The Folk Culture and Ritual Practices of the Karbi

The term ‘folk culture’ includes unity, tradition, and folklore, which is a collective combination of myths, legends, tales, proverbs, riddles, ballads, folk song, folk dance, folk music, folk carvings, and so on. As language is the vehicle of culture, folk culture gets carried through generations orally for time immemorial. The Karbi are the early settlers of Karbi Anglong, a district in Assam which is a rich zone of biodiversity. They have their own folk culture which is associated with different ritualistic practices. They have a very rich cultural tradition, material culture, and folklore. The methods of transmission of folklore are purely based on listening to the songs sung by the singer, stories told by elders, and recitation of verses during Se-Karkli and other ceremonies. Different natural resources play a significant role in the livelihood and cultural traditions of the Karbi people. They have their own concept of ethno-ecology and indigenous knowledge which is sustaining their age-old ecological and cultural heritage, although the folk culture and folklore of the Karbi are facing a serious challenge and are on the way to gradual obliteration. Among the Karbi several rituals can be noticed which were performed collectively at the community level in the village. The people are intimately dependent upon nature for their sustenance. Such performances were not merely for their recreation, but they denoted their devotion to the supernatural power and agencies. This chapter highlights the entire worship that is focused and related to the issue of health, safety, security, protection, and betterment of the entire community. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Indranee Phookan Borooah, Bidita Das and Sabiha Alam Choudhury; individual chapters, the contributors.