My excitement knew no bounds when I was asked if I would help set up an ecotourism initiative in a village in Nagaland. Nagaland, a place I always wanted to visit. I had no idea what to expect. I arrived in Dimapur and drove up to Kohima. I was to spend a night here and then proceed to Dzuleke, the village in question. We drove up to a charming bungalow, where I was scheduled to stay. Built in Colonial style, The Heritage is the old District Commissioner's Bungalow, now converted into a guesthouse. This three-room establishment is probably one of the nicest places to stay in Kohima. I wake up to the sound of bagpipes and wonder if I am dreaming. I look out and see someone actually playing the bagpipes. I meet this wonderful gentlemen and his charming wife and over breakfast they tell me that they have been visiting Nagaland for many years as part of the Kohima Educational Trust.
The veterans of the Battle of Kohima (fought in 1944) established the Kohima Educational Trust in the memory of the Nagas who fought and died in this battle. This is considered as one of the fiercest battles fought involving the British. A tribute to this battle is the Kohima War Cemetery built in the memory of the British, Scottish and Indian soldiers who fought and died in the battle during the Second World War against the Japanese Army. The Cemetery is still maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This beautifully created and maintained cemetery holds the befitting prelude to a British soldier who lay down his life with the lines etched that read, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
We leave for Dzuleke the next day. Only 40 kms from Kohima, and yet it takes almost two hours because of the bad road. Dzuleke is an Angami (one of the major tribes in Nagaland) village and gets its name from the river Dzuleke that originates from the eastern Khonoma mountain range and flows in a westerly direction to finally confluence with river Barak in Assam. During its course, the river goes underground once it reaches Dzuleke. ‘Dzu’ means water and ‘leke’ underground in the local language. Dzuleke is the last village of the western Angami region of Kohima. The village was established more than 200 years when a few families from the neighboring village of Khonoma came and settled here. This 33 household village has total population of 200, a number that has remained almost static for the past many years as the younger generation leaves to seek better job opportunities.
We stop at a viewpoint not far from the village where one loses phone network. I will get used to not being connected on phone during my stay at Dzuleke. Not a bad experience at all! We drive into the village and approach a beautifully maintained house, surrounded by flowers. Two Naga women come out to receive us. These two sisters, I am told are going to be my hosts during my stay here. Both of them speak Angamese, the local dialect and some Nagamese (pidgi that is a mix of Bengali, Assamese and Angamese). I of course speak none of these, but we make ourselves understood through sign language. As my stay progresses I realize what wonderful cooks they are and I am in heaven. My favourite is the traditionally cooked pork along with the freshwater crab and chilli chutney. Mouthwatering is also the fresh ginger, chilli and herb chutney eaten with the traditional rice beer. The two sisters and I spent many evenings sitting by the kitchen fire sipping rice beer and licking this chutney. A truly fiery, yet wonderful combination. If in season, there is an amazing array of vegetables available and cooked with local herbs are simply delicious. The Dzuleke river has the rare snow trout. Fishing of this is regulated. I was fortunate to sample some of this, cooked in traditional style.
Dzuleke presents an ideal location for visitors to get a feel of rural life in Nagaland. Despite being relatively close to Kohima, it is yet untouched by the rigors of modern civilization. With its quaint houses and beautifully laid out stone walkways and surrounded by forests and rice fields, Dzuleke lets you experience village life and also enjoy nature in its relatively pristine form. Walks through the village provide a glimpse of Angami culture. It is common to see men sitting by their houses weaving baskets of cane and bamboo. Women can be seen weaving cloth on their looms. If one is lucky, you can partake in some of the traditional games. Christianity was introduced in this region in the1890s and Sunday gave me a chance to visit churches and listen to sermons and hymns sung in local Angamese. My hosts also took me to their home garden where vegetables are grown completely organically. It was such pleasure to be able to pluck fresh corn and then roast it on the kitchen fire.
Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, along with natural bamboo and cane plantations, surround Dzuleke. Traditionally a hunting community, Dzuleke is special because the elders decided to ban all hunting here in the year 1999 to ensure that the wildlife in the area is conserved for generations to come. The community has also decided to set aside some of the forest as a Community Conserved Area (CCA) where collection of all forest produce will be restricted. The Stump-tailed Macaqu , Barking Deer and the Mountain Bamboo Partridge are some of the attractions of this place. The state bird of Nagaland Blythe’s Tragopan, found only in Nagaland can also be spotted in the forests of Dzuleke. These forests provide great opportunities for bird and butterfly watching; nature walks and trekking.
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| Basket Weaving in Dzuleke |
A trek was planned during my second visit with the idea to try and explore trekking routes for tourists. Perhaps the one of the toughest treks of my life, we walked up a 45-degree incline without a path. Our Naga guide hacked away on the bamboo and undergrowth as we climbed. I am indebted to my two Naga lady friends who accompanied me and quite literally pulled and pushed me up the mountainside. The scenery was spectacular and made up for the all the pain and discomfort. By the time we reached the campsite at lunchtime, the tents had been pitched and fires were burning. Lunch consisted on cold pork that had been sent by the villagers. Dinner was memorable with chicken and pork and also a roast mole that had been picked up dead on the way. This one was not for me! The way down on the next day was a far gentler walk and quite a contrast to the ascent. It appeared that the ascent had been more to test my endurance! I seem to have passed with flying colours because this trek earned me the respect and love of all the Dzuleke residents and I was affectionately given the name, ‘Kezha Le- U” that means, “One who brings a lot to the village”. I was touched and felt completely accepted by the people of this wonderful Naga village.
After extended visits to Dzuleke, several discussions with the village people and explorations in and around the village, I came up with a feasibility plan and strategy to develop it as a pilot ecotourism destination. Some of the homestays are already up and running and it is indeed a place worth visiting.
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