Songsarek Religion

 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 obeying the deities.'