Meghalaya Cultural Heritage

The Khasis (Mon-Khmer), the Jaintias (Southeast Asia) and the A•chik or Garos (Bodo family of Tibeto-Burma stock) inhabit the State predominantly. The Khasis and Jaintias are believed to be the tail-enders of the first Mongolian exodus into India. As with most hunter, gatherers- turned-pastoral-nomads, led an active, rigorous life punctuated by song, dance and music. They established themselves on what is today the Meghalaya plateau in the distant past and, owing primarily to their geographical isolation, lived in relative anonymity and therefore managed to retain their autonomy until the advent of the British administration in this part of India.

The Garo hills is the homeland of the Garos who call themselves ‘A•chik.’ Legend has it that the Garos originally inhabited a province of Tibet named Toura. They left Tibet in the long forgotten past under the leadership of the legendary Jappa-Jalimpa and Sukapa- Bonepa. They scoured the Brahmaputra valley for centuries in search of a permanent home and often clashed with warlords and feudal kings in the quest for their own domain. This decimated their ranks giving birth to a number of sub-tribes; the primary group under the legendary leader, Along Noga, however, pressed on towards high land and occupied Nokrek, the highest peak in Garo Hills.