Khasis at Meghalaya can be traced in various regions with various names. Khasis in Meghalaya is one of the largest tribes in the north eastern region. During their stay at this place, they learn how to construct roads, sports, how to prevent crops, how to organize festivals, etc. Garos of Meghalaya have set up an institution of Bachelor's Dormitories wherein young people are kept together till they get married. Moreover, the Garos have a strong unity and hence the death of a person is mourned by the whole community. And marriage needs a prior sanction of the parents. Garos in Meghalaya follow matrilineal lineage which means that a baby till death would be part of the mother's family even after marriage. The educated Garos at Meghalaya in the urban areas wear modern clothes. But during festivals, both men and women wear bangles, jewellery and head-dresses which are designed with beads stuck on feathers of hornbill. While the women wear a cloth around their waist and a blouse. Among the Garos, men who live in the village wear a turban along with their clothes. They do not drink distilled alcohol rather their liquor is made by imbuing food grains.Ĭlothes play an important role in reflecting the culture and tradition of a tribe. Garos in Meghalaya love drinking and hence they drink everyday. They also enjoy the non vegetarian food which comprises of animal meat. The main food of Garos is rice with capsicum, onion and salt. Till date they reflect the original tradition of Tibet through their lifestyle. Garos originally belong to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burmar race which is believed to have come from Tibet. The people of this tribe call themselves Achik-mande which means 'people of the hills'. Some people of Garo tribes are also residing in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh. The tribe has derived its name from the residents of the southern hills who were also known as Garos. Garos of Meghalaya can mainly be traced in the Garo hills. Water resources are more than enough as the state receives large amount of rainfall every year. Their main occupation is cultivation as the state has a vast land for cultivation. The Meghalaya tribes mainly follow Christianity. There is only one restriction i.e., one cannot marry in the same clan and the marriage should get the approval of the family members. Moreover, women of the different tribes at Meghalaya are free to earn their livelihood. The property gets transferred to the women in the house. Though the women section of the tribes at Meghalaya take the responsibility of the household work, men are responsible for the mental and material life of his family. In some cases, the children keep the surname of their mother. The tribes at Meghalaya follow matrilineal lineage whereby a property's inheritance is traced through the women. The most noteworthy feature of tribes of Meghalaya is their parental lineage. They are all a sub tribes of Khasis and live a lifestyle similar to that of the Khasis. They are Bhois in the north of Meghalaya, Khynriams in the central and Wars in the southern region. Apart from these, there are many other tribes in Meghalaya. Mainly the pure Khasis can be sited at the Khasi hills, the Pnars or Jaintias can be located on Jaintia hills. While Garos can be located in the Garo hills of Meghalaya, the Khasis are scattered all across the state and are known by different names. Garos are believed to be the descendants of Tibeto-Burmar race who came down all the way from Tibet to the north eastern states while the Khasis and Pnars or Jaintias are the descendants of Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race. Meghalaya tribes can mainly be classified into three groups - Garos, Khasis and Pnars or Jaintias.
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