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How to Get There
By Air: The states' sole airport is in Dimapur and connected to India via Guwahati. Kohima, the state capital, is to get the next one.
By Rail and Road: There is virtually no rail facility within the state. Dimapur is on the Guwahati - Dibrugarh link and is well served by trains from Delhi and Howrah. Five National Highways and eight regional highways provide intra-state connectivity, albeit limited.
Terrain nd Climate:
Nagaland is a hilly state and the Naga Hills join up with the Patkai Range in Myanmar. The Doyang, Diphu, Barak and the Chindwin river of Myanmar in the southeast
carve the state into eight blocks, and eleven districts are necessary for administrative reasons. The weather is hot and humid from April to October and cool from November through March. The monsoons fetch heavy rain in the summer. |
Culture:
Nagaland is a land of folklore passed down the generations through word of mouth. Here, music is an integral part of life; folk songs eulogising ancestors, warriors and traditional heroes; poetic love songs immortalising ancient tragic love stories; Gospel songs and modern tunes rendered exquisitely to set your feet a-tapping. Each of the 16 odd tribes and sub-tribes that dwell in this exotic hill State can be distinguished by the colourful and intricately designed cosumes, jewellery and beads that they wear. The neo- Nagas are into fashion designing, creating fabrics that display ancestral motifs embellished with modern appeal. The traditional ceremonial attire of each tribe is an awe-inspiring sight; the multicoloured spears and daos bedecked with dyed goats’ hair, the headgear made of finely woven bamboo interlaced with orchid stems, adorned with boar's teeth and hornbill feathers, elephant tusk armlets….. You name it! In the days of yore every warrior had to earn each of these items through acts of valour.
Religion: Christianity is the main religion of Nagaland, with 90% Christians. Nagaland is "the only predominantly Baptist ethnic state in the world." Among Christians, Baptists are the predominant group constituting more than 75 % of the state's population. Roman Catholics, Revivalists, and Pentecostals are the other Christians. Catholics are found in significant numbers in parts of Wokha district as also in the urban areas of Kohima and Dimapur. Hinduism and Islam are minority religions in state, at 7.7% and 1.8% respectively.
Arts and Craft:
The many crafts and art that were known to the early Nagas and are still carried out to this day are Basketry-The cane baskets and containers woven by the Khiamngan weavers in the Tuensang District are also known for their fineness and delicacy of work that gives it a lace-like appearance; Weaving: Naga women are excellent weavers and the colorful shawls,
bags and jackets woven by them are extremely popular; Woodcarving: The Diezephe Craft
village in Dimapur District is a good example of a craft concentrated village where the major source of income is from woodcraft; Pottery and Metalwork.
What to See:
Kohima, the state capital, which houses the largest crucifix in Asia; Touphema Tourist Village and the unbelievably scenic Dzükou Valley.
Special Requirements: All foreign nationals need to get a Restricted Area Permit before arriving in Nagaland. Permits are available from Indian consular offices abroad, as well as from the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. Indian nationals wishing to visit Nagaland must get an Inner Line Permit from Nagaland House in Delhi and Kolkata.
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