Negotiating with the Spirit World: An Anthropological Enquiry of the Belief System of the Inpui Tribe, Manipur

AbstractBeing religious is usually taken to mean living in spontaneous awareness of, an encounter with, acknowledgment of, and obedience to the active reality of the presence of a Supreme Being. Thus, religion permeates all aspects of life. In the traditional tribal society, there were no irreligious people. Tribal belief systems are based on the oral and expressed in everyday language – both verbally and in their lived every day. Tribal rituals are often performed collectively and are intended to address everyday problems. The study is concentrated on the Inpui tribe of Manipur, India. According to the 2011 census, the Inpui tribe has a population of 4762, of which 2398 are male and 2364 female. This paper studies the belief system and practice of the Inpui tribe with special reference to the controlling of the spirit and the spirit world. They worship gods for prosperity and release from sickness, disease, and suffering.