Kohima The Heart Of Nagaland

Kohima, the capital of Nagaland is the most popular destination due to her close proximity to Kisama Heritage Village, the venue for Hornbill Festival. Also, Kohima is the base to reach other parts of Nagaland due to her recent infrastructure development. However, this hill station has seen exponential growth in last couple of years and it can get congested as traffic tends to move at snail's speed.

Despite high number of vehicles, the streets are free of traffic jams and gridlocks thanks to the civic sense of the people of Nagaland. They follow lane discipline, patiently give way to other vehicles, pedestrians and do not honk unnecessarily. We only wish this incredible feat could be implemented all over India.

We started our tour in Kohima by visiting one of the most brutal battle grounds where the allied forces stopped the Japanese advancement- "Battle of Kohima." Once sprawling bungalow of the Deputy Commissioner was reduced to rubble after the war. As a reminder of the sacrifices of the war heroes this Battle field has been converted to a cemetery. This is the final resting place of more than 1420 soldiers who laid down their lives defending India during World War II.

The epitaph carved on the memorial:

When You Go Home

Tell Them of Us

And Say

"For Your Tomorrow,

We Gave Our Today."

A Cherry blossom tree is of historic importance here. The original tree was used by the Japanese forces as a sniper post. However, the tree was damaged during the war and the present tree is a shoot from the old stump.

Kohima state museum located in the corner of a busy lane is a perfect place to see art and artifacts belonging to the different tribes of Nagaland. The collectibles are simple and are all made of natural material but excellent when it comes to serving the purpose. The ones that stood out the most were different kinds of indigenous traps for birds and fish. Apart from that, a brush made of jack-fruit and it took us a while to believe that it could even be possible. Another very freaky exhibit that made our jaws drop were the skulls displayed that are real headhunting trophies collected during raids.

Outside the museum is a small open air gallery that houses many centuries old relics. The statues though damaged still have a classic appeal and the most lively one being that of Shiva killing a demon.

Kohima tends to host a lot of interesting football games and next to one of the football fields was a second hand clothing market where goods were being sold at a throwaway price. While on one side we saw a lot of folks work really hard to make money, the other side was the stark reality and one of the biggest challenges our Nation is facing- 'Illegal Gambling.' Illegal gambling happens in the open and on a massive scale, it was disheartening to see a young chap lose around 10 thousand rupees in under two minutes. It reached a point where after losing everything, he yielded to the temptation of borrowing money and ended up losing that as well. This just goes on to prove how addicting and home wrecking gambling could be.

Just for the heck of it we did try our hands at gambling, started with Rs.400 and almost lost all of it but lady luck shined and we made Rs.300. Being a part of the game we soon realized how the dealers work. It is more of a con, a group of men all working together make it look like the dealer is losing and there is easy money to be made. Once unsuspecting players bet big the house ends up winning everything. The greed to get back not just the investment but make profits is the root cause of getting trapped in this vicious cycle. Mind surely plays games. We called it quits after making Rs.300 and all of this happened in just 3 chances.

The best time to visit Kohima would be around Hornbill festival and during this time the entire city is pumped up. There are plenty of competitions organized by the enthusiastic local government and other bodies. A few to mention are photo competition, half marathon, music competitions and football. Many of the events had entry fee with exceptionally good price money and it was open for non locals too.

With abundant growth, pollution also becomes a reality and to curb this, local NGOs have started promoting the message of a cleaner city in a creative way. The graffiti on the walls of Kohima is something that is beautiful and filled with messages to educate people.

We took a stroll around Kohima and walked into one of the busy markets that was selling not just vegetables and fruits but also live frogs, snails, worms and insects. The restaurant Shilloi Lake in Hotel Jafpu serves good food and is reasonable priced. Their hot and sour soup is a must try.

When it comes to small bites, Popular Bakery is a perfect stop. True to their name, they seem to be very popular and have outlets across Kohima. 'Planet Earth' restaurant near Kohima town junction is one of the best cafes in town to dine in. They specialize in Chinese cuisine and is also easy on the pocket. Their red velvet cake is awesome and a must try.

'Ozone Cafe' in the same area gives it a super tough competition. If you are in Kohima this place is a must visit, alongside an awesome menu they have an in-house library. The food tastes awesome and the pricing is very reasonable. Their milkshakes are a must try.

Another awesome aspect about Nagaland in December is the Christmas celebrations. Christmas is jubilantly celebrated in Nagaland and it was in Ozone Cafe we saw the best of snowman made out of plastic cups.

We got a taste of the festive spirit when on our way to Kohima we got down from the bus at a wrong stop and lost our route to the hotel. We were stranded in a dark street with maps not functioning and loaded with our rucksacks we were speculating our next steps. A kind gentleman who was with his family, spotted us looking totally lost and confused, offered to drop us to our hotel in his car. This generous offer to complete strangers touched us no bounds. It is definitely difficult to trust complete strangers and offer them lift especially when one is travelling with family but this man and his family changed our thought process completely.

The next day they dropped by to check if we were comfortable at the hotel and even invited us to their home and prepared a feast like dinner for us to enjoy their cuisine. This beautiful family turned out to be our Angels spreading the joy of giving and we truly got an insight into Naga lives, their cuisine and also their lifestyle. They even treated us to amazing rice beers.

We checked into Hotel Aurora at Traders road. A budget hotel with excellent and quick service, it had clean rooms and was total value for money. The best part is their restaurant that serves amazing food at a very reasonable price. Their continental breakfast is amazing and so is their Indian and Chinese cuisine. They offer free WiFi and is centrally located with buses and taxis easily available.

Hornbill Festival A Photo Story

A lot more to read about Hornbill Festival.

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.