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Ahom Religion

The Ahom people practice the Ahom religion as their ethnic religion that entered Assam in 1228 with the Ahom People under the reign of the Tai prince Sukaphaa. Three priestly clans were among those who immigrated to Assam and carried their own rituals, practices, and scriptures with them. The Tai-Ahom religion believes that there is an all-powerful God (pha-tu-ching), but they also hold that there is a hierarchy of deities who all descend from the supreme God. The Tai-Ahom people revere their ancestors as well. Their narrative for the creation shares significant similarities with Hindu cosmogonical theories. Both Hindu and Christian mythology have parallels to the Tai-Ahoms' ancient flood.

Tai-Ahom worships a wide range of deities as the invisible force of nature and they are not represented in the images or icons except for tutelary deities called Chum and Sheng, also called Somdeo and Shengdeo, which were only worshipped by the royals. Lengdon, Khao Kham, Ai Leng Din, Jan Chai Hung, Jasing Pha, Chit Lam Cham, Mut-Kum Tai Kum, Ra-Khin, Ba-Khin, and Chao Phi Dam are among the Ahom deities gods commonly worshipped. These deities, because of their attributes, are identified with the names of their respective Hindu deities as a result of Hinduism's influence. Some goddesses in the Tai-Ahom tradition are:

  1. Āai Ā Nāng: She, also called Aai A Nang, is a deity of wealth and prosperity, similar to Lakshmi in Hinduism.

  2. Jā(yā) Shing Phā: Goddess of knowledge or creativity, similar to Saraswati in Hinduism.

  3. Phri Nat Yao: Goddess of war, similar to Durga in Hinduism.

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