The Wild East of Nagaland

I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend the wedding of two lovely people I play sports with in Delhi - Peter and Zhovi.  An added adventure to the wedding was that it would take place in Zhovi's hometown of Kohima in the state of Nagaland, described in Lonely Planet as "the uncontested wild east of India."  Not sure what that would mean, but eager to support Peter and Zhovi, I confirmed my attendance and booked my flights.

The hills and houses of Kohima

The journey to Kohima quickly answered some of my questions.  After a 4-hour plane ride, we settled in for a 2-hour car ride.  I had been warned that the journey induced car sickness, so my stomach was nervous about what was ahead.  We quickly learned that pretty much the entire road to Kohima was under construction, unpaved, with two-way traffic fighting for space on what would be a one-lane road in the United States.  I'm happy to report my stomach contents stayed down, but the ride was still a jarring whole-body experience.

Arriving in Kohima, we encountered the steepest, narrowest, windiest roads I've ever seen, clogged with traffic.  We all felt that the drivers we had throughout the trip deserved medals for their ability to navigate manual-transmission sedans through mind-bogglingly narrow, steep, curvy, unpaved lanes. We occasionally got wide-eyed at the running starts needed to make it up steep portions or the centimeters of clearance with neighboring cars, but all vehicles and passengers emerged unscathed.

Road construction - mind the gaping trenches!

Reaching our lodging, we learned that there was no heat and very little hot water.  I know many of my American followers think that all of India is hot year-round.  But the temperatures that weekend in Kohima ranged from the high 40s at night to the low 60s during the day.  Not terribly cold by northern U.S. standards, but definitely chilly when you have no heat source.  One benefit of the cool weather was the lack of sweat, so I decided to forgo showering during the trip and wrapped myself in an extra blanket to stay warm through the night.

Zhovi and Peter at the Cathedral

Nagaland is majority Christian, which was quickly evident in the number of churches we saw all around us.  The bride and groom are also Christian, so the wedding did not mirror the Hindu festivities of Bollywood.  They had a simple one-hour ceremony with the hymns, readings, and exchanging of vows and rings typical of a Christian wedding.

Zhovi and Peter surrounded by Peter's family and friends

We then headed to the reception with speeches, cake-cutting, Indian buffet, and LOTS of photographs.  At Indian weddings, the bride and groom sit on a stage, for hours, as the guests come up to congratulate them and take photos.  Afterwards the friends of the bride and groom went to a relaxed afterparty with more food and karaoke.

Traditional building of the Angami tribe

On our final day in Kohima, we finally had time for sightseeing.  The prime sight in the Kohima region is a Heritage Village of replica buildings from Nagaland's various tribes.  In addition to admiring the variety and design of the buildings, we learned why the rest of India considers Nagaland the Wild East.  Nagaland's tribes (numbering over a dozen) have a history as fierce warriors who headhunted as a display of power.  Although this practice ended over 50 years ago, we saw bodiless heads depicted in some of the decorations, along with many symbols of war.

Erica at the Heritage Village

The next morning, we departed early for the bumpy journey back to the airport and reflected on our trip.  We were all pleased with the adventure we had experienced.  And I would recommend it to others who are willing to eschew luxury for a view days to enjoy the beautiful mountain vistas, interesting culture, and warm hospitality of Nagaland.