Rashid's Blog: A Place for Inquisitive Souls

Bhils are the largest tribe in South Asia ( about 13.000.000 people). They live in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and also in Pakistan. There was a time when they were known as fine archers hence their name ( vil = bow). Indeed, Bhil bowmen are mentioned in both the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the two great epics of India. In the mediaeval times, they were highly regarded as warriors, and the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan relied heavily on them to thwart their enemies… and later the invading Mughals and Marathas. Some scholars even suggest that the Rajputs owe their warrior propensities to their exposure to the Bhil, whom they emulated. The British formed a corps in the 1820s in recognition of the Bhils’ martial tradition.

Although originally food gatherers, they have now taken up small-scale agriculture. They are very poor. To make ends meet, many have become…

January 17, 2013– HAWAII – The orange glow atop Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea was a little stronger yesterday (Jan. 15) than it has been in recent weeks. The volcano’s lava lake lapped over the inner ledge of its vent, reaching a new high and bring molten rock closer than ever to the floor of Halema’uma’u crater. The level was about 80 feet (25 meters) below the crater floor, the highest level reached since the summit vent blasted open in March 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The lava lake last surged on Oct. 23, 2012, when the high mark was measured at 100 feet (31 m) below the crater floor. Since fresh lava appeared atop Kilauea in 2008, the lake level has varied from near the crater to out of sight, more than 650 feet (200 m) beneath the crater floor. The lake sits in a vent, which is actually…