ntroduction The Karbis believe in Hemphu Arnam, the supreme God. In popular Karbi Religion he seems to be far and distant, quite unperturbed by the day to day business of humans. Anthropomorphically, he is like an old man. In fact, he seems so distant that other deities began to appear in the Karbi religious worldview. Peng is probably the most popular deity among them. Considered as the house-god, the protector and the one who keeps sentry, families offer sacrifices to him every year. There are several versions ascribed to the origin of Peng, yet the substance remains the same. This article attempts to highlight two accounts of the origin of Peng worship among the Karbis. The Origin of Peng Peng is originally Ingnam Api, literally, “Forest Creature” commonly associated with spirits. D. S. Teron, in his paper, “Understanding Karbi Folk Religion,” says: “‘Peng’ was a forest entity or ‘ingnam api’ or an ‘evil spirit’ or ‘chekama’ who was looking for an opportunity to have a direc
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