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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to analyze the changing pattern of marriage system of Adivasi Garo community. For
the study, Modhupur upazila of Tangail district for Plain Garos and Haluaghat upazila of Mymensingh district for Hill
Garos were chosen as the research areas. From these two upazila, six villages were selected randomly for collecting
sample population. The sample consisted of 100, taking 50 Hilly Garo respondents from three villages of Haluaghat
upazila and 50 Plain Garo respondents from three villages of Modhupur upazila. Primary data were collected from the
respondents through a sample survey with the help of a interview schedule. It was found that in both upazila, the
essential rules for their marriage were maintained but due to conversion of Christianity, these rules are changing. A
rule followed by the respondents is highest in case of a Garo should always marry a Garo (95%). Christian marriage
rituals are now increasing in both upazila. Very few traditional rituals were followed by Garos for establishing their
marriage. Before conversion to Christian, Garos were used to the traditional forms of marriage such as ‘Marriage by
Capture’ and Thunapp’ a marriage (marriage through food offering) which has stopped now but still today it has some
influences upon their marriage system. The study also revealed that most of the Garos are interested in love
marriage and arranged marriage. In love marriage, Garos select their life partners themselves. After marriage, today
the male Garos are not interested in moving to his wife’s parents house; rather they are living in a independent
house. Moreover, while the Garo society is changing from a matrilineal to patriarchal one, this change invites many
changes in their social and cultural life, such as inheritance, gender roles, post marital residence etc. The finding also
showed that despite many similarities, there are very few customs and ritualistic differences between two upazilas,
but comparatively Hilly Garo villages culture and tradition were changing less than the plain Garo villages.