Tribal religions in India
Roughly 8.6 per cent of India’s population is made up of “Scheduled Tribes” (STs), traditional tribal communities. In India those who are not Christians, Muslims, Jews, or Zoroastrians are identified as Hindus. The reason being varied beliefs and practices allowed in Hindusim and according of Hindusim as a geographical identity than merely Religious ones. Though, many of the Scheduled Tribes have modes of worship not typical to mainstream Hindusim but ontologically form part of the cultural practices of the land, as Nature or ancestral worship, with varying degrees of syncretism.
According to the 2011 census of India, about 7.9 million (7,937,734) out of 1.21 billion people did not adhere to any of the subcontinent’s main religious communities of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, or Jainism. The census listed atheists, Zoroastrians, Jews, and various specified and unspecified tribal religions separately under the header “Other Religions and Persuasions”.
Of these religious census groupings, the most numerous are Sarna (4.9 million respondents), Gondi (1 million), Sari Dharam (506,000), Donyi-Poloism (331,000); Sanamahi (222,000) and Khasi (139,000), with all other religions numbering less than 100,000 respondents, including 18,000 for “tribal religion”, 5,600 for “nature religion”, and 4,100 “animists”. The Scheduled Tribes account 89.39% (7,095,408) of total ORP in India.
Non-Hindu, animistic, and indigenous religious groups in India include a wide range of traditional belief systems like Adivasi religion, Donyi-Polo (Arunachal Pradesh), Sanamahi (Manipur), Sarnaism (Central India), Kiranti Mundhum (Eastern Himalayas), and Bathouism (Assam), alongside specific traditions like Ka Niam Khasi (Meghalaya) and Heraka (Assam). These are diverse belief systems often associated with tribal communities (Adivasis) but are distinct from the major Indian religions.
Indigenous Peoples and Their Traditions
- Adivasis (Original Inhabitants): The umbrella term for indigenous communities in India, who have their own diverse belief systems.
- Gond Religion: Associated with the Gond tribe, with practices like Koyapunem observed in Central India.
- Bhil Religion: Traditions followed by the Bhil tribe, one of India’s oldest and largest tribal communities.
- Santal Religion: The religious practices of the Santhal people, known for their distinct community and traditions.
- Munda Religion: The religious practices of the Munda tribe, with connections to various other tribal groups.
Regional Traditions
- Northeast India:
- Donyi-Polo: A folk religion of the Adi and Galong people in Arunachal Pradesh, centered on the worship of the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo).
- Sanamahi: A traditional religion of the Meitei people in Manipur.
- Ka Niam Khasi: The indigenous religion of the Khasi people in Meghalaya.
- Bathouism: The faith of the Bodo people in Assam, following traditional beliefs.
- Heraka: A reformist religious movement among the Zeliangrong Naga people in Assam and surrounding areas.
- Central & East India:
- Sarnaism (Sari Dharam): The traditional religion of many tribal communities in Central and East India, particularly the Santal and Oraon people.
- Kiranti Mundhum: The ancient folk religion of the Kirat community, including the Mundhum and Limbu peoples, in the Eastern Himalayan region.
- Other Regions:
- Onge and Jarawa Religions: Traditional beliefs of the Onge and Jarawa peoples of the Andaman Islands.
- Ahom Religion: The ancient religion of the Ahom people in Assam, with a long history distinct from mainstream Hinduism.
In Sikkim, the term gumpa (or gompa) refers to a Buddhist monastery or spiritual center and is central to the religion of the tribal Bhutia people. While the indigenous Lepcha people primarily follow a form of animism known as Mun, many have adopted Mahayana Buddhism over time, often blending the two belief systems.
Bhutia tribal religion and the gumpa
The Bhutia people, who migrated from Tibet, introduced Tibetan Buddhism to Sikkim, which became their chief religion.
- Gumpa as a spiritual center: For the Bhutia, the gumpa serves as a place of worship and a repository of culture. It is where religious heads, or lamas, perform rituals for the community.
- Guardian deities: Bhutia religion includes the worship of guardian deities, who are often identified with local natural features such as mountains, lakes, and forests. Mount Khangchendzonga, for instance, is revered as a guardian deity.
- Festivals: Major Bhutia festivals, such as Losar (the Tibetan New Year) and Losoong, are centered around the gumpa and feature traditional masked dances.
Lepcha tribal religion and the gumpa
The Lepcha are the indigenous people of Sikkim, and their original religion is known as Mun, a form of animism.
- Syncretic beliefs: When the Bhutia introduced Buddhism, many Lepchas adopted it while continuing to practice their traditional animistic rituals. This led to a syncretic religion that blends aspects of both faiths.
- Coexistence with Mun: In many Lepcha villages, life revolves around the gumpa, but traditional Mun beliefs—which involve appeasing spirits of nature residing in trees, rocks, and rivers—are still followed.
- Shamans and lamas: The Lepcha priesthood includes both Mun priests (mun) and shamans (bongthing), who coexist alongside Buddhist lamas. While Mun shamans conduct rituals related to spirits, lamas lead prayers at the gumpa.
- Sacred spaces: Sacred groves, categorized as Gumpa forests, are protected by Buddhist communities in Sikkim and coexist with other traditional sacred spaces.
The gumpa’s role in Sikkim
Beyond individual tribal religions, the gumpa is a cornerstone of Sikkim’s cultural identity.
- Preservation of culture: Monasteries are critical for preserving the unique Tibeto-Sikkimese culture through art, festivals, and spiritual practices.
- Prominent monasteries: Some of Sikkim’s most important gumpas include Rumtek, Pemayangtse, and Tashiding, which play a central role in state festivals and pilgrimage.
- State policy: Even after joining India, Sikkim maintained an Ecclesiastical Affairs Department to preserve and manage religious institutions, including gumpas, reflecting their continuing importance.