Garo people

See also Garo for other uses.

The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya, India and neighboring areas of Bangladesh, who call themselves A·chik Mande (literally "hill people," from a·chik "hill" + mande "people") or simply A·chik or Mande. They are the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise about a third of the local population.

Religion

Garos are mainly Christians although there are some rural pockets where the traditional animist religion and traditions are still followed.

The Garo Tribal Religion : Beliefs and Practices

The book deals with the origin and migration of the Garos consisting of different tribal groups settled in Garos hill, their ancient animestic religious belifs and practices, numerous deities, which control their life and must be appeased with rituals, ceremonies and animal sacrificies to ensure welfare of the tribe.

Geographical distribution

The Garos are mainly distributed over the Kamrup, Goalpara and Karbi Anglong Districts of Assam, Garo Hills in Meghalaya, and substantial numbers, about 200,000 are found in greater Mymensingh (Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpore, Netrakona) and Gazipur, Rangpur, Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulovibazar district of Bangladesh. It is estimated that total Garo population in India and Bangladesh together were about 2 million in 2001.

There are also Garo in the state of Tripura. They numbered around 6,000 in 1971.Gan-Chaudhuri, Jagadis. Tripura:......
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