Important Tribes of Assam – Culture, Traditions, Rituals & Costumes ,APSC

📘 Detailed Report: Important Tribes of Assam – Culture, Traditions, Rituals & Costumes relevant for APSC 

🟢 1. Bodo Tribe

 Location: Bodoland Territorial Region (Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri) 
 Language: Bodo (from the Tibeto-Burman family) 
🪔 Culture & Traditions: Agrarian community practicing rice and jute cultivation. Renowned for handloom weaving, bamboo crafts, and traditional folk music. Strong oral tradition in folklore, myths, and songs.
🔮 Rituals: Worship of Bathou (Sijou plant) representing the supreme deity. 

Kherai Puja—major religious ceremony involving prayer, music, and dance led by a Doudini (priestess). Nature worship and animistic practices are common.
👘 Costume:

Women: Dokhona (wrap-around cloth), Jwmgra (scarf), handwoven in bright motifs. Men: Gamsha (loincloth), often paired with jackets during ceremonies.

 🔵 2. Mising Tribe

 Location: Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Majuli, Jorhat

 Language: Mising (Tani branch, Tibeto-Burman) 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Live in stilt houses (Chang Ghar) near riverbanks due to annual floods. Skilled in handloom weaving and natural dyeing. Primarily agriculturalists—grow rice, mustard, and vegetables. 

 🔮 Rituals: Follow Donyi-Poloism (Sun-Moon worship). Rituals led by Mibu (priest) include Dobur Uie (communal rituals) and Yalang Aran (ancestor worship). Use of rice beer (Apong) is essential in rituals. 

 👘 Costume:

 Women: Yakan Age-Gasar(Mekhala Chador), Erpob ( a muflar or a shawl) 

Men: Wear Mibu Galuk (shirt) and wrap with Yakan (shawl) and Ugan (Dhoti).

 🟠 3. Karbi Tribe

 Location: Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong 
 Language: Karbi (Tibeto-Burman) 
 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Community-based living with clans (Kur) system. Engage in jhum (shifting) cultivation, horticulture, and weaving. Oral tradition rich in ballads and mythical tales. 
 🔮 Rituals: Practice animism, worship ancestors and nature spirits. Rongker—a communal ritual to invoke protection and prosperity.  Chomangkan—elaborate death ritual involving days of singing and feasting. 
 👘 Costume:

 Women: Pini (black skirt), Vamkok (sash), Pekok (blouse).

 Men: Choi (shirt), Poho (turban) and Sator(dhoti)

 🟡 4. Dimasa Tribe

 Location: Dima Hasao, Cachar 

 Language: Dimasa 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Organized into Sengphong ( Men clans) and Julu or Jadi (female clans). Engage in jhum and terrace farming. Reverence for nature spirits and the mother goddess (Ranachandi). 

 🔮 Rituals: Bushu Dima—a harvest festival with ritual offerings. Worship of deities like Madai . Use of animal sacrifice and sacred rice wine (judima) in ceremonies. 

 👘 Costume:

 Women: Rigu (Mekhala), Rikhaosa (wrap), often woven with plant motifs. 

 Men: Risha(loincloth) around the waist and Rigdo(headscarf)

 🟣 5. Rabha Tribe 

Location: Kamrup, Goalpara, Darrang 

 Language: Rabha (Tibeto-Burman) 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Divided into sub-groups: Pati, Taw, and Maitori Rabhas with variations in culture. Agriculture and forest-based economy. Strong tradition of folklore, dance, and music. 

 🔮 Rituals: Baikho Puja—to ensure good harvests and protect from evil spirits. Priests known as Ojhas or Baidyas conduct spiritual healing and rituals. 

Langa Puja: Worship Lord Shiva and perform this Puja before agricutural season to protect against calamities.

 👘 Costume:

Women: Koum Kontong( a hand woven skirt or mekhela) , Kambang( garment worn over upper body) and Labok(a thin belt around the waist)

 Men: Pajal(dhoti) , Buksil( waist coat) , Khopon(turban) Pajar(scarf)

 🟤 6. Tiwa Tribe 

Location: Morigaon, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong

 Language: Tiwa 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Two groups—Hill Tiwas (matrilineal) and Plains Tiwas (patrilineal). Agrarian, forest-based economy and skilled artisans. Practice barter trade during fairs. 

 🔮 Rituals:

 Wansuwa—ancestor worship performed by village priest (Loro). Jonbeel Mela—annual fair involving ritual fish catching and bartering. 

Langkhan Puja: conducted to appease the spirits of nature and seek blessings for favourable weather and agriculture productivity.

 👘 Costume:

 Women: Mekhela Sador( a two piece dress),Riha(waist cloth),Kasong( a decorative belt) Paskai(a chest cloth)

 Men: Thena(dhoti), Phaga(turban) 

 🟥 7. Deori Tribe 

Location: Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur 

 Language: Deori 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: One of the four priestly tribes of Assam. Have a council system and spiritual lineage. Expert in weaving and bamboo artifacts. 

Deodhani Dance: Dedicated to Goddess Manasa

 🔮 Rituals: Bisu Utsav (Bohagiyo Bishu)—celebrated with dance, prayer, and feasts. Priests (Daibagya) perform rituals involving chanting and sacrifices.

 👘 Costume: 

Women: Ujaduba Igoon( kind of skirt) along with a sheet called Jokachhiba(waist), Tegihra(a traditional outfit sheet) and A Gamusha(head) called Gathiki.

 Men: Ikhoon( loin cloth)

 🟫 8. Sonowal Kachari Tribe 

Location: Dibrugarh, Tinsukia 

 Language: Assamese and Kachari dialects 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Historically known for gold panning in riverbeds. Follow Vaishnavite traditions now but retain many tribal customs. Organized in village councils (Mel). 

 🔮 Rituals: Celebrate Bishuba Sankranti, Naam-Prasanga (devotional singing). Offer prayers to local deities and river spirits. 

Khring Khring Baithow Puja: To mark the beginning of the agricultural season and honour their traditional deity Baitho

 👘 Costume: 

Women: Wear mekhela-chador with traditional Kachari motifs. 

 Men: Seleng Chadar(Dhoti) and Gutung Sula (shirt)

 🟨 9. Adivasi/Tea Tribes

 Includes: Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Kharia, Ho, etc. 

 Location: Tea garden regions of Upper Assam 

 🪔 Culture & Traditions: Originally from Jharkhand/Chhattisgarh brought during colonial rule. Known for their Jhumur dance, community songs, and strong oral tradition. Mostly Christians, but traditional festivals still observed. 

 🔮 Rituals: Karam Puja, Sarhul, and Bandna—worship of nature, fertility, and cattle. Use of symbolic trees and earth elements in prayer rituals. 

 👘 Costume:

 Women: Vibrant sarees or Panchi-Parhan with beaded jewelry. 

 Men: Simple dhoti and colorful turbans during festivals.

🟡10. Garo Tribe

🔹 Location

Primarily in Meghalaya (Garo Hills), but also in parts of Assam (Goalpara, Kamrup, and North Cachar Hills).

🔹 Ethnic Group

• Belong to the Tibeto-Burman family, under the Bodo-Kachari group.

• Speak Garo (A·chik), written in Roman script.

🔹 Culture & Tradition

• Matrilineal society: Inheritance passes through the youngest daughter.

• Live in villages called A·king (land-holding unit).

• Traditionally dependent on jhum cultivation, hunting, and weaving.

• Famous for folk tales, songs (Katta dokka), and flute music.

• Socially structured around clans (Machong) that prevent intra-clan marriage.

🔹 Rituals & Festivals

• Wangala Festival: Also known as the “100 Drums Festival”, a post-harvest celebration in honor of Sun God Saljong..

• Rongchu Gala: Traditional healing performed by a Nokma (clan head).

• Spirits of ancestors are believed to reside in nature; animism was traditionally dominant, though many are now Christians.

🔹 Costumes

• Women: Wear Dakmanda (woven wrap skirt), Daksari, and Gando (blouse). Adorned with silver jewelry, beads, and waist ornaments.

• Men: Gando ( waistcloth),Kotip(headband),Pandra (a cloth that cris-crosses wearer's chest)

• Use colorful ornaments made from coral, silver, beads, and bamboo.

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🔵11. Hajong Tribe

🔹 Location

Primarily found in Assam (Goalpara, Kamrup, Chirang) and parts of Meghalaya. Also spread across Northern Bangladesh.

🔹 Ethnic Group

• Indo-Aryan speaking tribe; speak a language that is a mix of Assamese and Bengali dialects.

• Believed to have migrated from the plains of Mymensingh (Bangladesh).

🔹 Culture & Tradition

• Patrilineal society.

• Traditionally cultivators (settled agriculture), especially paddy farmers.

• Known for rice-beer brewing, folk songs (Akhra Geet), and colorful folk dances.

• Culturally assimilated with Assamese Hindus but preserve unique identity.

🔹 Rituals & Festivals

• Follow Hinduism with animistic elements.

• Pusne (Makar Sankranti) is the major festival – celebrated with rice cakes (pitha), dance, and fire rituals.

• Worship Bastu Devata, Lakshmi, Durga, and ancestral spirits.

• Rituals are often performed by local priests or Ojhas (healers).

🔹 Costumes

• Women: Wear Pathin (long colorful wrap-around) tied around the chest, along with Chadar and traditional jewelry.

• Men: Wear Dhoti and a cotton shirt or vest, often with a gamcha (scarf)