Celebration of Life- Hornbill Festival

Hornbill Festival had been on our bucket list for a long time. The desire to see the tribes, know more about their culture and a fascination towards their way of living drew us to Nagaland. We definitely were fortunate to have been a part of the celebrations of the festival of festivals- Hornbill.

The 2015 Hornbill festival started with great extravaganza and you can hear the folk songs, the beats of the log drums and war cry of the tribes at the parking of Kisama Village, the venue for Hornbill. This festival not only provides an insight to the Naga tribes and culture but also gives an insight to the culture of all the other North Eastern states as well. These 10 days are more of celebrating life with an understanding of tribal heritage and getting a glimpse of the diverse cultures and cuisines of North East India. The best 10 days that you can live witnessing their indigenous games, listening and dancing to their music and folk songs. It is more like attending a wedding where food and drinks are in abundance, music and dance to keep you entertained with everyone dressed in their traditional best and of course laughter all around.

Hornbill festival not only unites the tribes of North East India but also whole of India. Artists from different part of India bring in their culture and celebrations. Cultural artists from Andhra had put up a great show and won the hearts of thousands of people in the audience. Any musical and cultural festival in India is definitely not complete without Punjabi Bhangra dance and here too Bhangra was saved for the last and the friendly North East folks too tried their hands at it.

After the cultural shows were wrapped up there was a fusion by all musicians and at that moment we understood why musicians across the globe are idolized by millions. The entire crowd was welcomed on stage and had their dancing shoes on. Music surpassed all communication and language barriers and untied people from all parts of the World to beat to one tune. The true essence of a festival- celebration of life could be captured in that one moment.

An entire day during the Hornbill is exclusively dedicated to Naga culture. Each of the 16 tribes portray their folklore and culture through dance, music or performances. The small Kisama heritage village comes to life and showcases the awesome features of the 16 Naga tribes. Each tribe has its own Morung where we saw men and women of the tribe dressed in their traditional attire. The Morungs are constructed in their unique and traditional way of that tribe displaying the artifacts and their way of living. Various cultural programs are performed to the delight of the visitors and visitors can even join them. One also gets to taste authentic Naga cuisine at each morung. Of course, no meal would be complete without gulping down the Naga rice beer from the traditional bamboo mugs.

The artisans corner is a treat for outsiders and also provides an understanding of the skill required, the man-hours put in and of course the beauty of the end product. We got a peek into the authentic lifestyle of Nagas. Bamboo mat making and basket making which was earlier the domain of men and considered a taboo for women has now broken free from superstitions. The womenfolk of the Ao tribe have led the way in overcoming all barriers and turning this art into a means of livelihood. The Konyak tribe of Longwa village are master metal craftsmen, they are renowned for metal craft-ware using wax process technique.

Salt extraction- Peletkie Village in Peren is famous for its mineral salt extraction. The locals extract salt from mineral springs using indigenous techniques. The whole procedure involves continuously boiling spring water for 3 nights and 4 days and a total of 100 baskets of firewood is required to extract 40 cakes of mineral salt. The salt is believed to have medicinal properties and is widely used for rejuvenation.

Right next to the artisans corner is the World War II Museum, an ideal place for history buffs. The World War II Vintage Car Rally organized by the Nagaland Adventure and Motor Sports Association is a showstopper and the mecca for Vintage car enthusiasts. Vintage Willys rally started from Dimapur and culminated at Kisama. They did their best to give an authentic feel of World War II with men dressed in army uniforms of different nations armed with prop guns.

Apart from the cultural programs, there is a culinary competition, adventure sports competition, literature festival, photo competition and indigenous competitions such as wrestling, fire eating, and the most anticipated Naga Chilli eating competition.

Kisama Village also has numerous stalls and you can pick up a range of products. From wooden handicrafts to hand looms to herbal and organic products. Exceptionally well made handcrafts are on sale. There are several amazing artifacts to choose from and one would be spoilt for choice.

The floral and agricultural galleries are total stunners. The most amazing part about this was the stall promoting the 'Hydroponics' system which is nothing but soil less farming. Organic and fresh fruits and vegetables are up for sale. The amazing fragrance was so inviting that one yields to the temptation of trying a kiwi or orange immediately.

For music lovers, renowned bands from different countries and states perform at the hockey grounds. These concerts are the perfect way to end the day on a high note.

The night carnival sets off the party side of Kohima. Vehicles go off the road and in place comes hundreds of stalls selling clothes, household items, flowers, toys, colorful face masks, temporary tattoos and of course several food stalls that sell authentic Naga delicacies.

We were exposed to a whole new level of non vegetarian cuisine in Nagaland. Ranging from pork, beef, snail and plenty of insects and worms on the menu, dog meat is also preferred and loved by the Nagas. Food is celebration of life and everyone has their own tastes, it is incorrect to judge anyone on any basis especially on their food habits. Sadly, the society and even the government in some cases seem to have a say on what people should or should not eat. In this century living in a free country and you cannot choose what can be on your plate.

While there are just a handful of options to stay in Kisama, Kohima which is only 12 km from Kisama, has tons of options to suit all budgets. It is pretty easy to commute as well, one can either hire a taxi or travel with the locals like we did in the city bus to PR hills and from there shared taxis ply to Kisama at Rs.50 per seat.

More picture from Hornbill Festival.

Wokha Village, Best Kept Secret Of Nagaland

Wokha, a tiny town, around 150 km from Dimapur is a perfect hill station vacation destination. The lush green valleys around which the town is settled, the age old churches and the beautifully constructed homes dotted across the road decorated with colorful nurseries makes you want to settle down in this town forever.

We hopped on to the bus at Dimapur that leaves for Wokha via Kohima and takes you through picturesque valley, virgin wilderness and through roads dotted with bamboos towering over several meters on either side. Though the roads are terrible and bumpy, the slow moving bus stopped at several fruits and vegetable shops en-route so that the villagers could make purchases. After crossing Kohima the bus stops for breakfast too. (It was our first time that for a 150 km ride the bus stopped for food break, says a lot about the condition of the roads!)

En-route our bus had a flat tire and while the driver and the conductor worked on replacing the tire, we were able to see the kindness of North Eastern People. Most of the cars that passed by offered to drop stranded passengers to their destination.

While almost everyone got down at Kohima barring very few locals, we were the only non locals in the bus and we also got a taste of the much talked about North Eastern hospitality. A random conversation with a fellow passenger ended up with a generous offer of inviting us "total strangers" to her home for a cup of tea. We were introduced to the family and the environment was so positive and cheerful like long lost friends catching up. We were treated to the most awesome fruits from their organic farm and we swear by our travel that those were the best papaya we ever had. In the mean time, they had figured out a place for us to stay and were kind enough to drop us there. There would be a few people who you would meet only once in your lifetime but would be great friends and be grateful to them forever.

Exploring any place by foot is the ultimate joy a traveller longs for. We were wandering around Wokha and stumbled upon a Baptist Church and it seemed like the entire town of Wokha grew around this church. It was very soothing to hear the church bells echo around the green valley.

The S.M. Baptist English school is one of the oldest schools and Shanjamo is the man behind S.M who was the first Naga to visit USA to study Christianity. This school is set amidst a pretty scenic location but it was indeed sad to see that the state of the school was in shambles. The window panes were broken and antique crumbling wooden benches were lying around that seemed fit only to be used as fire wood. While we are no advocates of city style schools which are ore of a money making model with their fancy AC classrooms and sometimes a trip to NASA, there is no doubt that schools in Nagaland are in dire need of upliftment. If the government schools could be in better shape providing good education, clean water, food and toilets and a playground for the kids to enjoy a carefree education, the private institutions today would not be charging such exorbitant fees.

As we were walking by we came across a humble and beautiful home for children- 'Morning Star Children's Home' run by a lovely couple Mr and Mrs. Benjello. This kind couple have converted their home into a children's home and are taking care of seven children. They gave us a tour of their lovely home which is exceptionally sparkling clean and all the rooms were beautifully decorated. They were kind enough to offer us to stay with them completely free of cost and spend time with their family and children but unfortunately we were not able to do so. We learned a very valuable lesson that we should not be self centered and help the lesser fortunate in whatever way possible and most importantly not expect anything in return. Apart from education, Mrs. Benjello teaches the kids the importance of hard work and being responsible. This has resulted in them setting up a wonderful nursery for their home.

We had read about the Tokhu Emong festival that happens in Wokha District and without much information, as soon as we got our permit for Nagaland we decided to head to Wokha. While the Hornbill festival is more famous, this festival makes you truly understand the tribe better and the difference in cultures across various tribes. A festival that should definitely not be missed.

The best part of Wokha apart from her natural beauty and the Tokhu Emong festival is the Serrano Restaurant between Public garden and Police point. This excellent restaurant emotes the absolute love and passion that the chef and owner Mr.Gilbert has for food. The restaurant has a small library and a small setup for music gigs. We tried an authentic Naga delicacy 'Bentsu Honoso,' grilled chicken with Bentsu sauce accompanied with boiled vegetables, chutney and a bowl of rice. This dish is relatively mild in spice but the chutney made of red chilly that come along is very fiery. We were told that the chutney was made of local chilly and not the popular ghost chilly. Needless to say the dish tasted excellent. Though Nagaland is a dry state the mocktails served in this restaurant can easily make you forget alcohol. We tried 'Guava Spice' and 'Oriental Spice,' while the former has a taste of green chilly and tabasco sauce the latter is a mix of worcester sauce and black pepper. A good meal for two would cost between Rs.400-500. The best part about the restaurant is the open kitchen which is sparkling clean.

Nagas love rice so much that they relish this stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The sheer number of rice hotels that serve only rice with varied curries are standing testimonies. People like us from South India had a very tough time to find a single hotel that would serve anything else apart from rice for breakfast.

Another thing to keep in mind is Sundays in Nagaland resonate a total Bandh like mood. Even the Nagaland State Transport buses do not ply and the private taxis too are off the roads. Sundays are more like National holidays. If you are backpacking across Nagaland, it would be a good idea to travel on other days.

How much ever one reads about short days in North East, experiencing it is a very different ball game altogether. The day begins very early and the sun sets at 4.30 pm along with the businesses and the town too calls it a day but for one or two paan shops. Our biological clock instantly adapted to the environment and we would have diner by 7 pm and crash by 9 pm, a healthy lifestyle almost impossible in city life.

Wokha village has very recently been exposed to tourism and there is only one very bearable stay option- 'Tourist Lodge.' The rooms are in terrible condition and there is nothing fancy. The place is not even basic but fortunately they provide clean sheets and thick quilts which is must as the mercury level drops significantly post sunset. The restaurant serves basic and ordinary local food but let all of this not discourage you as the views of Wokha valley from their sit out is mesmerizing and over compensates for the shoddy stay. We were very happy to stay here for 3 nights as we prefer places that are not touched by commercialization and hold natural beauty and charm.

Keep in mind thought the distance is only 150 km from Dimapur, the road condition is pretty bad and depending on the traffic and the narrow lanes of Kohima the duration of the journey is determined. The bus will easily take a minimum of anywhere between 6 to 7 hours to reach. The first bus leaves from Dimapur at 6.45 am. Also, if you have big rucksacks like we had or suitcases you have to climb atop the bus and secure your baggage. It would be a good idea to keep your permits handy as there is a check-post before Kohima where you may be asked to show your permit.

Tokhu Emong- Lothas Celebrating their Heritage

Our trip to North East India officially commenced with "Tokhu Emong" festival celebrated in Wokha by the Lotha tribe from November 4th to 7th. Tokhu literally means 'Festival' in Lotha. This post harvest festival has been celebrated since time immemorial. The entire village comes together in their best traditional attire and exhibit their talent. There are many competitions including indigenous games, rock concerts, food stalls and 3 days don't seem to be enough to experience the extravaganza and celebrations.

The significance of this festival is to forget enmity or animosity, a loan is either repaid or forfeited. It stands for a fresh beginning and letting bygones be bygones. Nagaland has 16 official tribes and though Christianity in these hills has been around for over hundred years and have completely taken over but the age old Naga tradition that cannot be dated still thrives and flourishes.

November 7th is when Tokhu Emong is celebrated in full glory whereas on November 4-6th celebrations start in the form of rock concerts and competitions. Team Metamorphosis, a group of young, vibrant and socially responsible individuals were solely responsible for organizing this festival and making it a success. From November 4 to 6, this team took the initiative to organize indigenous sporting events such as Yodelling (the art of call making), spear throwing, basket making, traditional fire making, stilt bamboo race, top spinning, catapult shooting, bamboo greased pole climbing, Naga cart pushing. While all the events were amazing, the Naga cart pushing and bamboo greased pole climbing were simply the show stoppers. A hand made wooden cart is pushed down a slope. The craftsmanship and skill put into these carts are truly amazing. The bamboo creased pole climbing was the ultimate fun event where youngsters attempt to climb on a super greased bamboo.

Music is considered a religion here in these hills and what better way to end a day than with some brilliant performances by the local bands.

On the 7th of November, the main day of the festival, the entire Lotha tribe gather together and celebrate as one big family. The entire Lotha tribe looks forward eagerly for this festival, they are groomed up with most of them wearing their traditional tribal outfits and take a lot of pride in celebrating their heritage. They look very sharp and elegant, it was incredible to see the younger generations of Lotha tribe represent their villages and organize the entire festival in a very professional and flawless manner. The who is who of Nagaland had gathered together. On the last day of the festival, the Nagas exhibit their time immemorial culture through crisp skits, song and dance followed by a feast.

They performed a skit enacting how the tribe used to raid other villages in earlier times. They used to raid neighboring villages and come back with heads of their enemies as war trophies and it was only the heads of prominent people like the Chief and his deputies that were the target. Apparently, this was considered as an extreme feat of courage and the Headhunter would receive wedding proposals. Upon successful raids, they used a unique war cry to announce victory. Once they attained victory, their exit strategy was ingenious and phenomenal yet simple.  They would go in circles and criss-cross in complex patterns, thus making it impossible for anyone to follow their footprints and reach their village. Post the victorious raid, the women of the tribe would serve exquisite food and rice beer to the warriors. After the feast, the villagers would gather together and celebrate by dancing and singing. All villagers had to participate in this dance, this dance was performed by the Lotsu village of Nagaland.

The skit was followed by a dance which was performed by the tribe while working in the fields. The dance showed farmers removing weed from their field after sowing seeds. The tradition is when they start the song they shouldn't stop until the field is completely clear of weed. During this process the farmers were protected by muscle men of the village from animals and enemies.

This was followed by a portrayal of a wedding ceremony of Lothas. 'Loroe Eso' which means 'bringing Damsel Home.' According to their tradition, the bride is brought to their village in a grand manner and The Damsel is escorted with music and flowers. The wedding procession starts post sunset as it is considered a taboo if an animal crosses their path and to ensure this does not happen the villagers carry traditional torch.

The grand finale was an amazing dance performance put forward by Phiro village. There is a splinted group of four who perform a very unique dance that is exclusive to their tribe alone. This village is over 1000 years old and they are believed to be descendants from Mongolia and are the ones to set up the first Lotha village.

The stage for the event was completely made of natural material that are abundant and locally available. The centre stage was made with bamboos that were held together with natural ropes. This shows how they were able to survive and flourish prior to modern developments. The final event of the festival was a lucky draw and the prize given away was freshly slaughtered pork. No surprise that the first prize was Pork Head followed by legs.

Travelling to Wokha village and experiencing Tokhu Emong is one of the best experiences we would ever have. Before even the festival could start, we were greeted by smiling faces and a young chap dressed in his traditional Lotha attire welcomed us and little did we know this was just the start to many awesome experiences that were to follow. Mr. Thanga gave us a detailed tour of the venue and patiently answered all our questions. He made us feel like we were also part of Lotha tribe and later we got to know that he was the elected chairman of his community. He was such a humble person who wanted to make sure that we guests have a great time. He was our official host and explained the traditional significance and events that were unfolding. He treated us with a shot of traditionally brewed rice beer which was phenomenally good and tasted like buttermilk just a little sour. It is a very safe drink to consume as it is completely organic.

The entire village was so kind and generous that we were treated with a great lunch not just once but twice. The second lunch was more of a family event for which we were invited by Mr. Thanga's community. The lavish spread included smoked beef, beautifully cooked pork neatly packed in banana leaves, organic and farm fresh salad, boiled vegetables, crab pickle, dal and rice with black tea and bananas served post lunch. The kids and the elders showered us with so much love and along with lunch provided us very valuable travel snippets. If this was not enough they bid adieu by gifting us over a dozen of the sweetest bananas. Such kind of love and affection can never be experienced in the best of luxurious hotels. It is such a disgrace for any of us to either racially profile, discriminate or resort to name calling such lovely people.

In our opinion North East Indians seem to celebrate life and have lot of fun. The sheer number of festivals stand as fine testimony. We began our culinary treat by digging into steaming hot pork momo, it was our first time and it was wonderful. It pretty much tasted like chicken momo. Pork is a staple diet of Nagas and sticky rice roti seems to be their favorite. This traditional dish is a must try the sticky rice is hand grinded and then mixed with roti dough.

The Tokhu Emong festival is held at public grounds, autos are plentiful and would be the best way to commute. Do remember to carry warm clothes as the temperature drops significantly post sunset. During the festival (Nov 6th and 7th are official dates) the entire Wokha town is shut including hotels and eateries, small paan shops are the only exceptions.

The Best of Mysore

Mysore puts one in a spot as it has so much to offer- palaces, zoo, bird sanctuary, temple, church, museums, lip smacking food, art, the list keeps growing... We have compiled a few of the best of Mysore.

Lalitha Mahal Palace: Once a Royal home, now a heritage hotel run by The Ashoka Group, this palace is tucked away from the city en route Chamundi hills. This stunning palace was one of the locations in the famous Rajinikanth movie 'Muthu.' Visitors are charged an entry fee of Rs.100, and you are treated with a delightful cup of hot beverages. One feels the essence of peace and tranquility amidst forest over looking Chamundi hills. Also, you can go back in time and experience royalty by taking a buggy ride around the palace.

 Jaganmohan Palace:  Just a stone's throw away from City Palace is the fine art gallery at Jaganmohan Palace exhibiting phenomenal work of Raja Ravi Varma, artillery, intricate woodwork, extensive ivory artifacts such as comb, stirrer, jewel box, hair pins, board games, hand fan are just a few to list. Life of Buddha depicted on a massive ivory tusk, Japanese painting on silk cloth, work of Shakespeare depicted on silver wall hangings, antique musical instruments, miniature of Ambavilas palace in marble, medieval currency are the other interesting exhibits.

If the above mentioned does not cease to amaze you, check out the exclusive oil painting - "Glow Of Hope" this beautiful painting depicts a women carrying a 'Diya' in one hand and covering the glow with the other hand to protect it from the wind. The artist has captured the ultimate glow through her fingers beautifully. No amount of words can do justice to the painting, we stood there admiring the work in awe. The museum has rightly dedicated an exclusive room with fine aesthetics to portray this exhibit.

To be further surprised, walk towards the first viewing gallery on the ground floor of the museum to witness a 10-feet high French clock, made in 1818, churn it's magic. Every hour the miniature soldiers march around with soft music playing in the background. Every 15 minutes one can hear the clock chime and if you observe closely on the top left corner of the clock, one can see a soldier beating a drum which syncs with the seconds hand of a clock. This clock not only shows the time but also denotes the month, date & day of the calendar year.

Rail Museum: This small museum dedicated to old locomotives is rooted in the corner of the city, right next to the railway station. If you love machines, this place is a must visit. The highlight of the museum is "The Maharani Saloon" - yet another fine example of what royal life is all about. This carriage was exclusively designed to keep the Maharani comfortable with a movable cot, writing table, fans, chandeliers, comfortable bath, great aesthetics, exclusive servant room, followed by another carriage which housed the royal cook and dining area. All of this luxury costed the Royal family Rs.29500 in year 1899.

The 'Travelling Crane' built in 1885 is another engineering marvel exhibited at this museum. This crane could lift weights upto 5 ton and can swivel to 360 degree. This was used during accident and restoration work, best part being this is in perfect working condition.

Saint Philomena Church; Built in Neo Gothic style in 1936, this massive structure stands tall attracting devotees and tourists. Do go there to admire and appreciate the architecture and sheer class of the monument. The special feature of the church is the passage to the basement housing the relic of Saint Phelomena under the main altar.

Chamundi Hills: 15 km from Mysore city is Chamundi hills, the adobe of Chamundeswari. It is one of the most famous and much visited pilgrimage site in Mysore. Apart from spirituality, you have stellar panoramic view of Mysore city. Do stop at the view point to get a bird's eye view of the racecourse, Mysore palace, karanji lake & the city.

The mere fact of visiting any religious place is for solace and inner peace, however, the ground reality is completely different. People push, shove & scream at one another to catch a glimpse of the deity. The drive to Chamundi hills is brilliant, on either side you are treated with lush green forest. On the way back do stop over at Sand Art Museum.

Last but not the least Ambavilas Palace: