominated in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 1999.
While the River Ganges is sacred (water being a sign of life), and bathing in it is something of a pilgrimage, it is also the second most polluted river in the world.