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.

Doyang- Great Migration Of Amur Falcons

If solitude is your cup of tea and you want to enjoy Nature at it's best without any disturbance then Doyang is the perfect place. This beautiful village in remote parts of Nagaland is a bird watchers paradise and is visited by lakhs of Amur Falcons during the winter months. These incredible migratory birds have chosen this fertile land for roosting, embarking on a marathon flight from East Asia to Siberia via North East India covering thousands of kilometers. Only a handful of homes are dotted across the hill and this is one of those rare places to enjoy wilderness. The star lit sky and massive reservoir built over Chubi river on which the Doyang hydro power project sits is a picturesque destination.

An early morning walk on deserted roads with a foggy view of the lake, mist on the leaves and the melodious chirping of birds soothing our ears, we could not have asked for a more blissful morning. It was an awesome experience to hear callings of various birds and the one that grabbed our attention was the call of a racket-tailed Drongo. For the next three hours, all that we could hear was out and out bird calls and we had fun identifying as many birds as possible. The best sight that unfolded that day was a massive flock of juvenile Falcons whistling past us. They were flying really low and at great speed that in a split second they vanished. This region is not only good for bird watching but there are also plenty of colorful butterflies.

We went about exploring the place on foot and it made us feel like we were marooned on an island and left to fend for ourselves. We sat by the longest bailey bridge in India, Chubi Bridge, hours went by and no words were spoken and in this state of peace we could very clearly hear the oars of a boat slapping Chubi river and then slowly fade away.

After a long walk, we headed to an ordinary tea shop with an extraordinary view. Silence is truly golden and it being such a rare occurrence in our busy city life, we were truly able to appreciate and realize how valuable, serene and enjoyable it could be. It was a perfect setup for relaxation of the mind, body and soul- enjoying views of placid river, mountain vistas and sipping hot cup of tea. In the entire stretch of 5 kilometers, we came across only 2 other homes and 1 tea shop, this speaks a lot about how remote this place is.

The roosting site of the falcons is very close to the next village after Doyang. On the way to the roosting site is the watch tower which is entirely built with natural resources and is a lovely little spot to spend hours early morning and evening to watch these magnificent birds fill the sky and prey on dragon fly and other insects. It is a pretty sight to see hundreds of them sit on high tension wires. It seems as though they have completely taken over the village.

After much struggle we made it up to the roosting site and it was an experience like none other. Doyang is India's own Masai Mara as we got to experience the Great Migration Of Falcons. We were amazed to see millions of Amur Falcons turn the deep blue sky grey. It appeared like we were witnessing a scene from fantasy movie 'The Mummy' live. Any direction that our heads turned to, we saw several millions of these birds hovering in circles. Like the sky is lit by stars in the night, during evening the sky was lit by amur falcons. It was such a majestic and overwhelming experience.

These amazing little raptors take one of the longest migration routes of all birds (The Marathon Migration) traveling a total of 22,000 km a year from East Asia to Southern Africa and back. These birds migrate over sea even during night. It is during this migration that they halt in North East India to replenish their energy levels. During this brief stay of 3 months they help the North East farmers by acrobatically feeding midair on swarming insects that destroy crops. These birds fly over the Indian Ocean en-route Africa and cover a whopping distance of 4000 km in 3 to 4 days. It is still unclear as to what route they take on their way back.

Doyang, home to the largest congregation of Amur Falcons, until recently was more known for hunting these birds for their meat and for selling them in the market. While these tiny little creatures do their best to help humans we show our gratitude by mercilessly hunting them in the thousands for their meat but now these same birds are considered as the pride of the state thanks to the conservation efforts.

We reached the roosting site where a group of self proclaimed conservationists act as the governing body and care takers welcome you. These unemployed bunch of youth run a big con here. A big warning to any wild life enthusiast who plans to visit this place to see this incredible feat is that there is absolutely no administrative body here or any set of rules or regulations. They reminded us of the local colony goons who come to your doorstep to collect chanda during festivals. In the name of conservation and volunteering for a noble cause, they gain your trust and claim there are no fees or charges but only a voluntary donation of any amount of your choice. After making the donation we explicitly asked if there was a guide fee? For which the answer was "No, We Only Collect Donations." They gain your respect but beware this is nothing but a big trap.

When we were done with our tour and on our way back to exit point, out of the blue we were informed about a "Mandatory Guide Charge" of Rs.400. We were taken aback and started questioning the difference in statement before and after the tour. No where did it mention that visitors are charged any fee and they themselves explicitly mentioned the same. On reaching the exit point 7 guys ganged up and demanded that we pay these charges and if this was not enough, they had the audacity to ask Rs.200 more for "Camera Charges." This lawlessness and fraud ruined an amazing experience! After too many questions, the "Camera Charges" disappeared all of a sudden but guide fee remained. Since it was very dark and we were a lone couple we had no other option but to pay the ransom. The point here is not about Rs.400 but the fact that we traveled over 3000 km to have this experience and if the hooligans get used to this who knows what they might do next?

We agree that any wildlife park or sanctuary are entitled to collect Park, guide and camera fee plus the usual other charges. However, the tourist is always made aware and provided receipts for the same. And later on there are no hidden charges. In this instance we were welcomed grandly and they projected a 'No fee' picture explicitly and later on we were asked to shell out for charges that suddenly appeared without any receipt. This is a sure shot example of swindling money from unsuspecting travelers and for this reason alone we had an issue. These lovely folks also provide food and lodging at the roosting site, do try out at your own risk! This instance is no exaggeration and this is exactly how it happened.

The best time to visit the roosting site is early morning 5 to 8 am or evening 3:30 to 5 pm. It is a solid 15 to 18 km distance between Doyang and the roosting point. It is impossible to walk this path as it would be pitch dark and very cold both early in the morning and post sunset. Also, note it is thick jungle area and populated by wild animals especially elephants. So one has no other option other than to hire a taxi. The availability of these taxis are scarce and way too expensive. We coughed out Rs.2000 for the 20 km journey.

In spite of being just 30 km from Wokha, reaching the beautiful village of Doyang in itself could be a big challenge due to bumpy roads and no tarmac just gravel and sand. Still it is well worth a visit as we were greeted by absolute pristine and pollution free environment. Maybe the challenges in reaching this remote place is a blessing a disguise as  the pristine beauty of the place remains intact. Commercialization would ruin the natural surroundings and it would not take much time for it to completely get polluted ripping away the natural habitat.

For a traveler who depends on public transport, shared taxis ply in this route but are packed to full capacity. It is highly unlikely that one might find empty seats. There is a lone bus that plies in this route which leaves from Pangti village to Wokha at 5 am and returns anywhere between 2 to 3 pm. Nonetheless, the experience of travelling like a local is much better than the comforts of a luxury car or hired taxi. The connect that you feel with the locals makes you instantly a part of the place and of course you meet more people, make some amazing friends and learn more about their lives, the challenges they face. The simple task of traveling like the locals teaches us a lot and the most significant being that it makes you a much more humble person.

There are literally only a handful of very basic stay options here as fortunately, commercial tourism has still not caught up here. We stayed in 'The Falcon Pass' homestay. They have two basic rooms with 3 beds each and a common bath. Each bed is let out at Rs.400 per night, lunch and dinner is also arranged from their kitchen and is priced at a very reasonable Rs.150 per person per meal. During our stay here we got to taste awesome fresh water fish and country chicken. When you stay at falcon pass do ask the host to prepare omelette which was yummy and more like their signature dish. The best part about the place is that it has a very charming sit out over looking the reservoir. It is an off beat destination in the middle of nowhere and ideal for unwinding. They can be reached at 9612888376.

Spot Our Homestay Right In Between The Two Hills

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.

Nagaland Inner Line Permit Procedure

Nagaland is one of the 3 North Eastern States that still requires tourists to obtain the Colonial Era 'Inner Line Permit.' One can get the Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Nagaland in Dimapur. We got our Inner Line Permit issued at the 'Deputy Commissioner Office' in Dimapur.

It is a fairly simple process but a little time consuming. The permit is issued for 30 days by default. The documents required are a photocopy of address proof, one passport size photo and the ILP form needs to be duly filled in block letters. Post this, a picture of yours is clicked while submitting the form. After this we had to wait for the DC to sign the ILP. The entire process took us about 3 hours and we were armed with the official permit papers to visit Nagaland.

We were charged Rs.10 per form and Rs.130 per person for the permit. However, we were not provided any receipt and upon questioning all of a sudden came the language barrier and our further questions were unanswered. After this we were pretty certain that it was not a fee but a polished way of taking bribe.

There are various Army check-posts in Nagaland that may ask for your ILPs so remember to keep them safe and handy.

If you are flying into Dimapur, ILP can be obtained at the airport.

Experiencing The Beauty Of North East India

Loktak Lake

Our very first slow backpacking trip was to one of the least explored territories of India, North East India- the land of festivals. North East India has always been a fascination for us as she is so inviting and beautiful. Mother Nature has been very kind to this part of India blessing her with pristine lakes, magical streams, gorgeous rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, blue mountains, deep caves, rich flora and fauna. Of course, it is not just the natural beauty but also the kindhearted people residing there that make North East India an amazing destination to explore.

Willong Khullen

We backpacked across Nagaland, Manipur & Meghalaya cherishing each of the 53 days stay here. North East India gave us quite a few unforgettable experiences of a life time. Doyang, a tiny village in Nagaland, home to migratory birds- Amur Falcon, gave us a chance to drift into deep wilderness and we saw the great migration of millions of Amur Falcons. With the orange sun setting behind the hills we saw these amazing birds take over the entire sky.

Millions Of Amur Falcons 

Another memorable experience from the trip was heading to Longwa village in search of  Konyak tribesmen who were headhunters and are famous for their tattooed faces. Over bonfire we heard gripping tales from the last remaining headhunters while they smoked up opium.

Konyak Tribesmen

In Manipur, we went canoeing in  Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East which is known for the phumdis. Loktak is also home to the only floating National Park in the World, 'Keibul Lamjo' where we went in quest of the shy and rare dancing deer 'Sangai.' Another hidden treasure of Manipur is our very own 'Stonehenge' - Willong Khullen.

Only Floating National Park In The World

The tiny town of Dawki at India Bangla border opened up absolutely crystal clear blue waters and from the boat we could see the 'Unmagot' river bed and marine life. Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya is where we spent days strolling around and belting traditional Khasi food. This village was awarded the title "The cleanest village of Asia" by the travel magazine Discover India in 2003.

Magical Dawki

Cleanest Village In Asia

Cherrapunjee, one of the wettest place on the planet, gave us amazing views of some incredible waterfalls and an insight into hundreds of monoliths in 'Nartiang.'

Nohkalikai Waterfalls

We trekked an entire day to see the bio-engineering wonder of the world- "The Double Decker Living Root Bridge." The trek of over 3000 steps for over 4 hours to reach this wonder was a mind boggling experience and we were also very fortunate to experience the rare phenomena of how locals grow these living root bridges.

The Double Decker Living Root Bridge

A little further from the Double Decker Bridge and we reached stunning natural swimming pools of "Nongriat" Village that will forever be edged in our memories. The crystal clear turquoise blue water was so clean and clear that fishermen find it difficult to catch fish. These magical isolated places made us realize that Nature has so many hidden treasures to offer mankind if only we have the eye to observe.

North East being termed the Land Of Festivals is no mere understatement. During our stay, we attended three elaborate festivals that ran for days showcasing their indigenous games, culture, art, music, warfare, legacy, traditions and history. The festivals were a one stop shop for us to experience the culture of several tribes that have been living in this region since time immemorial.

War Scenes From Hornbill Festival

We experienced great hospitality from the locals, soaked ourselves in tribal traditions, were part of their festivals and celebrated it like ours. Many a homes generously opened their doors and hearts for us. In true village style, we traversed the country roads with friendly villagers, sharing seats with livestock and baskets of vegetables and fruits while gunny bags and bamboo cushioned our feet.

Traveling With Locals, Like A Local

We got a chance to experience local flavors and try authentic tribal food accompanied with homemade alcoholic beverages that kept us warm and tipsy. Almost every house had a garden and they grow their own fruits and vegetables even breeding their own livestock, living a very organic and healthy lifestyle. They love having nursery outside their homes and have a thing for decoration. The houses painted with vibrant colors were a treat for our eyes. Our stay in thatched huts and homes built with bamboo were one of the best travel experiences.

Authentic Manipuri Thali

Reaching remote parts of North East could be pretty difficult due to terrible road conditions or the roads could be good but with no public transport and even locals would have to accommodate themselves in a single jeep that plies on a daily basis to the nearest city. The challenge in accessing these places could be considered a blessing in disguise as even after several years the beauty still remains intact.

Their obsession with Sports is very promising. Their love for Football is evident by the sheer number of football fields that you can spot even in remote villages and these grounds just don't seem to exist, they are pretty much in use and you can see them play a game daily. And if you thought it is only Football that have them occupied, you are wrong, It were the people of North East who introduced to the world the game of Polo and now proudly host annual international tournaments.

Capt Kenguruse Memorial Tournament 

International Annual Polo Tournament, Manipur

People here are very warm, friendly and interested in having lengthy conversations despite language barrier and genuinely want to know our likes, dislikes, lifestyle choices et al. The life here in North East India is very relaxed and chilled out. Though people seem to have less they are a very happy lot. They are extremely proud of their tribes culture and wear it on their sleeves. The sheer number of folks both young and old who to-date adorn their traditional attire on a day to day basis is a startling testimony to the fact that they are so proud of their lineage.

Lotha Tribesman

Religion plays an integral part in their lives and you can see them dressed in their best on Sundays all set to go to church. Though Christianity has taken over, the age old traditions and festivals are kept very much alive. The artifacts from ancient times take centre stage in all the households that we stepped into. They are fashion conscious as well, setting new trends and love shopping. Women seem to enjoy a lot of freedom. They are working for their community and willing to bring about a change. Not just waiting for the government to do things or complain but actually working on improving things on their own.

The people are not just friendly but very welcoming too. Among the very few tourists to attend Tokhu Emong Festival in Wokha district, we were welcomed with open arms and were invited to their community celebration and were treated with royalty. Our visit to Doyang was made possible all thanks to these kind and wonderful friends we made in Wokha.

One night we lost way to our hotel in Kohima, a kind family not only offered to drop us but also treated us to one elaborate dinner at their home the next day. During our stay in Mawlynnong, where one of us suffered from a sore throat, the old and kind couple running the homestay nursed us and took care of us like their own kids. All these instances moved us beyond words and we were filled with immense respect and gratitude for having the opportunity to meet these people.

Eco Friendly Huts

Northeasterners are well read and show a keen interest in what is happening in other states. Be it politics or some natural disaster, their concern is genuine and it is such a shame that most of us
cannot even locate where a place from North East is on the map.

It is disheartening that many of our Countrymen call them names and are racially profiled. A geographical area that is very much a part of India is neglected. We Indians are the biggest racists and hypocrites who disrespect people from other parts of our country but when the same treatment is meted out outside India we cry wolf.

Amidst all this calm and beauty there is a bit of chaos and unrest. We were shocked and overwhelmed to see multiple massive Army carcade comprising of many jeeps mounted with automated weapons manned by bunch of smart, fit and able men and women of the Indian Army. They were completely covered from head to toe, we couldn't even see their eyes. We understood how lethal and professional our Army could be, tirelessly working to keep our Nation's interests and borders safe from internal and external threats. However, unfortunately events like Malom massacre have also happened under the Army's watch.

Memorial At Malom Bus Stop

Whatever demands or needs both sides have, it would be best to drop weapons and find solutions to all problems through constructive dialogues and lay foundation for real development that would benefit the future generations of our Country.

This trip taught us to quit the habit of surrendering ourselves to commercialization and make memories and experiences rather than collect materialistic things. It also taught us to introspect on how we have done some irreparable damage to Nature and have been living surrounded by toxic environment, processed and contaminated food and plastic people. We really need to get back to our roots, start respecting Nature, consume healthy and chemical free food, breathe fresh air without the help of filtering masks. We have to be very thankful and content with what we have.

"You Only Live Once But If You Do It Right, Once Is Enough."