Published Paper Details:

The Rabhas are the native tribe of the village Kodalbasti in West Bengal, India. Kodalbasti falls under the Mendabari Gram Panchayat of Kalchini Block in Alipurduar district of West Bengal. Alipurduar is one of the 18 duars or �gateway� to Bhutan which sustains its culturally diverse population economically by tea industry, tourism and timber. Whole dooar region is considered as the melting pot of India as people from diverse culture have come here in search of employment since the establishment of tea industries. So, it is only natural that due to constant social interaction with such a heterogeneous population, the native of the region will get influenced. And so, have been the case with the native Rabhas of Kodalbasti. Originally, they were animist by religion but since the beginning of 20th century when Christian missionaries came to the region, and with the constant interaction with diasporas Rabhas of Kodalbasti has gone through some serious transition. This paper aim to highlight their exposure with Christianity which over years had proved to be both advantageous and disadvantageous for them. This paper is based on the micro study of Rabhas of Kodalbasti which has been conducted through fieldwork using relevant techniques for data collection.