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We all secretly dream about some tranquillity in life. I run away at regular intervals to find such tranquillity. Khonoma is one such place, situated just 20km away from Nagaland’s state capital Kohima.
In December2019, while I was in Kohima for hornbill festival, I visited Khonoma, the first green village of India. The place really amazed me. I, therefore, decided to visit Khonoma again to learn more about the village and its history.
In February 2020, during my second visit to Benreu, I visited Khonoma again, this time from Benreu, via Dzuleke. Distance from Benreu to Khonoma is around 40km. Road is under construction at present.
Khonoma, a 700 years old village of the Angami Nagas, at an altitude of 1200 meters, can be anybody’s dream to get lost in nature.
This village can be easily reached by private car or share Taxi from Kohima. This can also be reached from Dimapur, via Paren district, jalukae and Dzuleke.
Rural Nagaland is nature lover’s paradise, with picturesque villages, very friendly people and their colourful culture, unique customs and tradition. But due to bad roads, lack of proper accommodation in places, proper tourism development and lack of information, people usually find it difficult to visit places beyond Kohima, Dimapur and few district headquarters in Nagaland.
In contrast, Khonoma offers basic facilities to the tourist. The town has its own tourist centre. Some local families rent out part of their house as homestay. There is one small hotel also. Tourist centre arranges guide for trekking trips inside the village. The guides are fluent with the colourful history of Khonoma.
Khonoma belongs to the Angamis, one of the major tribes of Nagaland. Highly educated, many Angami people are well placed in Nagaland, as well as all over India and globally. Literacy rate here according to 2011 Census data is 83.41%, compared to 79.55% of whole Nagaland.
Angamis have strengthened the age-old methods of natural resource management too.
Khonoma hills are dense with Himalayan Alder trees (called Rupo in Angami language). These trees are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen to the soil.
Ancestors of Khonoma residents observed that, crops grown at the base of these trees yield better harvest than done in other areas. So, they started doing cultivation interspersed with alder trees. The fields are irrigated by the rainwater harvested at the small ponds on the hilltop. The harvested rainwater is flowed down the terrace slopes by bamboo pipes though Alder trees and by the cattle shades to drain the excreta, so that micronutrient of alder trees and excreta of animals works as fertiliser to the paddy field without using chemical fertiliser.
They grow rice, potato, garlic ,ginger, turmeric, different varieties of vegetables and many other crops at the base of these trees for two to three years in terrace field and then leave the land for four to six years to allow the soil to rejuvenate and to allow the Alder trees to grow. This rotation of firming site is also important in preventing the destruction of new forest land.
This is an age old method of cultivation. They do not cut alder trees, rather, pollard them at the hight of 2 meters, so that trimmed branch can be used as firewood, making charcoals and to make furniture and houses. This method enables the alder trees to live long in the village. Alder tree of more than 200 years are found here.
Apart from agriculture, they are rich in handloom and handicraft also. Usually women are the weavers and the weave beautiful designs in their traditional dress and makes bags etc. Men are famous for wood, cane and bamboo crafts. Baskets they make are famous.
Since, many people come here for birdwatching as many varieties of rare birds are found here, most famous being Blyth’s Tragopan, an endangered species of bird, the council provide bird guides also. The famous, picturesque Dzuko valley can be reached by trekking from this village too. This is a clean village and dustbins and public toilets are available in places for tourists.
Its tradition, natural beauty and lush green forests, flora and fauna attract many tourists to khonoma round the year, mainly birdwatchers, researchers and journalists. Tourists used to come to khonoma even before, due to its history of resisting British colonisation.
The brave Angamis fought with the British Army from 1850 to 1880, long 30 years, causing substantial damages to the invading troops. The famous battle of Khonoma was fought in 1879, where many British soldiers and officers lost their lives. Later, after lots of bloodshed and damage to both the parties, a peace treaty was signed on March 27, 1880.
Three small forts in Khonoma bear testimony to their resistance to British Invasion. Semoma or old fort, is described as the strongest fort in the north east by a major general of British army. A plaque in front of the fort read “The fiercest of the battles were fought between the British and Nagas between 1850 to 1879 in this semoma forte of Khonoma". This fort was demolished and reconstructed repeatedly. Third and last reconstruction was done in 1990.
Steep stone steps lead to the highest point of the village, where lies the memorial of British political officer G.H. Damant, who lost his life here during war on 4th October,1879. Another fort situated at the same area. Khonoma people have put a bigger monument, a monolith, in the name of Judelie Hiekha, who initiated the attack to kill major Damant.
After treaty was signed, Christianity came with the British and so thus missionaries, who started education in the villagers. Now, more than 90 per cent of Angamis are Christian. Only a handful of angamis still follow the age-old animism.
Conservation of nature has taken strong roots in Khonoma. The village is rich with many varieties of trees, plants, cane and bamboo, fruits, natural die, many varieties of rare birds, specially the endangered species Blyth Tragoapns, reptiles, amphibians and animals.
With the help of the forest department, Knonoma village council declared 20 square kilometre area of the village as "Khonoma nature conservation and Tragopan sanctuary (KNCTS)" in 1998 and banned hunting in the entire village.
As KNCTS comprises of community forest lands, this is not legally declared forest sanctuary. But village council act of Nagaland allows the local village council to take up conservation measures. By default, every resident of the village is member of KNCTS. Anyone hunting in the village is fined now.
There are restrictions in Cutting trees and deforestation also. Being rich in timbers, Khonoma people had to fight another battle with the timber merchants also during 1993. Tsilie Sakhrie was the man behind Khonoma conservation movement.
The social and other issues are looked after by village council. The youngest of the family inherit the family house. The village is divided into Khels have around 600 household from three different clans.
They live with the dead and bury the dead in front of the deceased house or on the village path in front. According to the Angami tradition, when a married elder in the family dies, its grave is set in walls of the stone. The space beside it is reserved for the spouse’s grave.
There are few Morung (youth dormitories) in the village. One of this was used as dormitory for the boys in the past. It was a tradition in Nagas, all the boys had to enter Morung after they attain adolescence. There, they used to learn morals, social responsibilities, agriculture, culture and games of the community. A big, common bed is there in the Morung, made of single tree trunk, where about 15 boys can sleep.
The usually eat boiled vegetables, rice. They drink rice beer called Zutha. Rice and vegetables are grown in the village only. Usually the vegetables they eat are garden fresh. They also relish a number of meat delicacies. Dog meat delicacy is one of their favourites.
The village has been benefitted from the additional revenue generated as tourist entry fee and from the home stays, restaurants and guides. The people of Knonoma celebrates village establishment day on first September, every year. People staying outside the village comes here to celebrate or celebrate it where they stay. Sekrenyi is a festval, celebrated here in the month of February.
Age old sustainable agricultural practice and along with conservation success, brought the title of India’s First Green Village by the Ministry of Tourism to Khonoma in the year 2005.
Photo courtesy : Anupam Goswami
Domestic tourists need inner line permits (ILP) to enter Nagaland. Foreign tourists no longer require Restricted area permit except from Chana and Pakistan. They need to register themselves at the Local foreigner registration office within 24 hours of arrival.
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