GARO TRIBE

~MEGHALAYA
 DR D.Y PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI , PUNE

SETTLEMENT STUDY
GROUP A COORDINATOR- Ms SNEHA

RIYA – GROUP LEADER SHREYA PATIL

PRANAV SATHE SNEHA KOTHARI
PRASANNA YALIGAR SAMRUDDHI
SASANE
MAYANK TEMBHARE SHRUTI
SALUNKHE
SHREYA KUMBHAR SHRUTI UGALE

INTRODUCTION
An ethnic group believed to have originated from Tibet,
the Garos migrated to the Garo hills as early as in 400
BC. While they originally settled in Meghalaya and the
foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, they also migrated to
Assam during the British rule. They are, in fact, the
second largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasis and
comprise a large part of the population. In the Garo
world, children take their clan titles from their mother
and the daughters are entitled to inherit the ancestral
property. The boys generally leave home after adulthood
and live in the lady’s house after marriage.
HISTORY
The Garos’ own traditions relate that they came
originally from Tibet to what is now Cooch Behar,
whence they moved on to Dhubri whose king received
them warmly.
As the place was infested with tigers, the Garo relinquished the place
and then spread into Habraghat Pargana in Goalpara.
The Garo appear to have become rich and prosperous and the first
Garo Kingdom was established, of which the first reigning price was
Abrasen who has his palace and capital at Sambol A’ding, an
isolated hill near the Dakaitdol Village not far from Goalpara town
MEDEVIAL PERIOD
With the passage of time in the medieval
period, while the Garos in the hills were still
divided into a number of petty Nokmaships, the
plain tracts along the fringes at the foot of the
hills came to be included in the many Zamindari
Estates, which eventually developed into fewer
but larger complexes
Important estates bordering the Garo Hills were
Karaibari, Kalimalupara, Mechpara and Habraghat in
Rongpur district, Susang and Sherput in Mymensing
district of Bengal and Bijini in the Eastern Duars
MODERN PERIOD
All the estates bordering
upon Garo Hills, which for
all practical purposes had
been semi-Independent
were brought under the
control of the british
The intermittent conflict between the
Zamindars and the Garos went on
unabated until the situation deteriorated
to the extent that the British were forced
to take notice. This development led
ultimately to the annexation of the Garo
Hills in 1873.
THE GARO SOCIETY
The Garos live in semi-permanent
villages varying in size from 10 to
60 houses. Village populations
rarely exceed 300. There are five
named, exogamous, matrilineal
phratries called chatchi. Only two
of these, Sangma and Marak, are
found throughout
One household is usually considered to be the most senior, and the
other houses are thought to have branched out from it. This
household holds all the village land, and the husband of theheiress
is considered to be the headman of the village or the Nokma.
Among the hill Garos, all subsistence is based on jhum cultivation.
Dry rice is the primary crop, and millet is also important. In addition,
bananas, papaya, maize, manioc, taro, squash, large-pod beans, sorrel,
gourds, and many other vegetables are grown to supplement the diet.
Wet rice has been grown more recently in some of the low areas, and
this has changed the land tenure system to one of individual ownership,
a situation which has had profound implications for the social structure.
CULTURE
The Garos have a number of dialects and cultural
groups. Each of them originally settled at a particular
area of the Garo Hills and outlying plain lands are as
follows:-
A·wes settled in the whole of Northern hills and the
plains at their foot.
A·kawes: The plain Garos of Assam are known as
A·kawes.
Chesak: Sub-tribe occupies the North Eastern Hills
touching the A·wes in North.
Duals: Occupies the areas immediately to the
south of the Chesaks.
Matchi: Inhabits the central valley of the
Simsang River to the West Duals, they occupy
the heart of the Garo Hills and were for the
production.
Garos are only a matrilineal society, but not
matriarchal. While property of Garos are owned by
the women, the men folk govern the society,domestic
affairs and manages the property. This gives a solid
security to the Garo women folk. Garo also have their
traditional names However, the culture of modern
Garo community has been greatly influenced by
Christianity.
 WEAPONS
RELIGIO Garos have their own weapons. One of the principal
weapons is two-edged sword called Mil·am made of

N one piece of iron form hilt to point. Sometimes the

yak’s tails adorn the hilt of a mil·am. There is a cross-
Their traditional religious system, bar between the hilt and the blade where attached a
Songsarek, is generally described as bunch of cow’stail-hair.
animist.Most Garos are now
Christians, with the majority
belonging to the Garo Baptist DRESS
Convention, Traditionally their
religion was a mixture of Pantheism The principal garment of the Garo men is a strip of woven
and Hinduism. Like the Hindus and cloth about six inches wide and about six feet long. In the past
the Buddhists, the Garos believed in they wove these clothes, some of which were ornamented
incamation of the spirit in man. The with rows of white beads made conch-shells along the end of
form of incarnation depends on his sinthe flap. They also used vests of black colour with lining at its
ends. Garo women use an indigenous wrap-around known as
Dakmanda and a body cloth. The men were a turban called
MARRIAGE kotip on the head but the women use head-bands.
Marriage ceremonies are diverse from place to place. In Garo
custom, it is the girl who propose a match to the boy. The Garo ORNAMENTS
marriage is regulated by two important laws .Marriages are not
allowed within the same clan. According to the law, a man or a Both men and women enjoy adorning themselves
woman who has once contracted marriage will never be free to with varieties of ornaments. These ornaments are:
remarry person of another clan, even after the death of his/ her Narikki or sisa – made of a brass ring worn in the lobe
spouse. Usually when a wife dies, one of the sisters of the deceased of the ear. And Naderong Natapsi,Jaksan/Sanggong
is given in marriage. Similarly, when a husband dies, one of the Ripok ,Jaksil
nephews of the deceased husband is given to her.

FESTIVAL
Garo religion is monotheistic with a
highly ritualistic polytheistic form of
worship. The Garos believe in creation
of heaven and earth.The main festival
of Garos are DenBilsia, Wangala,
Rongchu gala, Mi Amua, Mangona,
Grengdik BaA, Jamang Sia, Ja Megapa,
Sa Sat Ra Chaka, AjeaorAhaoea, Dore
Rata Dance , Chambil Mesara,
Do'KruSua, Saram Cha'A, A Se Mania
or Tata
WANGALA or Drua Wanbola
Probably the most important festival of the Garos
is the Wangala known as "the post-harvest
festival of the Garos".
It marks the end of a period of toil in the fields and
harvesting of bumper crops. The hills and valleys
with the sound of drums. The dancers make a
queue of two parallel lines - one of men and the
other of women, both turning out in festive regalia.
The men beat their drums and move forward in
tune with the sound of music flowing out of gongs,
buffalo-horn, flutes and the drums.
Mangona or Chugana
Mangona is a post-funeral ceremony of
the Garos. A small hut with a bamboo
structure is erected on the courtyard of
the house that is known as 'Delang'. The
calcined bones are kept in an earthen pot
(to be later buried near the doorstep of
the house of the deceased after the
ceremony). During the performance of
the last rites for the "Spirit" of the dead,
dancing and singing continue throughout
the night with the chanting of funeral
dirge known as "Mangtata (Grapme chia)
or Kalee".
CALENDER OF FESTIVALS

Den'Bilsia or Git chip ong Roka or A' Siroka

An invocation to the Mother Goddess of crops - Mini
Rokime - is made to get her blessing by sacrificing a fowl.
All participate in sweeping clean the village footpaths and
prayers are offered at the boundary of the field before
setting the new jhum field on fire.

Rongchu gala
It is a ritualistic offering of flattened rice known as "Rongchu"
from the first harvested paddy of a Jhum field to a deity by
sacrificing a fowl.

TOURISM
Nokrek National Park:-
One of the Biosphere Reserves in
India, Nokrek National Park is famous
for its flora and fauna. The park is also
known for Asian Elephants and
different species of cats and primates.
Located in the West Garo Hills region
of Meghalaya, unexplored and
untouched by the outside world, this
national park still preserves many rare
treasures of nature. One of the most
well-known varieties is the Citrus
indica, which is known for its
contribution to the development of
the National Citrus Gene
Sanctuary/Biosphere Reserve in the
region
Tura Peak Siju Cave
Located in the West Garo The limestone caves of Siju or the Siju Water
district of Meghalaya, the
Tura Peak is a challenging
Caves of Meghalaya are world-famous
limestone caves carved by a grand river
1400 metres high mountain network in play. The Siju Caves are deemed
peak, frequented by ardent as India's third longest cave network. The
mountaineers. The natives river passages of the Simsang River through
believe that their local God, the terrain caved way the highland
Durama resides in the Tura
hills.
Pelga Falls Bhaitbari Archaeological Site
Pelga Falls is famous for angling Bhaitbari Any tourist who is interested in
and is also an excellent picnic history can visit Wadagokgre which is one of
the most interesting and attractive places in
spot. It is relatively free from
crowds most of the time, making West Garo Hills The Archeological Survey of
it ideal for those who shy away India proved that this was one of the biggest
from buzzing tourist hotspots.. cities, a religious centre cast out of the
Bramaputra river from the fourth century
A.D. or even earlier.

FLAURA
Bamboos are tall arborescent grasses belonging
to the family Graminaceae. They have an
extremely wide range of distribution and are
found as an understorey in many types of forests
occurring in the state. In East Garo Hills the forest
under the control of District Council have been
badly mauled by the practice of shifting
cultivation. The tree species in these areas have
been replaced by pure bamboo crop, over vast
areas. On abandoned Jhum areas pure crops of
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Melocanna
bambusoides and Oxytenanthera nigrociliata
have sprung up
FAUNA
Meghalaya, and Garo Hills in particular is home to several rare animal species. Among
them is the Western Hoolock Gibbon, popularly known as the Huro among Garos. It
is the only ape species found in India. The elephant is perhaps the most interesting
animal in India. There are about 2,000 elephants in Garo Hills. The average height of an
adult male elephant is about 270 cm. Thick bamboo forests are liked by them for food.
During the rains, they come out into open valleys and often enter into cultivations.
O JHUM CULTIVATION
C
C
As Garo is mountain region, the people of
Garo are perfering jhum cultivation
Jhum cultivation also called slash and burn
agriculture is a form of crop-growing
U farming activity.
P Crops are grown in this cultivation by
clearing the trees and other vegetation and
A then burning the fields. Land burning allows
the addition of potash to the soil, which in
T effect increases soil fertility and nutrient
I content.
O
N
HUNTING
Hunting is one of the main occupation of Garo peoples.
As they have to face extreme climate conditions , farming is not always
possible for them in every climate condition , So they use hunting as there
occupation ,for there survival.
The hunting Warriors are called as Matgriks.
 TEMPERATURE
CLIMAT TEMPERATURE (in celsius)
Temperature ranges from minimum
of 5 C to maximum of 36 C.

E
The district enjoys comfortable temperature throughout
the year , not very hot in summer and not very cold in
The district gets rainfall from the
south-west monsoon.
winter.Over all the climatic condition of the district is Meghalaya as a whole including the
healthy and tropical. East Garo Hills district is the wettest
place on earth.

TOPOGRAPHY
The district of East Garo Hills is a hilly terrain. The hills are highly dissected
and one major formation is the Arbella Range , Which is cuts through the
south-central part of the district.
RAINFALL (in mm) RIVER SYSTEM AND WATER RESOURCES

SEISMICITY The district is mainly drained by perineal and

non-perennial streams and the drainage
Seismically , East Garo Hills system of the district comprises of the
district lies in Zone V. following-
Nearly all of the state of 1. The Simsang (Someshwari) and its
Meghalaya , lies on the tributaries.
‘Shillong Massif 2. The Damring (Krishnai) and its tributaries.
3. The Manda (Dudhnoi)and its tributaries
 MALE FEMALE RATIO
Sex ratio of EAST GARO HILLS:-After an official census
DEMOGRAPHY conducted in 2001 in EAST GARO HILLS of Meghalaya, the East
Garo Hills had a population of 250,582 of which males were
127,474 and remaining 123,108 were females.
According to the recent 2011 census,  East Garo Hills had
population of 317,917 of which male and female were 161,223
The population of East Garo and 156,694 respectively.
Hills district consists of two Considering the child sex ratio,in 2011 census, child sex ratio
major groups - tribal & non- was 980 girls per 1000 boys compared to figure of 971 girls per
1000 boys of 2001 census data.
tribal.
The tribal population of the
district amounts to 96.54 %
of the total population.
The small non-tribal
population, including the
Scheduled Castes is mostly
concentrated in the
The distribution of population in the district is uneven and is
mostly governed by topography.

Sex ratio of WEST GARO HILLS :-According to the census

conducted by the government in 2001, West GARO HILLS
had a sex ratio of 968 females per 1000 males.
In 2001 census, West Garo Hills had a population of
518,390 of which males were 263,424 and remaining
254,966 were females.
.In 2011 census, child sex ratio is 976 girls per 1000 boys
compared to figure of 960 girls per 1000 boys of 2001
census data

GARO
ARCHITECTURE
The houses generally comprise of- living room; Veranda:
storage, cooking, dining, washing areas; bedrooms.
Nokmong: The house where every A'chik household can
stay together. This house is built in such a way that inside
the house, there are provisions for sleeping, hearth,
sanitary arrangements, kitchen, water storage, place for
fermenting wine, place for use as cattle-shed or for stall-
feeding the cow and the space between earthen floor and
raised platform for use as pigsty and in the back of the
house, the raised platform serves as hencoop for keeping
fowl and for storing firewood, thus every need being fully
provisioned for in one house.
Nokpante: In the Garo habitation, the house where
unmarried male youth or bachelors live is called
Nokpante, generally constructed in the front courtyard of
the Nokma, the chief.
Bandasal: This is like a rest house. Usually built-in front of
the Nokma’s house.
DETAILS
Higher plinth
Sliding Doors made of bamboo
Walls woven out of straws and cane, with a interlocked
bamboo support or skeleton
Thatched roof
Columns: Logs having Y-shaped ends at the top are used for
supporting the horizontal members.
Rodent blockers
Rainwater Harvesting system for toilet and washing
Storage and Granaries
Jam nok: To store harvested grains like millet and paddy,
Jamsreng: Season’s fruits or grains are
collected and stored in the Jamsreng or it
can be used for sleeping
Chicken coops are more like a smaller version of the
houses with single room, also built on a height for
protection from animals.
Jamatal: The small house, a type of
miniature house, built in the jhum fields
 Higher plinth Sliding Doors

Walls Thatched roof

Storage and Granaries

Chicken coops
Jamatal Columns Rodent blockers
HOUSE
ANALYSIS
Garo specific types of bamboo houses are built for specific purpose.the
Nokpante is a bachelor ‘s dormitory, where youngsters live in close
quarters of their tribal chief ,who teaches them arts , cultivation and life
skills .
The Jamesrenng or jamap type of bamboo houses are used to store
seasonal fruits or grains and occasionally slept in .

The Jamatal are miniature houses built in the middle of fields . These are
also constructed on tree top to protect the inhabtants from wild animals .
These houses are called boring , meanind houses on tree top .

The closely knit Garo tribe builds houses out of locally available natural
resources such as bamboo ,cane ,timber , wood from rubber trees , and
dried palm leaves

Each number of the tribe learns the Art perfectly And to pass it on
future generations . Bachelors ‘s dorms are built for young students ,
while granaries and field houses have their own specific purpose
SECTION
MAP ANALYSIS