Garo people

The Garo are an indigenous people in the border area between the north-eastern India ( State of Meghalaya ) and Bangladesh (north of Mymensingh ). The people call themselves Achik in Bangladesh Mandi, while " Garo " rather is the term also used by members of other ethnic groups. The number of speakers of Garo language is estimated at about 1 million.

Matrilineality

The Garo follow a matrilineal descent rule, often associated with a matrilocal residential succession rule for married couples, the husband takes the wife or her mother. Within the matrilineal social order itself customs had developed which, however, with the introduction of Christianity declined in importance and now hardly to be found. This includes the " groom kidnapping ", were kidnapped at the bachelors of marriageable women and held until the day of the wedding. Occasionally, there are still cases of mother-daughter polygyny, mainly for economic reasons. If a woman is not capable of managing their country alone and widowed early, she has the right to demand from the clan of her late husband's a new as a replacement. The edition is sometimes made ​​that the marriage also includes a daughter of the widow.

Settlement area

Some Garo live in cities, such as in Mymensingh. The villages are very remote and people live in mud houses traditionally. Its traditional settlement area is threatened by deforestation of the remaining forests and Bengali newcomers.

Religion

The original religion of the Garo was animistic. Most Garo were evangelized by Catholic missionaries from the late 19th century Christian. Nevertheless, many still practice the rituals of their old religion. In Bangladesh, the Garo are thus a small religious minority in a predominantly Muslim country.

Language

The Garo language belongs to the Bodo branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages. The Garo have no writing. Customs, traditions and beliefs are transmitted orally. According to the data from Ethnologue Garo spoken in India of 889,000 people ( 2001 census ) and Bangladesh 120,000 (Specification 2005 ).

Music

The Musical Instruments of the Garo are classified according to their use in entertaining or ceremonial music. The best-known instrument that may only be used ritually due to a religious prohibition, the doubt -celled tube drum then further into this category include the boiler drum dimdima. Its body was formerly made of wood, takes its place today mostly a to the group of naqqaras belonging drum made ​​of clay, which is called nagra. The gong rang is a symbol of wealthy families. To the accompaniment of songs and entertainment dances the percussive tube zither serves chigring. Simple natural trumpets are the buffalo horn adil with an attached long bamboo tube and the same horn called singga with a short piece of bamboo. The Sarinda is a one-to zweisaitiger representatives in North India widespread string lute.

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