Pathian

Pathian

Pathian is the supreme creator god of the Mizo (Lushei) people. In pre-Christian Mizo religion, Pathian was worshipped alongside the huai (spirits) of forests and streams; with 96% conversion to Christianity in Mizoram, the name Pathian has been adopted as the Mizo translation of the Christian God.

The retention of the name Pathian after conversion is significant: Mizo Christians pray to "Pathian" — retaining the ancestral creator-god's name while reinterpreting him as the Christian God. This linguistic-theological continuity preserves indigenous religious vocabulary within a new sectarian framework. A small percentage of Mizo households (perhaps 2%) continue traditional Sakhua (pre-Christian Mizo religion) practices; these are concentrated in remote parts of Champhai and Lunglei districts.