Beschermbeeld, Karo-Batak, Noord-Sumatra

The Karo people speak the Karo language, a language related to, but not mutually intelligible with, other Batak languages, in addition to Indonesian. These Karo people are divided up into clans or Merga. The Karo Merga are Karo-Karo, Ginting, Sembiring, Perangin-Angin, and Tarigan; these Merga are then divided up into sub-clans and finally families.

In 13th to 16th century, the Karo people believed has established Aru Kingdom (also spelled Haru), located in modern day Medan city and Deli Serdang Regency. It was one of the earliest kingdom in Sumatra.[6] The population of Aru Kingdom adhered native animism, Hinduism and Islam. Islam slowly gained influence in coastal area since late 13th century. Despite among the earliest Sumatran kingdom that was exposed to Islam, the people of Aru kingdom remained predominantly pagan, especially those who inhabit interior region. The successor state of Aru Kingdom was the Sultanate of Deli, which demonstrate a mixed influences of Karo, Malay, Tamil and Aceh.

Today, the religion of Karo people are mostly Christian, a religion brought to Sumatra in the 19th Century by missionaries. However, an increasing number living away from the Karo Highlands have converted to Islam, with the influence of Muslim Malay from neighboring Deli area in Medan, and Javanese immigrants, thus making the traditional habits of pig farming and cooking less common. Some Muslims and Christians however still retain their traditional animist beliefs in ghosts, spirits (perbegu), and traditional jungle medicine, despite that fact it contradicts their other beliefs.

Karo people traditionally lived in shared longhouses, but very few now remain, and new construction is exclusively of modern designs.

It is believed that Karo people may have migrated from the other lands in order to take part in trade with the visiting Tamils. This intercourse had an influence on their religious beliefs, as well as ethnic makeup, the marga ‘Sembiring’, meaning ‘black one’, and many Sembiring sub-marga (Colia, Berahmana, Pandia, Meliala, Depari, Muham, Pelawi and Tekan) are clearly of South-Indian origin, suggesting that inter-marriage between Karo and Tamil people took place. (Wikipedia)