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Songsarek Religion
Songsarek is the indigenous religion practiced by the Garo people of Meghalaya, India. Historically practiced by most of the tribe, only a minority of the tribe still follow it after many converted to Christianity. History Songsarek was followed by majority of the Garo people historically. By the spread of Christianity in the Garo hills in the second half of the nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century, the proportion of Songsarek population decreased. Etymology Anthropologist Erik de Maaker suggests that the word 'Songsarek' is connected to the Bengali language of the people residing in the plains adjacent to the Garo Hills. In Sanskrit, the word ''saà-sâra'' (from ''saà-sù'') means ‘to be in the world’, as opposed to renouncing it. The word has now become part of the Garo language, and people use it to refer to themselves as 'the ones who are obeying the deities.' Beliefs and festivals The Supreme God in Songsarek religion is the ''Tatara Rabuga'' ...
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Indigenous Religion
Indigenous religion or native religion is a category used in the study of religion to demarcate the religious belief systems of communities described as being " indigenous". This category is often juxtaposed against others such as the " world religions" and " new religious movements". The term is commonly applied to a range of different belief systems across the Americas, Australasia, Asia, Africa, and Northern Europe, particularly to those practiced by communities living under the impact of colonialism. The term "indigenous religions" is usually applied to the localised belief systems of small-scale societies. These belief systems do not typically engage in proselytization, thus distinguishing them from movements like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism that all seek converts and which are typically classified as "world religions". They are also often characterised as being distinct from the "world religions" because they are orally transmitted, intertwined with traditi ...
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Garo People
The Garo people are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group who live mostly in the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya, with a smaller number in neighbouring Bangladesh. They are the second-largest indigenous people in Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise about a third of the local population. They are also found in the Mymensingh Division including Jamalpur, Sherpur, and Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh. Ethnonyms Historically, the name Garo was used for a large number of different peoples living on the southern bank of Brahmaputra River, but now refers primarily to those who call themselves A∙chik Mande (literally " hill people," from ''A∙chik'' "bite soil" and ''mande'' "people") or simply A∙chik or Mande, with the name "Garo" is now being used by outsiders as an exonym.Official Homepage of Meghalaya State of Ind ...
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Meghalaya
Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills.History of Meghalaya State
Government of India
The estimated population of Meghalaya in 2014 was 3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,429 square kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1.Meghalaya
IBEF, India (2013)
The state is bound to the south by the Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh Division, Mymensingh and Sylhet Division, Sylhet, to the west by the Bangladeshi ...
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Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose coming as the Messiah#Christianity, messiah (Christ (title), Christ) was Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament, prophesied in the Old Testament and chronicled in the New Testament. It is the Major religious groups, world's largest and most widespread religion with over 2.3 billion followers, comprising around 28.8% of the world population. Its adherents, known as Christians, are estimated to make up a majority of the population in Christianity by country, 157 countries and territories. Christianity remains Christian culture, culturally diverse in its Western Christianity, Western and Eastern Christianity, Eastern branches, and doctrinally diverse concerning Justification (theology), justification and the natur ...
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Garo Hills
The Garo Hills (IPA: ˈgɑ:ro:) are part of the Garo-Khasi range in the Meghalaya state of India. They are inhabited by the Garo people. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion. Description The Garo Hills were a single district of British India. The region now comprises five districts namely East Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills. It has a total population of 1,103,542. Tura is the largest town with a population of about 74,858 located at the foothills of often cloud-covered Tura peak. The town is centrally located to other popular game and wildlife sanctuaries in the district such as the national parks of Balphakram and Nokrek, and several natural limestone caves (the Siju Cave is among the longest in Asia). These places are rich reserves of natural flora and fauna and a refuge for endangered animals. Society The society is matrilineal like ...
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Erik De Maaker
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* aina(z)'', meaning "one, alone, unique", ''as in the form'' ''Æ∆inrikr'' explicitly, but it could also be from ''* aiwa(z)'' "everlasting, eternity", as in the Gothic form ''Euric''. The second element ''- ríkr'' stems either from Proto-Germanic ''* ríks'' "king, ruler" (cf. Gothic ''reiks'') or the therefrom derived ''* ríkijaz'' "kingly, powerful, rich, prince"; from the common Proto-Indo-European root * h₃rḗǵs. The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, autocrat" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful". ''Eric'' used in the sense of a proper noun meaning "one ruler" may be the origin of ''Eriksgata'', and if so it would have meant "one ruler's journey". The tour was the medieval Swedish king's journey, when newly ele ...
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Bengali Language
Bengali, also known by its endonym and exonym, endonym Bangla (, , ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Iranian languages, Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is native to the Bengal region (Bangladesh, India's West Bengal and Tripura) of South Asia. With over 242 million native speakers and another 43 million as second language speakers as of 2025, Bengali is the List of languages by number of native speakers, sixth most spoken native language and the List of languages by total number of speakers, seventh most spoken language by the total number of speakers in the world. Bengali is the Official language, official, National language, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh, with 98% of Bangladeshis using Bengali as their first language. It is the second-most widely spoken scheduled languages of India, language in India. It is the official language of the Indian states of West ...
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Garo Language
Garo, also referred to by its endonym A·chikku, is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Northeast Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam, and Tripura. It is also spoken in certain areas of the neighbouring Bangladesh. According to the 2001 census, there are about 889,000 Garo speakers in India alone; another 130,000 are found in Bangladesh. Geographical distribution ''Ethnologue'' lists the following locations for Garo. * Garo Hills division, Meghalaya * Goalpara district, Kamrup district, Sivasagar, Karbi Anglong district, western Assam * Kohima district, Nagaland *Udaipur subdivision, South Tripura district, Tripura *Kamalpur and Kailasahar subdivisions, North Tripura district, Tripura *Sadar subdivision, West Tripura district, Tripura * Jalpaiguri district and Koch Bihar district, West Bengal *Mymensingh district, Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrokona, Gazipur, Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Dhaka, Gazipur, Bangladesh Linguistic affiliation Garo language bel ...
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Wagtail
Wagtails are a group of passerine birds that form the genus ''Motacilla'' in the family Motacillidae. The common name and genus name are derived from their characteristic tail pumping behaviour. Together with the pipits and longclaws they form the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus ''Dendronanthus'' which is closely related to ''Motacilla'' and sometimes included therein. The willie wagtail (''Rhipidura leucophrys'') of Australia is not a true wagtail; it was named as such by early settlers from England from its superficial similarity in colour and behaviour to the pied wagtail, but belongs to an unrelated genus of birds known as fantails. Taxonomy The genus ''Motacilla'' was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. The type species is the white wagtail. ''Motacilla'' is the Latin name for the pied wagtail; although actually a diminutive of ...
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Wangala Festival
Wangala is also called the festival of "The Hundred Drums", a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Assam in India and Greater Mymensingh in Bangladesh. In this post harvest festival, they give thanks to 'Misi Saljong', the sun god, for blessing the people with a rich harvest. Wangala is celebrated in the months from September to December, with different villages setting different dates for the occasion. History of modern Wangala The first Hundred Drums Wangala Festival was organized on 6 and 7 December 1976 at Asanang, near the Rongram C&RD Block Office, 18 km from Tura, India. Since then, it has been celebrated every year. The festival has grown so big as to include dance troupes from outside Garo Hills such as Bangladesh and Karbi Anglong, with a sizeable amount of prize money up for grabs awarded to the best performing dance troupe. The 100 Drums Festival is a state-sponsored event, attracting many local, national and inte ...
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Wangala
Wangala is also called the festival of "The Hundred Drums", a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Assam in India and Greater Mymensingh in Bangladesh. In this post harvest festival, they give thanks to 'Misi Saljong', the sun god, for blessing the people with a rich harvest. Wangala is celebrated in the months from September to December, with different villages setting different dates for the occasion. History of modern Wangala The first Hundred Drums Wangala Festival was organized on 6 and 7 December 1976 at Asanang, near the Rongram C&RD Block Office, 18 km from Tura, India. Since then, it has been celebrated every year. The festival has grown so big as to include dance troupes from outside Garo Hills such as Bangladesh and Karbi Anglong, with a sizeable amount of prize money up for grabs awarded to the best performing dance troupe. The 100 Drums Festival is a state-sponsored event, attracting many local, national and i ...
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Niamtre
Niamtre is the indigenous religion practiced by the Pnar people of Meghalaya, India. Beliefs Niamtre is centered on a belief in a supreme deity, ''U Tre Kirod'', considered to be the creator of all things. Rituals and Practices Central to Niamtre are rituals that honor ancestors and nature spirits. The Pnar people perform seasonal ceremonies to ensure a harmonious balance between humans and nature. These rituals are often conducted at sacred groves, known locally as 'Law Kyntang,' which are regarded as holy sites. Festivals One of the major festivals celebrated by Niamtre followers is the Behdienkhlam, a festival intended to drive away diseases and invoke a prosperous harvest season. In the festival, the deities ''U Mukhai, Mulong, Mooralong and Musniang'' are worshipping for good harvest. Another notable festival is Chad Suk Kara which marks the beginning of the sowing season. Nartiang Temple Followers of Niamtre have a longstanding connection with the Nartiang Dur ...
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