
The Garo people are a
Tibeto-Burman ethnic group
An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...
who live mostly in the
Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
n state of
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 an ...
, with a smaller number in neighbouring
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
. 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
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
.
Ethnonyms
Historically, the name Garo was used for a large number of different peoples living on the southern bank of
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...
, 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
An endonym (also known as autonym ) is a common, name for a group of people, individual person, geographical place, language, or dialect, meaning that it is used inside a particular group or linguistic community to identify or designate them ...
.
[Official Homepage of Meghalaya State of India](_blank)
Religion
Today, most Garos in India follow
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 ...
with a few practicing the traditional Garo animist religion,
Songsarek. The latter includes deities who must be appeased with rituals, ceremonies, and
animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of animals, usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favour with a deity. Animal sacrifices were common throughout Europe and the Ancient Near East until the spread of Chris ...
s to ensure the welfare of the tribe.
Ramke W. Momin was the first Christian Garo member and was born in
Goalpara district in the 1830s.
In Bangladesh, 56.02% of Garos consider themselves practitioners of Christianity, while of the remaining population, most are practitioners of Songsarek.
In India, a small percentage of the Garo population practices Buddhism, estimated at 0.40%.
The term "Dakbewal" is often used to describe Garo culture. In 2000, the group called "Risi Jilma" was founded to safeguard the ancient Garo Songsarek religion. Seeing the Songsarek population in decline, youth from the Dadenggiri subdivision of
Garo Hills felt the need to preserve the Songsarek culture. The Rishi Jilma group is active in about 480 villages in and around Garo Hills.
Geographical distribution

The Garo are mainly distributed over the
Garo Hills,
Khasi Hills
The Khasi Hills () are a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in the Meghalaya state of India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and connect with the Purvanchal Range and the larger Patkai Range further east. The ...
, Ri-Bhoi districts in
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 an ...
,
Kamrup,
Goalpara,
Sivasagar, and
Karbi Anglong districts of
Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
, in India. In Bangladesh, lesser numbers are found in
Tangail,
Jamalpur,
Sherpur,
Mymensingh,
Netrokona,
Sunamganj,
Sylhet
Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...
and
Gazipur with the highest concentration in
Haluaghat Upazila and
Dhobaura of
Mymensingh district,
Durgapur upazila and
Kalmakanda upazila of
Netrokona district,
Nalitabari upazila and
Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur and
Madhupur upazila of
Tangail district.
A majority of Garo village or locality names end with -''gre''. For example, Dakopgre, Cherangre, Goeragre, Simsanggre, etc. There are also names with the ending -'' para'', e.g. Salmanpara, Asipara, Marakapara, etc. ''Para'' is a corruption of -''bra'', which was the result of a census error. Similarly, the village name Asipara is a corruption of the historical place name Asibra. However, the village is listed in census and government records under the name Asipara. This replacement of original names can be seen as a threat to Garo's cultural identity.
It is estimated that the total Garo population in Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, West Bengal, Canada, the US, Europe, Australia, and Bangladesh combined is more than 1 million.
Garo is also found scattered in the Indian state of
Tripura
Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...
. The recorded Garo population was around 6,000 in 1971.
Garo form minority groups in
Cooch Behar,
Jalpaiguri,
Darjeeling
Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...
and
West Dinajpur of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, as well as in
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...
. The present generation of Garo forming minority groups in these states of India does not generally speak their ethnic language any longer.
Garo also forms small communities in various other parts of the world including Canada, America, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Language
The
Garo language belongs to the
Tibeto-Burman language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term ''family'' is a metaphor borrowed from biology, with the tree model used in historical linguistics ...
. Brief lists of Garo words were compiled by
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
officials in 1800, and Garo acquired a Latin-based writing system in the late 19th century. This system was devised by American Baptist missionaries, based on a northeastern dialect of Garo. A·beng or Am·beng, Matabeng, Atong, Me·gam, Matchi, Dual
atchi-Dual Ruga, Chibok, Chisak, Gara, Gan·ching
ara-Gan·ching A·we etc are few among the dialects of Garo people. The first translation of the Garo Bible was published in 1924 and the official language in schools and government offices is now
English.
Historical accounts

According to oral tradition, the Garo first migrated to the Garo Hills from
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
(referred to as Tibotgre) around 400 BC under the leadership of Jappa Jalimpa, Sukpa and Bongepa crossing the
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...
(Songdu Chibima) and tentatively settling in the river valley. The Garo finally settled down in Garo Hills (East-West Garo Hills), finding providence and security in this uncharted territory and claiming it as their own. Records of the tribe by expanding
Mughal armies and by East India Company officials in what is now Bangladesh wrote of the warlike nature of the people.
The earliest written records about the Garo date from around 1800, and were described by officials of the East India Company as follows: "... looked upon as bloodthirsty savages, who inhabited a tract of hills covered with almost impenetrable jungle, the climate of which was considered so deadly as to make it impossible for a white man to live there. The Garo had the reputation of being fierce headhunters, the social status of a man being decided by the number of heads he owned".
In December 1872, the Government of India dispatched a military expedition to the Garo Hills to establish control over the region. The campaign was conducted from three sides – south, east, and west. The Garo warriors (''matgriks'') confronted them at the Battle of Rongrenggre, equipped with spears, swords, and shields. Inevitably, the Garo were defeated in the battle, lacking the guns or mortars of the army.
By the early 1900s, the
American Baptist Mission was active in the area, working from
Tura, Meghalaya.
Two early histories of the Garo people were written by
deputy commissioner for Eastern Bengal and Assam Major A. Playfair, ''The Garos'' (1909), and by Sinha T.C., ''The Psyche of Garos'' (1955).
Culture and Society
The Garo are one of the few remaining
matrilineal
Matrilineality, at times called matriliny, is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which people identify with their matriline, their mother's lineage, and which can involve the inheritan ...
societies in the world, and Garo individuals take their clan titles from their mothers. Traditionally, the youngest daughter (''nokmechik'') inherits
property
Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, re ...
from her mother. Sons leave their parents' house at puberty and are trained in the village bachelor dormitory (''nokpante''). After getting married, the man lives in his wife's house.
In Garo tradition, the house where unmarried male youths live is called Nokpante. Traditionally, women were forbidden from entering the Nokpante, and any woman who broke this rule was considered tainted or "marang nangjok." However, this taboo is less common in the present day.
Despite the matrilineal nature of Garo society, it can not accurately be described as matriarchal. While the property is owned by women, the governing of society and domestic affairs and the management of the property is carried out by men.
While Garo people have traditional names, modern Garo culture has been greatly influenced by Christianity.
Ornaments

Both men and women enjoy adorning themselves with ornaments:
*'' Nadongbi'' or ''sisa'' – made of a brass ring worn in the lobe of the ear
*'' Nadirong'' – brass ring worn in the upper part of the ear
*'' Natapsi'' – the string of beads worn in the upper part of the ear
*'' Jaksan'' – bangles of different materials and sizes
*'' Ripok'' – necklaces made of long barrel-shaped beads of cornelian or red glass while some are made of brass or silver and are worn on special occasions
*'' Jaksil'' – elbow ring is worn by rich men on Gana ceremonies
The dresses of Meghalaya worn by the Garo tribe vary depending on the place of residence of the people. Women who belong to remote villages in the Garo hills wear an eking, a small cloth worn around the waist.
*'' Penta'' – a small piece of ivory struck into the upper part of the ear projecting upwards, parallel to the side of the head
*'' Seng·ki'' – waistband consisting of several rows of conch shells, worn by women
*'' Pilne'' – head ornament wore by women during dances
Clothing
The traditional dress of Garo Women is Dakmanda, Dakshari. But in the present day, jeans, Sari, T-shirts, and pajamas are also worn. By contrast, Garo men wear jeans, T-shirts, and shirts.
Marriage
In Garo society, marriage is traditionally arranged, with a strong emphasis on clan exogamy, meaning individuals marry outside their own clan. A distinctive practice among the Garo is "marriage by capture," known as "Chawarisikka," where the prospective groom is captured by the bride's family, symbolising the union. After marriage, the husband typically resides in his wife's household, reflecting the matrilineal nature of Garo society.
Weapons
One of the principal Garo weapons is a two-edged
sword
A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...
called ''mil·am'' made of a single piece of iron from hilt to point. There is a cross-bar between the hilt and the blade where a bunch of ox's tail hair is attached. Other types of weapons include
shield,
spear
A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
,
bow and arrow
The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elasticity (physics), elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the ...
,
axe,
dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...
, etc.
Cuisine
The staple Garo food is
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
. ''Kochu'' (
taro),
millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae.
Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...
,
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
, and
tapioca are important substitutes for rice in times when it becomes scarce. Other foods such as ''kochu'', dried fish, bamboo shoots, sorrell, sweet potato, pumpkin, gourd, and banana are also popular.
The Garo have traditionally used a kind of potash in curries, which is obtained by burning dry pieces of
plantain stems or young bamboo, known locally as ''kalchi'' or ''katchi''. After these stems are burnt, the ashes are collected and dipped in water; these ashes are then strained in conical shapes in a bamboo strainer. However,
cooking soda is more commonly used as a replacement for this 'ash water' by Garo nowadays.
Garo are known to ferment a special type of rice to create a liquor named "Minil Bichi". This 'country liquor' plays an important role in the life of the Garo.
The sacred drink of the Garos is Chu. Garo children are given it to drink at birth, and visiting guests are traditionally offered it as well.
Festivals
Most Garo festivals are based on the agricultural cycle of crops. The harvesting festival ''
Wangala'' is the biggest celebration of the tribe happening in the month of October or November every year. It is the thanksgiving after harvest in honour of the god ''Saljong'', provider of nature's bounties.
Other festivals include ''Gal·mak Goa'', ''Agalmaka'', etc.
Asanang Wangala
The '100-drum festival' is held in Asanang near
Tura in the
West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India usually in October or November. Thousands of people, especially young people, gather at Asanang and celebrate Wangala. Garo girls known as ''nomil'' and boys ''(pante'') take part in 'Wangala' festivals. The ''pantes'' beat a kind of long drum called ''dama'' in groups and play bamboo flutes. The nominals with colourful costumes dance to the tune of ''dama'' and folk songs in a circle.
Dhaka Wangala
The Wangala festival is held by Garo in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
every year, usually in November or December. It is estimated that 30,000 Garo are living in Dhaka, and this festival is one way that they can be seen to preserve Garo Culture and traditions. For the Wangala festival, Garo travels from every corner of the city to the Lalmatia Housing Society ground to gather and celebrate. Approximately 10,000 people attend the celebration. It is a vibrantly colourful rally with traditional dress, and drum performances. Speeches from special guests are also a highlight of the festival. The AMUA for Misi Saljon takes place by the original Kamal from villages. Display stalls are arranged with traditional food, dresses, and other materials. There is also amSouvenir publication from the Nokma Parishad where the Prime Minister's Message is included. It is a festival of great significance for the Garo in Dhaka.
Christmas
Though Christmas is a religious celebration, December is a great season of celebration in Garo Hills. In the first week of December, the town of
Tura and all other smaller towns are illuminated with lights. This celebration features worship, dance, merry-making, grand feasts, and social visits goes on till 10 January. People from all religions and sections take part in the Christmas celebration. In December 2003 the tallest Christmas tree in the world was erected at Dobasipara, Tura by the Baptist boys of Dobasipara. Its height was 119.3 feet, covered by BBC and widely broadcast on television. The tree was decorated with 16,319 coloured light bulbs; it took about 14 days to complete the decoration.
Ahaia Winter Festival
The annual festival, conceptualised in 2008, is aimed to promote and brand this part of the region as a popular tourist destination by giving an opportunity for the local people to showcase their skills and expertise. The three-day fest features a gala event with a carnival, cultural show, food festival, rock concert, wine festival, angling competition, ethnic wear competition, children's fancy dress, DJ Nite, exhibitions, house, and other games. The entry forms for carnival and other events are available at the Tourist Office,
Tura.
Simsang Festival
It was first started in 2006 in Williamnagar, Meghalaya. Simsang festival was known as the Winter festival before and it promotes the talents of the local people. It also promotes the local bands and the exhibition of handcrafts made by local people. It also promotes the indigenous games of Garo.
Notable Garo people
India
*
Gilbertson Sangma, India international footballer.
*
Agatha Sangma
Agatha Kongkal Sangma (born 24 July 1980) is an Indian politician. A former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha representing the Tura Lok Sabha constituency, Tura constituency of Meghalaya. At the age of 29, she is the youngest member of parliament ...
, politician.
*
Conrad K Sangma, politician.
*
Numal Momin, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly since 2021.
*
James Pangsang K Sangma, politician.
*
Martin Danggo Marak, politician.
*
Mukul M. Sangma, politician.
*
Purno A. Sangma, politician.
*
Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma, freedom fighter.
*
Ramke W. Momin, educationist and philosopher.
*
S. C. Marak, politician.
*
Sanford Marak, politician.
*
Timothy D Shira, politician.
*
Williamson A. Sangma
Williamson Ampang Sangma (18 October 1919 – 25 October 1990) was a Garo people, Garo leader from India and the first Chief Minister of Meghalaya. He was also the Governor of Mizoram from July 1989 to February 1990.
Williamson was a statesman, ...
, politician.
*
Saleng A. Sangma, politician
Bangladesh
*
Jewel Areng, politician.
*
Debinash Sangma, Pakistan international footballer.
*
Maria Manda, Bangladesh women's international footballer.
*
Promode Mankin, politician.
*
Sheuli Azim, Bangladesh women's international footballer.
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*"Two new Mymensingh MPs take oath". The Independent. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
*"Awami League's Jewel Areng, Nazim Uddin win Mymensingh constituencies in by-elections". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
*"Mymensingh, a tribal Catholic elected to Parliament". asianews. it. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
*"AL nominates Jewel, Nazim for M'singh by-polls". banglanews24.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
*
*Times (2016-11-01). "Garo Icon Ramke W Momin's grave to be memorialized". Meghalaya Times. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
*Sangma, MS (15 October 2019). "Ramke W Momin A search for truth" (PDF). NEHU.
* "Congress outsmarted in Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma to be sworn on March 6". The Hindu. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
External links
Official site of Meghalaya State of IndiaA Garo, Mande Adivasi: Dance Performance Art in Bangladesh*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20131013132811/http://southgarohills.nic.in/Home/Profile/Culture.html South Garo Hills District official website - People and Culture Ethnologue entry for Garo* http://westgarohills.gov.in/culture.html
Still The Children Are Here (brief documentary of a Garo neighbourhood in Sadolpara, interior Garo Hills)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garo people
Ethnic groups in Northeast India
Bodo-Kachari
Headhunting
Tribes of Meghalaya
Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya
Scheduled Tribes of Assam
Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram
Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland
Ethnic groups in Bangladesh
Ethnic groups in South Asia
Tribes of India