The Garo people, are a Tibeto-Burmeseethnic group inhabiting predominantly in Northeast Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland, and in some neighbouring areas of Bangladesh, including Madhupur, Mymensingh, Haluaghat, Dhobaura, Durgapur, Kolmakanda, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Jhinaigati, Nalitabari, Gazini HillsMadhyanagar, Bakshiganj and Sribardi. Historically, the name Garo was used for wide range of inhabitant in southern bank of Brahmaputra but now refers to those who call themselves A•chik Mande (literally “hill people,” from A•chik “bite soil” + mande “people”) or simply A•chik or Mande and the name “Garo” is now being used by outsiders as an exonym. They are the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise about a third of the local population. The religion of the ancestors of the Garo is Songsarek. Their tradition “Dakbewal” relates to their most prominent cultural activities. 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.
The Garos are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group in Meghalaya also known as the A·chik Mande (literally hill people) or simply A·chik or Mande. A large part of the Garo community follow Christianity, with some rural pockets following traditional animist religion known as Songsarek and its practices. The Garo language belongs to the Bodo–Garo languages branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family. It is believed that the written language was lost in its transit to the present Garo Hills. Garo language/script was written on the skins of cows and while on the way their ancestors faced famines so they cooked them, thus written language/script was lost. A·beng or Am·beng, Matabeng, Atong, Me·gam, Matchi, Dual [Matchi-Dual], Ruga, Chibok, Chisak, Gara, Gan·ching [Gara-Gan·ching], A·we etc are few among the dialects of Garo people. According to one oral tradition, the Garos first immigrated to Garo Hills from Tibet(referred to as Tibotgre) around 400 BC under the leadership of Jappa Jalimpa, Sukpa and Bongepa crossing the Brahmaputra River and tentatively settling in the river valley.
Garo Tribes prefer to be called “A’chik” or “Mande”. The Garos regard themselves as the descendants of a common ancestress, but scholars believe that Garos came from Tibet. The Garos are of the Mongoloid stock. By nature, the Garos are cheerful, peace loving and hospitable. Food, music and dance are the integral part of their lifestyle. Garo tribes are located mainly in Meghalaya, Nagaland and districts of Assam like Karbi Anglong, Goalpara and Kamrup. They are also scattered in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Bardhaman and Dinajpur districts of West Bengal. As per their earlier history, the Garos came to Meghalaya before 400 years from Tibet. They settled in the Valley of Brahmaputra River. The main language spoken by these tribes is Garo, also known as ‘Garrow’ and ‘Mande’. The Garo language belongs to the Bodo branch of the Bodo–Naga-Kachin family of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. As the Garo language is not traditionally written down, customs, traditions, and beliefs are handed down orally. It is also believed that the written language was lost in its transit to the present Garo Hills. The Garo language has several divisions that are used among the Garos residing in each corner of India and abroad. The sub groups of Garo languages are known as Chibok, Megam, Matabeng, Ruga, Achik, Ganching, Abeng, Atong, Dual, Matchi and Gara. The Garo language has some resemblance with languages like Rava, Kok-Borok, Boro-Kachari and Dimasa.
Basically Garos are one of the immigrant tribes in Tripura. Their original home land was at Meghalaya (Garo Hills), Kamrup, Goalpara etc. places of Assam and Mymansing of Bangladesh. Migration of this tribe took place during the 1 st half of 19 th century. Their major migration took place after 1950. As per 2011 Census their population is 12,952 in Tripura. Their major concentration are at Udaipur Sub-Division and Sadar Sub-Division of Tripura. Ethnically Garos are a tribe of Tibeto-Burman linguistic family under Mongoloid racial stock. They are very much familiar with the tribes like Bodo-Cacharies, Ravas, Karbi and other North-East tribes. Wangala festival of the Garos has great importance in their life. When new crop is harvested the whole community celebrates this Wangala Festival with colourful dance, songs and music. The long hand drum and other traditional musical instruments of Garos are really praiseworthy and tune of these instruments are so melodious that these create an eternal feeling in mind. Garos have their traditional social council. The village chief is empowered to look after the social taboos and customs. He settles all sorts of social disputes among the community members.
Garo is a hilly tribe of North-eastern India with a tradition of ‘shifting hill cultivation’. The Garo form one of the important matrilineal tribe inhabiting north-eastern region of India, mainly found in Meghalaya state. They are also found in Kamrup, Goalpara and Khasi hill regions of Assam, Mymensingh district of Bangladesh and in Jalpaiguri, Cooch-Behar districts of West Bengal. The Garo are divided into two sections: The Hill Garo and the Rain Garo. According Mayfair, their original home was in Tibet from where they migrated to India Under the leadership of ‘Garu’. Their group name had been probably derived from the name it their leader cum guide. They represent Mongoloid racial stock. They speak a language belonging to Tibeto-Chinese family of languages. The Garo are, at present, mainly concerned with agriculture. They practice both permanent and ‘shifting hill cultivation’ which is known in the local term jhum. The Plain Garo, however, practice permanent wet cultivation in the same field, owned by them, every year. Artificial irrigation and manuring are known to them. They mainly cultivate paddy (summer variety). Maize, potato, tobacco are their cash-crops every year. They also grow various types of vegetables which also give them to earn ready cash.
Garos of Meghalaya can mainly be traced in the Garo hills. The tribe has derived its name from the residents of the southern hills who were also known as Garos. Some people of Garo tribes are also residing in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh. The people of this tribe call themselves Achik-mande which means ‘people of the hills’. Garos originally belong to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burmar race which is believed to have come from Tibet. Till date they reflect the original tradition of Tibet through their lifestyle. The main food of Garos is rice with capsicum, onion and salt. They take this food three times a day. They also enjoy the non vegetarian food which comprises of animal meat. Garos in Meghalaya love drinking and hence they drink everyday. They do not drink distilled alcohol rather their liquor is made by imbuing food grains. Clothes play an important role in reflecting the culture and tradition of a tribe. Among the Garos, men who live in the village wear a turban along with their clothes. While the women wear a cloth around their waist and a blouse. But during festivals, both men and women wear bangles, jewellery and head-dresses which are designed with beads stuck on feathers of hornbill. The educated Garos at Meghalaya in the urban areas wear modern clothes.
The Garos, also known as Achiks, are Meghalaya’s second-largest tribe. They are the dominant tribe and occupy most of the current Ampati Civil Sub-Division. This tribal culinary fare has evolved significantly throughout the years. Rice remains a staple dish, but they consume millet, maize, tapioca, and other grains and have a fairly diverse diet. The Garos raise goats, pigs, fowl, ducks, and other animals for consumption. Meat is still an essential part of the tribe’s diet as hunters, although the days of sport hunting, elephants and even tigers are passed. As a result, their meals now primarily consist of chicken, pork, and fish. Their diet also includes fish, crabs, eels, and dry fish. Their jhum fields and forests supply a variety of veggies and roots for their cuisine. Bamboo shoots are considered a delicacy. The indigenous cuisine counts medicinal plants as an integral part. These herbs are added to dishes to help treat diseases such as headaches and high blood pressure. Kalchi, for example, is a common element in local cooking. It’s a natural alkali made from banana or cotton ash commonly used in recipes like do’o kappa, a famous chicken sauce. These meaty recipes are sometimes served with green beans or eggplant on the side and minil, sticky rice steamed in banana leaves.
The Garo tribe has been growing tea for hundreds of years on the land where their ancestors lived in the northeast of India. They have a deep understanding of the local ecosystems and a superlative respect that drives everything they do. Preservation of the natural environment is their primary objective. Their traditional agricultural knowledge and practices revolve around sustainable farming methods, organic fertilizers, and preserving biodiversity. This knowledge has been pivotal in ensuring the quality of tea but also safeguarding the delicate ecosystem in which the tea is grown. As the tea industry faces more environmental and social problems, sustainability has become an important part of how tea is made today. Tea production has been linked to the destruction of forests, habitats, and soil, which has led to a loss of biodiversity and bad effects on local communities. As a result, there is a growing awareness of and demand for sustainable tea production practices that prioritize environmental conservation, social welfare, and economic sustainability. The Garo Tribe’s traditional practices align closely with the principles of sustainable tea production. Their deep-rooted respect for nature prioritizes the preservation of their ancestral lands. They also practice agroforestry by planting trees that give birds and insects a place to live and shade. This helps to increase biodiversity. The Garo Tribe’s approach to making tea in a sustainable way protects not only their cultural heritage but also the environment and the well-being of the communities around them.
The Garos still cling to their age-old unique culture and lifestyle amidst the nature sustaining continuous aggression from the ethnic majorities in the mid-northern region of Bangladesh bordering the Garo hills of India. From the anthropological point of view, the Garos began to live at Durgapur, Haluaghat, Sherpur and Madhupur region in greater Mymensingh of Bangladesh originally from Yang Si Kiang and Hoang Ho basin of China via Assam, Meghalaya, and Coach Bihar of India. They would like to introduce themselves in their language as Mandi, the daughter of nature. They worship nature and its objects. Their supreme God is ‘Tatra Rabusa’ who is also called as ‘Debbe’ or ‘Meraded’ or even called as ‘Daggika’, the creator of river port. Susimé, the goddess of Moon who they believe can cure blindness. They believe ‘Nor’ and ‘Mandé’ as their ancestral parents of the tribe. They use to name their children after ‘Mahari’ in the matriarchal and after ‘Manguri’ in the patriarchal families. Now most of the Garo families are following patriarchal system leaving the unique supremacy of mother in families. Usually the Garo wear traditional Gani, Gando, Bikmachu, Rikmach; but most of the others wear sari, blouse, chemise, trousers, shirt, pant, Lungi, shoes etc. Now-a-days most of them, as many as 95 percent of them, are Christened for which they enjoy economic and other social benefits despite the loss of their ancestral religion. Among 300 primary and 15 high schools operated by the Christian missionaries most of the students are Garo Christians.
An ethnic group believed to have originated from Tibet, the Garos migrated to the Garo hills as early as in 400 BC. The earliest recorded history of the Garo tribe dates back to 1800. While they originally settled in Meghalaya and the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, they also migrated to Assam during the British rule. They are, in fact, the second largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasis and comprise a large part of the population. In the Garo world, children take their clan titles from their mother and the daughters are entitled to inherit the ancestral property. The boys generally leave home after adulthood and live in the lady’s house after marriage. The traditional dress of both men and women is colourful and they adorn themselves with elaborate jewellery, which includes chunky necklaces made from the elongated beads of cornelian or red glass called ripok, earrings made from silver, waist bands made from conch shells and headgear made from feathers called pilne. The headgear is worn by women during festive dances. They used weapons like spears, swords, bows and arrows, which were all useful during hunting.
The Garos, who call themselves A·chiks, are the second largest tribe in Meghalaya. As such they are the dominant tribe and inhabit the greater parts of the present Ampati Civil Sub-Division.
The Garos have a strong tradition that they have come from Tibet. According to their legend, the ancestors of Garo inhabited a province of Tibet named Torus, where without any apparent reason they started on a voyage of discovery under the leadership of two chiefs Jappa-Jalima and Sukpa-Bongipa. The Garos during medieval period earned notoriety because of the numerous raids they periodically made into the plains at the foot of the hills in the district of Goalpara and Mymensing. From time to time they would rally from the mountains recess to attack villages in the plains, murdering, plundering and burning down everything before swiftly retreating to the jungle, leaving behind only the headless corpses of men and women. On their return the whole village would gather round the captured heads and there would be feasting with the chanting of songs of triumph. With the passage of time in the medieval period, while the Garos in the Hills were divided into a number of petty Nokmaships the plain tracts along the fringes at the foot of the Hills came to be included in the many Zamindari Estates.The basic causes of these conflicts were often the high handed conduct of the sub-ordinate revenue officials who levied oppressive house taxes upon tributary Garos or extorted exorbitant tolls from the mountaineers who brought their goods mainly cotton to the frontier market for trade and barter. These arbitrary acts were a constant source of irritation to the Garos, who when provoked beyond endurance would send out raiding parties to burn and pillage the border settlements. These raids in turn led to retaliatory expeditions being mounted against Garos.
The Garos (Man– de) also possess the institution of youth dormitory known Nokpante / Nok-Phanti that literally means house of bachelor. This institution is constructed in one of the corner or centre of the central open area around a Garo habitation where the bachelors live, a stranger is accommodated and meetings of the village elders take place. As reported by Playfair (1975) the Nokpante, “often of great size and are on much higher platforms than the other houses”, was prevalent in every village. It is a big house constructed in a convenient place of the village, on bamboo platform with a fireplace in the middle of the platform. A ladder made through cutting steps in a huge log, along with a cane support (redokra) is used to climb the platform. On the top end of the log, the heads of a man and woman, turned away from each other, are carved. Almost all the Garo villages have their own Nokpantes. The unmarried youths sleep together in the Nokpante at night. Nokpantes are very big houses built of bamboo, wood, thatches and cane. A Nokpante is sometimes 20 feet high and 80 to 90 feet long; it is decently built on bamboo machang and its walls are also neatly woven. Almost half the length of the house is kept open while the other half is enclosed with bamboo mats of sufficiently polished works. Two doors are kept, one in the front and other in the back side of it. The bamboo machang is six to ten feet from the ground and a ladder helps one to ascend the Nokpante. Along the ladder a big and unusually long cane stalk is hung from the roofs of the house and it is used as support while ascending it. The ladder is nothing but a big log of wood with steps cut on it. The Nokpante are really big village halls.
Indigenous Peoples Literature 
