It
should be remarked that the Khasis never symbolise their gods by
means of images, their worship being offered to the spirit only. The
following are some of the principal spirits worshipped by the Khasis
and Syntengs, omitting the spirits of deceased ancestors such as _Ka
Iawobi, u Thawlang_ and _u Suidnia_, which will be described under
the heading of ancestor-worship.

_U'lei muluk_--the god of the State, who is propitiated yearly by
the sacrifice of a goat and a cock.

_U'lei umtong_--the god of water, used for drinking and cooking
purposes. This god is similarly propitiated once a year so that the
water supply may remain pure.

_U lei longspah_--the god of wealth. This god is propitiated with a
view to obtaining increased prosperity.

_U Ryngkew_, or _u Basa shnong_, is the tutelary deity of the
village. This godling is propitiated by sacrifices whenever they are
thought to
be necessary.

_U Phan u kyrpad_ is a similar godling to the above.

Then follows a list of minor deities, or, rather, evil spirits,
e.g. _Ka Rih_, the malarial fever devil; _ka Khlam_, the demon
of cholera; _ka Duba_, the fever devil which is said to haunt the
neighbourhood of Theriaghat.

Bivar says "the Khasi religion may be thus briefly defined as forms
used to cure diseases and to avert misfortunes, by ascertaining
the name of the demon, as the author of the evil, and the kind of
sacrifice necessary to appease it." We may accept this description
as substantially correct. In the Jaintia Hills there is a peculiar
superstition regarding a she devil, called "_ka Taroh_" which is
supposed to cause delirium in cases of fever. When such cases occur,
it is believed that "_ka Taroh_" has caused them, and inquiries are
made by means of breaking eggs to find out in whose person the demon
has obtained a lodgment; or sometimes the sick person is asked to
reveal this. When in either of these ways the name of the person
possessed by "_ka Taroh_" is known, the sick person is taken to the
house of the possessed, and ashes and bits of broken pots are cast into
the enclosure, after which, if the sick person recovers, the party
indicated is denounced as possessed by the demon; but if the patient
dies, it is concluded that the person possessed has not been properly
ascertained. If people are satisfied that some one is really possessed,
they denounce the person, who is then out-casted. The only way for him
to regain his position is to exorcise the d