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| Nagaland |
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| Kohima |
I met
Viloli again after 30 years. She had the same charm and the same smiling eyes! Except that like me, she was old now. What a Naga beauty she was when we met at Leopold Restaurant, Colaba, Mumbai on one rainy afternoon in the year 1982.The stories of mysterious rituals of the Naga tribes and the practice of human head hunting, now extinct, narrated by her had left me with an intense desire to visit this mystic North East State of India-NAGALAND. The opportunity came after 30 years when I met her again by chance in Kolkata this year and readily agreed to her invitation to accompany her to Nagaland.
We left by a JetKonnect flight at 1350 hrs from Kolkata for Dimapur city in Nagaland and reached at 1515 hrs.
Viloli, I realized had all useful contacts right from the airport to even in the interiors of Nagaland.
Soon we were heading in a taxi to our first major destination, Kohima.
The road was picturesque and we reached Kohima in 2 hours. Wow! The hill station had beautiful surrounding hills. I was booked at a strategically located hotel Razhu Pru, Kohima. A nice place with excellent views!
In the evening,
Viloli took me for a walk to
The Catholic Cathedral at Aradura Hill which was a beautiful and an important cathedral in the town. It was one of the most well known and the largest cathedrals in the north eastern part of the country. Followed by the
War Cemetery which has a memorial in honor of all the brave soldiers who have laid down their lives during World War II.
While strolling I could feel the virgin beauty of the town and the amazing views of the Naga Hills.
Next day, we visited
The Kohima Village, locally known as the
Barra Basti which epitomized the Naga tribal way of life and had a beautiful ceremonial gate which was peculiar to all Naga villages.
A brief description of Our next destination "
Dzukou Valley" by Violi set my heart pounding and we left for it on the following day.
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| Dzukou Valley |
Dzukou Valley Trek
The Dzukou valley is at a distance of 25 km from Kohima. The drive from Kohima to the valley was a joyride to heaven and Trekking in the valley was not only an option but a command by the nature. We took trails and just wandered. Oh my God, what a place! The valley was situated at an altitude of 2483 meters and it offered a panoramic view of the mountains. The wild flowers and clear mountain streams added to the heavenly feel of the valley. I suddenly turned to
Viloli and smiled. She had broken into an impromptu Naga song and was swaying to the graceful elegance of nature. We just walked. The valley was behind second highest Japfu Peak. It looked like a mowed lawn from a distance watered by a meandering stream which I believe often freezes in winter.
The dusk was creeping in so we returned back to Kohima, with a heavy heart.
Viloli had talked about her grandfather who was from Sumi Tribe from a mystic region of Zunheboto, a town and a district now. As I was eager to know about Sumi Tribe and Zunheboto, I called them for a dinner at my hotel. Viloli had told me about Sumi Tribe and that they were headhunters. I wanted to know more from her grandfather. The second reason for the invitation was, we already had planned our visit next day to this mysterious land of Zunheboto situated at the height of 1874 meters ASL
SOME FACTS
Entry Formalities:Before embarking on a journey to Nagaland, acquiring the entry permit is a must.
Domestic tourists should obtain the
Inner Line permit issued by the authorities mentioned below.
Deputy Resident Commissioner, Nagaland House, New Delhi
Phone No. : +91-11-23012296 / 23793673
Deputy Resident Commissioner, Nagaland House, Kolkata
Phone No. : +91-33-22823247 / 22821967
Assistant Resident Commissioner In Guwahati and Shillong
Phone No. : +91-361-2332158 / 2333859 [Guwahati]
+91-364-252083 / 2520670 [Shillong]
Foreign tourists as of January 1, 2011 no longer require a Restricted Area Permit
(RAP) / Protected Area Permit (PAP) to enter Nagaland. The new rules only require foreigners to register themselves at the local Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) of the district they visit within 24 hours of their arrival. However, the the citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and China still need to apply for PAP/ RAP from Home Ministry to visit Nagaland. However, please check.
for more details on entry forms visit:
http://www.tourismnagaland.com/Queries/EntryForma.html- However, the tour operators in Nagaland, Assam or in Delhi will organize everything for you. The same site as mentioned above will give you a list of approved tour operators of Nagaland.
You may also contact the following
reputed tour organizers for Nagaland:
http://www.tribaldiscovery.com/nagaland-culture.htmhttp://www.thegreenerpastures.com/