Culture & Heritage

The Khasi people in Meghalaya, India carefully guide the aerial roots of rubber trees ( Ficus elastica) to cross rivers and form bridges. This involves creating supports and frameworks for the roots to grow along, eventually creating a living, self-repairing bridge.

While other cultures may have used living structures for temporary or less substantial purposes, the Khasi's practice of creating long, strong, and permanent bridges using living roots is unique and impressive.

This practice highlights the Khasi's deep connection to nature and their intimate knowledge of the local environment. It also showcases their ingenuity and ability to adapt to their surroundings, creating sustainable infrastructure without modern tools or materials.

The Khasi people, like many indigenous groups, have faced marginalization due to historical and political factors. Their unique traditions, like the living root bridges, are a testament to their resilience and cultural richness in the face of these challenges.

This practice…

Hello" has only been used since the late 1820s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first published use of hello was in 1827. However, at that time it was not used mainly as a greeting; instead hello was used either to to show surprise (eg - Hello, what happened to that house?) or get someone's attention (eg - Hello, what are you doing?).

Though the exact origins of hello are not clear, this usage might originate from the fact that hello probably developed from words in Old High German - hallo and hollo, which mean “to fetch" and shouted during a hunt when prey was spotted and French - holla or hola, which mean “whoa there!"). Some also believe that hello came from the word "hullo", which was a British word used to express surprise,greet a person or to draw attention. Bill Bryson (the author) believes that hello came from the…