Word: kaladev
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...some 4,000,000 Bhils scattered through the arid lands of west and central India, and they are poor, even for India. A wife, a cow and a plow are enough to make a Bhil a rich man. The Bhil's special god in the Hindu pantheon is Kaladev, "the Black God." While enlightened on the subject of caste ("There is only one caste which embraces all mankind"), the god Kaladev has long blessed the Bhil custom of concealing their women under heavy sacklike cloaks that cover their heads completely. Tantia decided to liberate them...
...colored lengths of cloth that northwest India's women wear over their heads-when they can afford them. Many women wear them only on their wedding day, then carefully put them away for future generations. Every Bhil woman would get one, announced Tantia, if she would swear by Kaladev that she would never hide her face again...
Tantia held his breath as the village headmen rose and approached; he was relieved when they thanked him. The Black God, Kaladev, did not seem to object either. Last week Tantia was busy with a project to bring water to the desert people. But after that, he had another urgent job to do-shopping for more odhnis...
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