Goddesses Worshipped in
Tribal Community of India
India’s spiritual landscape is not limited to the classical pantheons of Hinduism, Buddhism, or Jainism. Beneath the grand temples and canonical texts lies another sacred geography—rooted in forests, rivers, hilltops, and village altars—where goddesses have been worshipped for centuries by the country’s indigenous communities.
According to the 2011 Census, more than 104 million Indians belong to Scheduled Tribes, accounting for around 8.6% of the population. These communities, spread across central, eastern, northeastern, and southern India, follow various ancestral belief systems. While some have gradually absorbed elements of Hinduism or Christianity, many still hold on to their indigenous worldviews, where nature, spirit, and divinity are deeply intertwined.
Within these traditions, female divinities occupy a central and complex role. They are not necessarily “goddesses” in the classical sense, but rather powerful presences—guardians of the land, protectors of communities, spirits of disease and healing, or ancestral figures transformed through memory and myth. Unlike temple-based worship, these deities are often honoured through rituals conducted in open spaces: under sacred trees, near streams, or within designated groves. Offerings of crop, liquor, and flowers are common. Some are nameless, while others are passed down through generations with folktales and songs.
These goddesses reflect local cosmologies and social histories. Some were once women—healers, warriors, or victims of injustice—whose deaths marked a rupture so significant that communities began to fear and revere them. Others embody natural forces like fertility, drought, or pestilence, often invoked during sowing or harvest, or periods of illness or uncertainty. In many cases, they are both benevolent and fearsome—nurturing when respected, punishing when neglected.
Their stories rarely appear in written texts. Instead, they live on in oral narratives, seasonal festivals, and clan rituals. And yet, their impact on the daily lives of tribal communities is profound, structuring ethics, shaping gender roles, influencing health practices, and regulating human relationships with the natural world.
As modern development expands and traditional lifeways are disrupted, many of these deities face quiet erasure. The knowledge keepers—often women or village elders—are ageing, and younger generations are increasingly disconnected from ancestral traditions. Yet in some regions, a quiet revival occurs, with communities working to document and preserve these stories before they are lost.
The following are some notable goddesses:
1. Ahom
The Ahom people practice the Ahom religion as their ethnic religion, which 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 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:
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Āai Ā Nāng: She, also called Aai A Nang, is a deity of wealth and prosperity, similar to Lakshmi in Hinduism.
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Jā(yā) Shing Phā: Goddess of knowledge or creativity, similar to Saraswati in Hinduism.
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Phri Nat Yao: Goddess of war, similar to Durga in Hinduism.
2. Bathouism
Bathou is an ethnic religion practised by the Boros, an ethnic tribal community from Assam, India. Today, Boros have accepted different versions of Hinduism or Christianity over time. In Boro, the name "Bathou" means "five principles," signifying the elements of air, fire, earth, water, and ether. These five key principles are thought to have been created by Bathoubwrai, the supreme deity. Bathouism, unlike several religions, has no documented religious books or temples. The worship of the sijou plant, considered the living embodiment of Bathoubwrai, is a unique aspect of Boros' religious rites. Bathouism families traditionally plant a sijou shrub in the northeast corner of their courtyard, forming an altar known as "sijousali."
3. Donyi-Polo
In the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the Tani and other Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups practice the Donyi-Polo religion. It is a religion with a strong cultural foundation in the area that honors spirits and nature. The name "Donyi-Polo," which means "Sun-Moon," and the creator of the cosmos, Sedi, is referred to as the Godhead. This idea holds that Sedi connects all objects and beings. Sedi's hair, for instance, transforms into vegetation, his tears into rain, his bones into rocks, and his two eyes, respectively, become the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) that looks over the world.
4. Kalasha
The Kalash are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group that live in the Chitral District of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region. They mostly practice the traditional Kalasha religion, which incorporates elements of Animism, Ancestor worship, and ancient Hinduism. This belief system resembles Indo-Iranian tales and rites, with some influence of Rigvedic traditions. They honor several deities in their religious activities, which is comparable to Hinduism.
5. Karbi
The Karbis or Mikir are an ethnic group in Northeast India.
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Rasinja: She is a significant female deity associated with wealth and crops.
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Pithe Ningrepi: She is a goddess of art and knowledge, associated with the goddess Saraswati.
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Ha’imu: Goddess of Rain.
6. Khonds
Banka Mundi is a goddess of the Khonds tribe, associated with fertility and protection against wild animals.
7. Kiratism
Kirat Mundum, often known as Kiratism, is a shamanic folk religion practised by the Kirati ethnic groups of Nepal, Sikkim, and the northern part of West Bengal. They follow several practices and traditions that existed before the Vedic period in the ancient Indian subcontinent, most of which are tied to Mother Nature, ancestors, and various natural forces. The worship of the main pillar of the house within the Kirati communities is another noticeable tradition. Kiratis are classified into four ethnic groups: Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar, and Yakkha. They have slightly distinct religious scriptures.
8. Koyapunem
Anwal is revered as the village mother goddess in the Indigenous Koyapunem religion practised by the Gond people of central India. She embodies the nurturing and protective aspects of the community, overseeing the well-being of the village. Before any festival or significant communal event, rituals are performed to honour both Anwal and Aki Pen, the village guardian deity, ensuring harmony and prosperity within the community.
The Gond pantheon includes a variety of deities, each associated with different aspects of nature and daily life. For instance, the Koya tribe, a subgroup of the Gonds, worships Bhudevi, the Earth Goddess, during agricultural festivals, emphasizing their deep connection to the land. Other notable deities in the Gond tradition include Sammakka and Sarakka, tribal goddesses honoured during the biennial Sammakka Saralamma Jatara festival in Telangana, which is one of the largest tribal festivals in India.
9. Mizo/ Sakhua
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Khuanu: Often referred to as the "Mother of Nature," Khuanu is considered the wife of Pathian, the supreme god. She embodies benevolence and maternal care, blessing humans as if they were her own children.
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Vanchungnula: Recognized as the goddess of rain and water, Vanchungnula is believed to be the daughter of Pathian. She is associated with providing rainfall and is sometimes depicted as a beautiful, winged being who descends from the sky to bathe in ponds.
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Khuazingnu: In Mizo origin myths, Khuazingnu is credited with creating the earth and all vegetation. To nurture her creations, she would open the windows of heaven to pour water upon the earth. She also played a role in the emergence of human clans from the mythical cave called Chhinlung.
10. Sarnaism
Sarnaism is an ethnic religion that draws its foundation on worship at the sacred groves known as Sarna in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. They worship various deities, village deities for protection.
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Dharti Ayo/ Chalapachho Devi: She is the mother goddess and a representation of Mother Nature worshipped in Sarnaism.
11. Other Northeast Folk Beliefs
1. Budhi Pallien is a forest goddess from the folk traditions of Assam, particularly revered in areas with strong animistic heritage. She is believed to dwell in dense forests and is often depicted as a woman who can transform into a tiger. Her presence is associated with the protection of wildlife and the natural environment.
Worship of Budhi Pallien is rooted in local beliefs and oral traditions. Rituals dedicated to her are typically held in forested regions and involve offerings meant to appease and honor her. She is not part of the mainstream Hindu pantheon but remains an important figure in the indigenous spiritual landscape of Assam.
2. Kechai-Khaiti is a revered tribal goddess worshipped primarily in Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, especially among communities such as the Bodo, Rabha, Tiwa, and Tani tribes. She is venerated as a fierce and protective mother figure, often associated with fertility, warfare, and ancestral power. Her worship reflects a strong connection to earth-based rituals, sacrificial rites, and spiritual trance practices, deeply rooted in the indigenous cosmology of Northeast India.
One of the most notable centers of her worship was the Tamreswari Temple at Sadiya, known for its copper roof and sacred status among early tribal polities. Rituals performed in her honor were conducted by tribal priestly functionaries unique to the region, and offerings typically included animal sacrifices and symbolic items connected to nature and spirit.
Kechai-Khaiti is often portrayed as a wild and autonomous goddess, embodying both the generative and destructive aspects of feminine power. Though later associated in overlapping ways with other regional deities, her core identity remains tied to indigenous religious traditions that prioritize communion with land, ancestors, and unseen forces of nature.
This section of the site is dedicated to those efforts: to bring together the names, images (where possible), and oral traditions of tribal goddesses from across India. It is not a complete list, nor is it meant to standardise inherently fluid and contextual beliefs. Rather, it aims to acknowledge and respect the depth of these traditions and the communities that have kept them alive, often in the face of historical neglect or misrepresentation.
References and Sources:
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Singh, Moirangthem Kirti. Religion and Culture of Manipur. Manas Publications, 1988.
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Parratt, Saroj Nalini Arambam. The Religion of Manipur: Beliefs, Rituals, and Historical Development. Firma KLM, 1980.
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Singh, L. Joychandra. Lai Haraoba: The Festival of the Gods. Manipur State Kala Akademi, 1991.
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Sharma, H. Surmangol. A Critical Study of the Puyas. The Cultural Forum of Manipur, 2000.
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Devi, Lairenlakpam Bino. “Understanding the Traditional Religion of the Meiteis.” International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2015.
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Rajkumar, Rincha. “Sanamahi Religion and the Women Deities of Manipur.” International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2019.
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Government of Manipur – Department of Art and Culture: manipur.gov.in
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General reference: Wikipedia – Sanamahism and related articles
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Danda, A. K. (1981). Tribal Ethnography in India. Inter-India Publications.
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Dutta, Birendranath (1995). Studies in the Folklore of North Eastern India. Spectrum Publications.
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S.K. Barpujari (ed.), Comprehensive History of Assam, Vol. 2, 1992
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Archaeological Survey of India reports on the Tamreswari Temple, Sadiya
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S. Dutta, “Kechai Khaiti: A Study in Tribal Goddess Cult”, Proceedings of North East India History Association, 2005
Note:
This content has been refined using AI-assisted proofreading tools for clarity and structure. However, all historical and cultural information presented is based on references and sources.