Impact of missionaries on tribal religion in Koraput District

The power of religious belief is always a strong factor qualifying human behaviour. As an integral part of the society, religion exercises great influence on the social habits of the people. The Adivasis were purely religious. They used to worship various elements of nature and so were truly called ‘Lovers of Nature.’ Besides, they were polytheists who were worshipping idols and offering animals to their Gods and Goddesses to get their blessings. They were polytheist. They widely believed in supernatural powers. Ancestral worship was also part of their religion. However, with the advent of Missionaries in this district and their contact with these people, there was a tremendous transmutation in the field of tribal religion. People discarded their age old worship and accepted Christianity because this religion has no caste system, untouchability, hard and fast rules and elaboration of rites and rituals and restriction. By incessant endeavour in spite of facing problems, the Missionaries changed the people from violence to peace, cruelty to compassion, animal sacrifice to prayer, spirits and magic spells to belief in God, polytheism to monotheism and superstition to reason. Through this religion, they were able to convince people to recognize their God and realize Him.