Nagaland – one of the most cherished 7 sisters of India is a fabled land which time has just let be. The unmanicured; almost raffish woods bring out the natural wilderness which has not been corralled into parks or gardens. The lazy, slithering tracks of the valley are sure to let you out near some waterfall or to bump you into someone who is very much ready to ask you for dinner, lunch or at least a cup of warm tea. Rounding it up briefly, Nagaland evokes in you and itself a sense of serenity, serendipity, peace and a strong will to caress the natural beauty of earth. Nagaland’s stunning panoramas, ancient legends, shamanistic mysteries, spontaneous music and dancing, camaraderie and infectious hospitality continue to wait for tourists who have very little time on their land. Like the say every coin has two sides, apart from visualizing the place as it seems from distance we should spare sometime to think about the land and its people, both of which are warm and incorrigibly informal. They make visitors feel like family almost immediately.
History and Its Trimming:
For all the excitement that Nagaland arouses in the mind’s eyes of the tourists, whetted by the scenic drive from Dimapur to Kohima, the capital could look almost blank and plain at first glance. However, as the day ends – and it ends rather early, around 4:00 pm – capital beautifies for the night. Bara basti one of the largest settlements in Asia turns out into incandescent dreams, the urban morning is muffled by clouds and the silence of hills takes over. However, apart from the night there are several sites in and around the town, which are desperate for visitors. Kohima cemetery, a tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives pushing back the Japanese army during the Second World War. Garrison Hill, where the well-layered lawns and the rose–ringed epitaphs offer a silent tribute to fallen braves, was the spot where on 4 April 1944, the British Second Division clashed with 10,000 strong Japanese 31st Division in hand – to – hand combat.
Today, the cemetery is watched by two towering crosses and welcomes everyone who comes to offer respect to braves taking out time from their city lives full of hustle and bustle. Tragopan Sanctuary, which has been trying to save the endangered Blyth’s tragopan since 1988, is located in Khonoma – an Anagami village 20 Km away from Kohima. Today the sanctuary is owned and managed by the Village Community of Khonoma and it has paved the way for several more initiatives across the state. Historically, Khonoma is considered as the birthplace of the Naga National Movement. Apart from the historic point of view, tourists mainly are attracted towards the Hornbill Festival of the state. This festival is held in first week of December; and is named after Hornbill – globally respected bird, which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes. Festival unites all the tribes and is considered most sacred and thus participation is compulsory. Major tribes which take part in this festival are – the Ao, Anagami, Sema, Lotha, Rengma, Chakhesang, Sangtam, Konyak, Phom, Chang, Yimchuger, Khiamugan, Zeliang, Kuki, Kachari and Pochury – at heritage naga village in Kisama to showcase their art, craft, culture, way of life fabrics and the totems carved out of tree. Apart from all this, the food makes you go hungry even when you are full. Nagas make mean dishes with pork – steamed, smoked, fried – that are doused with a cocktail of local herbs and spices that must be sampled. Do not make a mistake of leaving before you taste the heady rice beer the serve. Before going back to bed in your hotel room, do follow the crowds to the next-door venue after sundown for the Hornbill National Rock Contest, where bands from all over the country compete for top honors.
The largest and eastern most districts in Nagaland are full of all sorts of flora and fauna. Among the better known is Noksen, which is full of semi-evergreen forests and provide a sanctuary to animals like tigers, panthers, Himalayan bears, gaur, wild boar, slender, Loris and sambar. Among the birds – hornbill, tragopan pheasant and grey pheasant are some, which attracts tourists here at the wildlife reserve. So, people get ready to go on for adventuring the new nagaland, completely different from what you all think and see.
No comments:
Post a Comment