Nehemiah Rong
Traversing through the tricky zigzag road of National Highway 39, one gets a glimpse of the panoramic view of the high hills, steep gorges, meandering streams, terrace fields and comes across many Naga villages and many awesome natural and man made tourist spots. Coming from Imphal, before reaching Kohima Town , just an uphill climb of 15 fifteen minutes from NH-39, there stand Kisema a ‘ Naga Heritage Village ’. It is the hosting village for ‘Hornbill Festival’ every year sponsor by Nagaland State . It is great stride in preserving the past heritage in modern way. On reaching the village, when one looks up there stands a high hill and there ‘ Naga Heritage Village ’ is inscribed in white. Peeping down, one sees the scenic beauty of Angami villages, the forests and paddy fields.
Within the village, one finds a food park, a horti garden, a ground with open gallery and bamboo made houses and buildings. Seeing around those Traditional Naga huts constructed by each tribe living in present Nagaland state takes one to an imaginative journey to the past and wonder upon that though each tribe has each own unique way of living yet have a sense of shared common historical and traditional heritage. The wooden log drums are found in most of the huts, wood craving is not absence in every hut. The wood craving of animals and birds like the images of tigers, monkeys, hornbill, mithun, etc. not only display the creative art works but also must bear traditional relevancy and importance.
Amongst others if one goes inside the hut of Yimchumgar Naga, one finds the human heads craved out of wood portrayed in the main centre pillar. Inside the hut, there lies a big wooden log drum. Outside the hut lies a porch and a bamboo made fence. In the compound of Chakesang Naga hut, the well laid stone elevated place welcomes the visitor and gives a place to sit for chitchat. Visiting to every Naga homes seem to be impossible but, the Kisema, village gives you an opportunity to see each Naga tribe’s tradition in nutshell. It also gives you a kind of feel of past where you are also provided with the modern amenities like the well built toilet if not well managed.
After crisscrossing the hustle and bustle traffic of Kohima town, a ride to Tuophema Tourist Village gives an invigorating moment. It was the road that has not taken for all of us(18 visitors from Oinam). But the cab driver who had already traveled the same route took us to the right spot. The rainy and cloudy weather prohibit us from enjoying seeing the scenic view of the hills and valleys. However, Tuophema tourist village, a pioneering initiative taken by Tuophema village to create a tourist village to develop sustainable and well-managed tourism in Nagaland, never disappoint us but impressed everyone and gave a kind of homely feeling with a spirit of true Naga village. This was even more so when, the team visited the museum and found the earthen ware/pot that look the same as that one produced in Oinam(Onaeme) Hill village (a medium size Poumai Naga Village in present Manipur). Some of the team members claimed that it must be from their village until it was clarified by the caretaker, that even his village (Tuophema) makes the earthen pots. The size and even the design is so similar. The only difference at the end found out is that a line of beads put at brim was absence in case of the one found in the museum from that of Oinam (Onaeme) earthen pot.
When queried about funding, the caretaker said that the tourist village was an initiative from within the community of Tuophema, self-funded and designed, and built by the different ‘khels’(clans) from within the village. When come to management, he said it is managed and staffed by a team of local young people, overseen by the elected Village Council. A brochure states, ‘ It now comprises 12 separate purpose built chalets based on the traditional Angami house and can offer a tranquil retreat, cultural and educative programmes, conference hosting and guided treks in and around the area.’ It is the host village for the annual Angami Festival of Purification (Sekrenyi) and through this festival the Nagaland Tourism Department promotes the concept of tourism within Nagaland.
When one enters the hut, one gets a small room with a fireplace and then bedroom attached with bathroom and dressing room. Spacious kitchen is another interesting aspect to observe. Above the fireplace are the hanging pieces of dry meat, the bamboo made sieves, baskets and dry vegetables et al. Around six feet long dried pork piece near the fireside is another attention-grabbing aspect. As you enter the museum, a huge head gear welcomes you, an ivory items, the handicrafts, the ornamental items, the Phizo’s Suit, the picture of G.Rio, the first village chairman of Tuophema Village are some interesting things to watch amongst others.
Tuophema Tourist village gives success story of the Village Development Board (VDB) concept, where the developmental works are executed by the VDB members comprising of village council members and other nominated members accommodating both the women and youth representatives. And which concept the other villages in the north east India need to learn and practice where it is non-existent inorder to see real development begins at the grass root level by devolution of power and directly delegating the financial power to the villagers. To adopt the concept and see the change, it demands the people’s conscious felt need response and move and also ‘political will’ is indispensable.
Well, you may be crisscrossing many cities in India and around the globe and you have memories to treasure. But if your heart still longs to be closer to nature and countryside and get the real taste of the village life with modern amenities, holidaying at Touphema Tourist Village can be the perfect place. Of course the rate may be a bit higher and food costlier than what you may expect.
If inside of you, you are singing a song like, ‘Country road take me home to place of Blue Ridge Mountains ’ then these two villages can be a good destinations.
