Dimapur and traditional villages in south Nagaland

10-15 October 2023

Dimapur, the largest city in Nagaland, has a history dating back to the 14th–16th centuries, when it served as the capital of the Kachari (Dimasa) Kingdom. During the British period, Dimapur became an important administrative and transport hub. Today, it remains Nagaland’s commercial gateway, with rail and air links connecting the state to Assam and the wider region. Its bustling markets, mixed communities, and historical ruins make it a unique blend of ancient heritage and modern urban life.

In the nearby hills lie two of Nagaland’s most culturally significant villages. Kisama Heritage Village, located near Kohima, is the cultural heart of the annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland. Designed as a living museum, it brings together traditional morungs (youth dormitories) and house models representing all major Naga tribes, each showcasing unique architectural styles, carvings, and symbolic motifs. Kisama offers visitors an immersive introduction to Naga heritage, providing a vivid window into the state’s tribal diversity, artistry, and communal traditions amid a picturesque hill setting.

Khonoma, often called India’s first “green village,” is an Angami Naga settlement renowned for its centuries-long resistance to British forces and pioneering conservation efforts. Terraced fields, stone fortifications, and traditional wooden houses reflect both its history and sustainable lifestyle.

Dimapur Railway Station and the Santoshi Mata Mandir, a Hindu temple.

People on the railroad tracks near the station in Dimapur, seen from the flyover.

Tuktuks and buses on Golaghat Road in Dimapur.

A Morung, traditional house and church in Kisama Heritage Village, 11 kilometres south of Kohima.

View to Sümi Ki, a Murung traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Sümi Naga people in Kisama Naga Heritage Village.

Kachari Nohdrang, traditional hut of Dimasa-Kachari tribe in Kisama Heritage Village.

Angami Ki, a traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house in Kisama Heritage Village.

Chakhesang Morung, a traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house in Kisama Heritage Village.

Pochuri Morung, a traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house in Kisama Heritage Village.

Traditional Murung houses in Kisama Naga Heritage Village, 11 kilometres south of Kohima.

Three Naga men in front of a "Süngkong", the Ao name for the log drum, in Kisama Naga Heritage Village.

A "Süngkong", the Ao name for the log drum, in Kisama Naga Heritage Village.

The traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Chang tribe in Kisama Heritage Village.

Antimonyu, the log drum in the Morung, traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Chang tribe in Kisama Heritage Village. It has a carved leopard's head.

The log drum in the Morung, traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Phom Naga tribe in Kisama Heritage Village. It has a carved elephant's head.

The Murung, traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Konyak Naga people in Kisama Heritage Village.

The log drum in the Morung, traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Konyak Naga tribe in Kisama Heritage Village. It has a carved stylised elephant's head.

The Murung, traditional 'bachelors' dormitory' house of the Khiamniungan Naga people in Kisama Heritage Village.

Entrance gate “Window to Nagaland”, to the Hornbill Festival grounds in Kisama Naga Heritage Village, 11 kilometres south of Kohima.

Entrance to the Hornbill Festival grounds; the Hornbill Festival is an annual Naga cultural celebration, held in December to showcase the diverse traditions of the region's indigenous tribes.

Tree with carved hornbills at the Hornbill Festival grounds in Kisama Naga Heritage Village.

Grave memorials in the Angami Naga village of Khonoma to Naga fighters, who battled the Indian Army in the 1950s.

View of the rice terraces from the Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

View of the village and rice fields from the top of Khonoma.

The rice terraces from the top of the old Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

Drying rice on the top of the Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

Woven baskets and drying rice near the monument above Khonoma village.

Memorial to British officers, including their commander Guybon Henry Damant, killed 13 October 1879 in the Battle of Khonoma against Angami Naga warriors, who objected being recruited as bonded labourers.

View to St. John the Evangelist Church from the memorial above the old Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

View to the Khonoma Fort in Semoma, the upper Angami Naga village.

Men working and a painting of a Naga warrior, in the upper Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

Angami Naga weaving for sale in Khonoma.

A house in the Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

The porch of the “morung”, the traditional men's dormitory, in Khonoma Angami Naga village.

Inside the the “morung”, traditional men's dormitory as was used before Christianity, in the Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

The Khonoma Fort in Semoma neighbourhood, where the fiercest of battles were fought between the British and the Nagas during 1850-1879.

The Khonoma Fort in Khonoma. The chronology of the fort, from the conflict with the British and the Indian Army onwards, is described in the local Naga language.

View from the Khonoma Fort to the Semoma neighbourhood, in the upper Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

The square with traditional houses and drying rice, in the upper Angami Naga village of Khonoma.

View to the central plaza and square in Khonoma, with traditional Angami Naga houses and drying rice.