|
Tucked away in the North-East region of the
Indo-Myanmar border is the mountainous State of Nagaland. Its
general inaccessibility and the descriptions in the travel accounts
always bring forth the image of an exotic but hostile nation.
However, once you reach Nagaland the beauty of the land and its
people compels you to return for more.
As our aeroplane flew
over the rolling hills of the eastern Himalayas across the vast
expanse of the Brahmaputra river, I could not help imagine how the
British expeditions in the last century could have been led through
the thick carpet of forests into the Naga Hills, as Nagaland was
known in the 18th century.
We landed in Dimapur, the
only town which has an airport and a rail head in Nagaland, I was a
little disappointed to see a dusty little town which looked no
different from several such towns which dot Assam. But the
disappointment lasted only for a short while. Fifteen minutes later,
outside Dimapur, on my way to Kohima, I could feel that cool mountain
breeze breathe the damp forest air and see the mountains. The road
to Kohima which is 74 kilometres from Dimapur, passes through a few
Angami villages. All these villages have roadside tea stalls. Early
in the city one can see several shops selling vegetables, fresh
bamboo shoots and even jungle fowl and squirrels. Depending on the
season one may find pineapples, corn cobs, oranges and cucumber being
sold on several make-shift road-side stalls all over Nagaland.
Kohima is the capital of
Nagaland where the township has come up outside the old Kohima
village which is popularly known as ‘Barrabasti’ or the big
village. During the late 19th century Kohima was made the
administrative capital of the newly annexed villages of the Naga
Hills by the British.
Until the British made
inroads into the Naga Hills to build a land route to Myanmar (then
Burma), very little was known about the hill communities of this
area. They were collectively known as Naga or ‘noga’ –
meaning hill people in the plains of Assam. The legends of all the
different Naga tribes point towards their having reached their
present habitat in several waves of migration. The oldest written
records of the Ahom Kings of Assam dating back to the 12th
century mention trade links with Naga villages bordering Assam. It
was in 1963 that the State of Nagaland was carved out of Assam. More
than 15 Naga tribes and sub-tribes inhabit the seven districts of
this State. In addition there are some Naga tribes in Manipur, Assam
and, across the border, in Myanmar.
Each tribe speaks a
different dialect of Tibeto-Burmese language (the official language
is English and the commonly spoken is Nagamese or pidgin Assamese).
The names of the tribes such as Angami, Lotha, Ao and Konyak help the
Nagas to distinguish themselves from the other hill tribes living in
the surrounding regions. Despite the difference in local customs and
practises, some features are common to the majority of Nagas. Except
for the Angami and Chakhsang tribes, who primarily cultivate rice in
terraced fields, al the other Naga tribes practise jhum or
slash and burn cultivation. Invariably all the Naga villages are
built on the highest points of the hill ranges or spurs – a
practise being carried on from earlier days which provided them with
a good view of any advancing threat from the valleys down below.
Each village is a congregation of units known as khel – each
khel having been traditionally occupied by a single clan.
The Nagas are patrilineal
and patriarchal. Marriages, as a rule, take place outside the clan,
though this norm has been often violated.
The traditional political
set up of the different Naga tribes ranged from a form of democracy
ruled by a council of elders close to the chieftains. Even today,
the Konyak chiefs have a hold over their village as well as the
satellite villages. There was a time when villages of the same tribe
were at war with each other. Trophies of both human and animal heads
were much sought after during times of war as well as during
peacetime rituals. It is for this reason that the Nagas were known as
head-hunters and were feared by the people of the plains.
Nowadays a glimpse of the
traditional lifestyle, albeit with some obvious outside influences,
can still be seen in the villages, Nagaland is a good example of the
cliché ‘continuity I change’. Pristine methods of
cultivation, traditional houses and artifacts of bamboo and cane, the
well known Naga cloth and the myriad festivals defy the overtly
Westernized image which the Nagas are associated with. Villages have
more or less retained their traditional features despite the fact
that most of the thatched roofs of the village houses have been
replaced by corrugated iron sheets. Among the Nagas, the Angami
villages stand apart because of their highly stylized houses and clan
gates which are hewn out of a single wooded pole. The village paths
are lined with memorial stones of a various sizes which were
installed at the great feasts given by the ancestors.
Westernization and
modernization came to Nagaland with the conversion of the populace to
Christianity and forthcoming education. Like in other spheres, some
of the old institutions such as the youth dormitories have crumbled,
though youth clubs and age-grade systems in the villages are still
present.
Since the traditional
festivals area celebrated with much enthusiasm by the Nagas, a visit
to the State is best planned to coincide one of the numerous
festivals. And as one would like to think, there is indeed a
festival being celebrated throughout the year. For the Nagas,
festive time is a day of no work and traditionally they keep aside a
certain number of days as genna or ‘no work days’.
On such days the Nagas can be seen preparing the traditional dress
and making a head-gear (the traditional cloth of the Naga dresses in
hand made on back strap looms). Village lanes and frequently used
paths and even the clan ponds are cleaned. Brewingo ceremonial rice
and preparations from the meat of mithun (semi-wild bison) and
pig are very conspicuous. In some of the tribes this is the time
when young lovers exchange gifts. Undoubtedly, the aura of festivity
and hospitality of the villagers transports the visitors to a totally
different world. As evening dawns one can enjoy the earthy folk
songs, sung by young men and women, around a fire while sipping the
local brew or tea. The finale comprises mostly of a festival
procession when the young and old turn out in their traditional
finery.
Apart from the festivals,
the natural beauty of the land can be admired by those who like
trekking and camping. Mount Saramati and Japfu are ideal for the
adventurous. Ssaramati, situated at the Indo-Myanmar border, is the
highest peak in Nagaland measuring 3877 metres above sea level. It
can take up to two days by road to reach the base of Saramati. Japfu
(3048 metres above sea level), on the other hand, is more accessible
being just 15 kilometres from Kohima and is approachable by road from
Imphal. On the other side of Japfu is Dzukou valley. During the
months of July-August the whole valley is covered with a carpet of
wild lilies and several other wild plants which come into bloom.
Dzukou valley also boasts of some endemic species of flora and fauna.
The southern part of Dzukou valley can be approached from the Angami
village called Khonoma. In the month of April the whole hill is
covered with red and white rhododendrons and also certain orchids in
bloom. On the summit is a masonry hut which was built by the Khonoma
villagers. Inside it one finds dry wood, candles, match boxes and
salt. However, these treks are for the seasoned trekker since
otherwise the steep climbs could leave you with aching limbs for
days!
For the cautious
adventurer, a walk among the tall ferns at Dzulakie (36 kilometres
form Kohima) can be invigorating.
Depending on whether one
wishes to experience the monsoon in Nagaland which begins from April
onwards and last till September, or prefers to tread on drier
grounds, a visit can be planned at any time of the year.
TRIBAL FESTIVALS
Tribe Festival Month
Angami Sekrenyie Dec-Mar
Chakhasang
Tsukhenyie Mar-Apr
Konyak Aoling Apr. 1st
week
Khiamungan Miu Apr 2nd
week
Ao Moatsu May 1st
week
Chang Naknyulum July
1st week
Sema Tuluni July 8th
Ao Tsungremong Aug 1st
week
Yimchunger Metemneo Aug
8th
Sangtam Amongmong Sep
3rd
Khiamungam Tsokum Oct
2nd week
Lotha Tokhu emong Nov
7th
Rengma Ngada Nov-Dec
Zeliang Nga-ngai Dec
IN MEMORIAM
“When you go home
tell them of us and say its for your tomorrow we gave our today”
Many of us are oblivious
of the fact that an important battle of the World War II was fought
in the hills of Nagaland and Manipur. Kohima and the adjoining areas
were completely turned into a battle field when the Allied army
fought to stall the invasion of the Japanese forces. A well
maintained Commonwealth cemetery in the heart of Kohima town is a
reminder of the manu lives lost during the war. In April 1992, both
British and Japanese war veterans came to Kohima for a peace
ceremony. In April 1994 a commemorative ceremony was organized for
the war veterans. Every year some Japanese make a pilgrimage to
Kohima and Imphal. Some of them are survivors who once lived through
the war while others are relatives of those died in the battle.
NAGALAND – THINGS
TO KNOW
Area: 16527 sq.
km.
Capital: Kohima
(altitude 1495 metres above sea level)
Airport: Dimapur
Railhead: Dimapur
| 