ABSTRACT

The Ahoms, originally were the descendants of the Shans, a branch of the famous Tai race. They entered Assam in the 13th century by crossing Patkai Hills under the leadership of Su-Ka-Fa and ruled for long 600 years in Assam. The Ahoms had their own religious beliefs and practices but also adopted the local languages and religious beliefs in the course of their long 600 years of rule. The Ahoms came with direct contact of Hiduism under Swargadeo Chudangpha or Bamuni Konwar in 1397-1407 and too adopted Vaishnavism in the tenure of Jaydhwas Singh(1648-1663). Apart from this adaptation they never discarded some of their original faiths as these are still observed by them. So, in this paper an attempt has been made to review these practices of Ahoms.

Key words: Ahom, religious practice, original, tradition.