TRAVEL FASHION HEALTH FOOD AN ORCHID IN INDIA’S BACK GARDEN

displayed on the facades of their communal longhouses. When the British took over the area in the 1880s, Christianity and English language was introduced. The new set of beliefs slowly eroded the ways of the past. With Indian independence in 1947, the tribal folks became a part of the Indian Union, and in 1963, Nagaland was declared the 16th state of India.

However, it beggared belief that this exotic world was a local phone connection from the Capital. A beautiful orchid in India’s back garden, Nagaland deserves to be celebrated, not overlooked.

NAGAMESE TRADITIONS

guardhouses, where bachelors learned from older men), others (such as stone-pulling, loom weaving, and throwing feasts of merit and beating of the log) are still intact. The singing and dancing are trotted out without being asked twice.

At the Hornbill Festival, photographers and travellers come from afar and local families try to familiarise their youngsters with their own traditions. In the king chilli eating competition, novices bravely managed 4-5 chillies in the given 20 seconds, but experts gamed the system, cramming 12-14 of killer peppers, only to begin chewing once the bell rang.

Climbing the greased-pole act and the near-naked kick fighting kept everyone at seat’s edge. We watched the song and dance performances in an intimate open-air amphitheatre, taking breaks to walk through the various tribes’ morungs, photograph the old, tattooed and betelmouthed, ex-headhunters and sample rice beer.

While the traditions were showcased by day, at night the rock bands emerged. The glamorous Tetseo Sisters sang and a whirl of hip and stylish youngsters took Kohima by storm. Take the train or bus from Guwahati to Kohima.

The Ultimate Travelling Camp, (TUTC) erect 17-room high-end tents near the Hornbill Festival grounds. Kohimacampnagaland.com A homestay in Kigwema village run by Achillo Zutso. Call at 9856071760 Dovepipe Inn in Khonoma. Log on to www.dovepipeinn.com