Khonoma village, Nagaland
Khonoma village claims to be the first Green village in India. Situated about 20 km from Kohima, the capital of the state of Nagaland, Khonoma is an Angami Naga tribal village. There are sixteen major tribes in Nagaland, Angami being one of them. The Angamis were fierce warriors and were at the forefront among the tribes that offered stiff resistance against British colonial intrusion into their territories, and Khonoma was their vanguard village.
A picturesque village on top of a hill, Khonoma has about five hundred households. There is a methodical neatness about the layout of the village and fields. Beautiful terraced rice fields in the valley below surrounded by hills are a sight to behold. Khonoma has adopted many green practices like banning the cutting of trees for commercial purposes, reforestation, sustainable agricultural practices, etc. to maintain the greenery and natural ecosystem of the surrounding areas.
Khonoma houses nature’s pristine beauty in the form of its alder trees, terraces carved out of its hilly slopes and the Khonoma Nature Conservation Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS). KNCTS conserves a large and rare variety of plants and animals within its 25 sq km area.
People can hike around the village in the many paved walkways dotted with pretty flowers and exotic orchids enjoying the panoramic views all around. Smaller roads take one inside the village where one can see and learn about the Angami tribal lifestyle. Morungs are common houses where the male youth of the village get together, stay and learn about social conduct, traditions, hunting, etc. from the elders of the village. There are some circular platforms where the elders of the village sit occasionally to discuss important issues.
Khonoma also has its share of history in its epic resistances against the British colonial forces resulting in a peace treaty after decades of fighting. The Khonoma Fort is a silent reminder of the brave Angami warriors who stood against the Colonial forces. The main festival of the Angami Nagas is Sekrenyi Festival celebrated in the last week of February. It is a purification festival where villagers perform rituals to purify the bodies and souls of the villagers and the entire community to safeguard from evil spirits. It also marks the initiation of young people to adulthood and is considered an “identity marker of the Angami”.