Khonoma village in Nagaland is a land of contrasts. Located 20 kms from Kohima (the capital of Nagaland) the place saw the early seeds of Phizo and the Naga nationalist moments. The village offers delightful views of Nagaland’s natural beauty and ecological diversity. The place which is home to the fierce Angami tribe that thwarted many a British attack is now a model for ecological conservation with ban on cutting of trees and hunting of animals.
The village has setup a privately owned sanctuary that is managed by the Village Community – Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS). KNCTS is a unique community initiative for wildlife and environment conservation.
Khonoma – The Green Village (Photo: Shipra Y)
The village rivals ‘Mawlynnong’- Meghalaya’s cleanest village in Asia with its cleanliness, cobbled pathways and functional waste bins. The fields present a striking example of terraced cultivation juxtaposed with untended fields on the way. The Naga tradition has always been of collective decision making, relatively democratic leadership and following of the collective code in the tribal tradition. That is why community led initiatives can be very successful in these areas where a lot of Indian ecological heritage lies.
The ‘Root Bridge’ at Mawlynnong (Photo : Rajiv Raman)
In the olden days some of the Naga tribes have had a tradition of head hunting with raids for food and territory or just to prove coming of age of an adolescent warrior. Life being difficult in the area, practice of ‘Jhum’ cultivation was quite common, and the supernatural always manifested in the spirit of the forest that the villagers could communicate with almost as a living ancestor (someone to depend on and also be afraid of).
Jhum Cultivation – Nagaland
The village of Khonoma now offers a community led initiative for the tourists whereby the tourists can be a part of the village life in home stays and experience the fierce Naga spirit lending its soul to the conservation effort. In the village, there are Green Homes where visitors can stay with the host family and experience the local lifestyles and at the same have the privacy they need. The place is slowly gaining such popularity that during the famous Hornbill festival it is almost impossible to find accommodation here.
Green Home in Khonoma (Photo : Sadanand)
You can discover Khonoma Green village with The Other Home. Some other community led home stays also exist in Nagaland at places such as Shiyong and with the success of these early initiatives and also with easing of inner line permit requirements for travel to these areas, the trend will only intensify.
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