The Garo (A.chik )

  Native to India  and  Bangladesh Region Meghalaya , Assam,  Bangladesh Ethnicity Garo Native speakers 1,145,323 (2011) [ 1 ] Language family Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Central Tibeto-Burman  (?) Sal Bodo-Garo Garo Garo Dialects Am·beng, A·we ba A·kawe, Matchi, Matchi-Dual, Matabeng ba Matjangchi, Gara-Ganching, Chisak, Atong, Ruga, Me·gam ba Lyngam, Chibok, Kamrup, Atiagra,

  Songsarek  is the indigenous religion practiced by the  Garo tribe  of  Meghalaya , India. It was practised historically by a majority of the tribe. Following conversion to Christianity, only a minority of the tribe still follow it. 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 most certainly 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 obeyin...