Kohima
Capital Of Nagaland; Host Of The Hornbill Festival; Site Of The 1944 Battle Of Kohima · Kohima, Nagaland
The hill capital of Nagaland in India's far northeast, home to the Angami Naga and gateway to the cultures of the sixteen major Naga tribes. Two things bring visitors from across India and beyond. The first is the Hornbill Festival, held every year from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village outside the town, where all the tribes gather in traditional dress for dances, songs, games, crafts and food, with rock concerts at night; it is the largest cultural event in the northeast. The second is history: in 1944 the Japanese advance on India was stopped here in one of the hardest battles of the Second World War, fought at close quarters across the district commissioner's tennis court. The Kohima War Cemetery on that ridge carries the epitaph, 'When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.' Beyond the town are Khonoma, a green village that banned hunting, and the Dzukou Valley trek. Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit. Nagaland is a dry state, and Naga food, with smoked pork, bamboo shoot and ghost chillies, is an experience of its own.
Kohima War Cemetery Road, Kohima, Nagaland, 797001, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm permit rules and festival times before travelling. The usual pattern: the Hornbill Festival runs every year from 1 to 10 December, with the day programme at Kisama from late morning to late afternoon and evening concerts and night markets in Kohima. Kisama Heritage Village is open by day the rest of the year. The war cemetery is open daily in daylight. The State Museum keeps daytime hours and closes on some days, commonly Sundays and holidays. Shops and transport close on Sundays. Main traps: arriving without an Inner Line Permit, no bed booked for Hornbill, and a Sunday or strike day that closes everything.