Nagaland

Where Festivals Unite and Traditions Thrive

Festival Indigenous Sports Craft Food war
Embracing Heritage through Festivals
Hornbill Festival

Known as the "Festival of Festivals," the Hornbill Festival is celebrated in the first week of December at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima. The festival showcases the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland's 16 major tribes through traditional dance and music performances, indigenous sports, crafts, and cuisine. It aims to revive, protect, and promote Naga culture and provides a platform for cultural exchange among tribes. The festival also includes rock concerts, fashion shows, and a night bazaar, attracting visitors from around the world.

Moatsu Mong

Celebrated by the Ao tribe in May, Moatsu Mong marks the end of the sowing season. It is a time for relaxation, merrymaking, and bonding after the hard work of planting crops. The festival includes traditional songs, dances, community feasts, and indigenous games, fostering communal harmony and invoking blessings for a good harvest.

Indigenous Sports of Nagaland
Naga Wrestling

Naga wrestling, particularly among the Angami tribe, is a famous traditional sport in Nagaland. It is a form of unarmed combat where two opponents try to throw each other to the ground. The annual Naga Wrestling Championship is a major event, attracting participants and spectators from all over the state and beyond.

Archery

Like many other North East states, archery is an important traditional sport in Nagaland. Tribal archery competitions are held during festivals like the Hornbill Festival, reflecting the martial heritage of the Naga people.

GI Products textiles & Crafts of Nagaland
Chakhesang Shawl
Discover Authentic Food in Nagaland
Axonee

Axone, also known as akhuni, is a popular food of Nagaland made of fermented soybean. Made in almost every household in Nagaland, it is mostly served as a side dish in powdered form and cake form. Axone is prepared in different ways in different households of Nagaland, some important and popular are: It is used along with vegetables for making stew and is most importantly used to make chutney. Every household’s favourite Axone dishes are: Smoked pork in Axone, Dried river fish with Axone

Zutho

A fermented rice beer of Nagaland, popularly known as Apong. This drink is famous in Nagaland and prepared by sprouting, fermentation by yeast and enzymes. The starch in the rice is made into malt to bring a particular taste and effect. People enjoy this drink with their friends to have fun and excitement.

Aikibeye

Aikibeye is a dish that comprises of Mustard leaf and Colocasia roots. This dish is cooked with very little salt and no spices giving it a bland flavour making it perfect for being eaten with the flavorful and spicy Non- Veg dishes of Nagaland. Very little water is used as this is mostly preferred thick.

War Tourism & Museums in Nagaland
Kohima War Cemetery

The Kohima War Cemetery is one of the most significant World War II memorials in North East India. Situated on Garrison Hill, the cemetery commemorates the soldiers who fought and died during the Battle of Kohima. The cemetery is renowned for its beautifully maintained graves and the poignant inscription on the 2nd Division Memorial: "When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today." The site is a symbol of the courage and sacrifice of the Allied forces and is a place of solemn remembrance.

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