India Travel

Kohima the capital of Nagaland in the Northeast

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Dimapur northwest of Kohima in the Northeast

DIMAPUR, the "city of the river people", 74km northwest of Kohima, is Nagaland s largest and most industrialized town - and the only one not located in hill country. It bears little resemblance or affinity to the rest of Nagaland and functions for visitors primarily as a gateway to the state. It's a noisy polluted city and the mushroom-like monuments - fertility symbols dating back to the Kachari Kingdom - are the main point of interest, standing on the riverside edge of town. The sole railhead in Nagaland, Dimapur, is served by trains to Simaluguri (for Sibsagar), Tinsuleia and Dibrugarh in

Nagaland on the with Myanmar in the Northeast

On the border with Myanmar, south of Arunachal Pradesh and east of Assam, NAGALAND is physically and conceptually at the very extremity of the subcontinent. Many of its hills and valleys, home to the fiercely independent Nagas, were uncharted until recently, and the eastern regions remain far beyond the reach of the skeletal road network, despite the fact that the forested' mountains rarely exceed 3000m in height. Today this remains the most politically sensitive of the northeastern hill states. The two factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) are locked in battle for independence against the Indian army

Khonoma northwest from Kohima in the Northeast

The beautiful Angami village of KHONOMA, 20km northwest from Kohima, holds a special place in Naga history as the place where Angami warriors made their final stand against the British in 1879. Magnificent rice terracing surrounds the village, irrigated by a complex system of bamboo water pipes, and twenty different types of rice are grown here, each specifically suited to the elevation, soil and aspect of the terraces. A flight of steps, approached through a traditional carved gate, leads up to the highest point of the village from where excellent views take in the hills and the neighbouring villages of

Upper Assam in the Northeast

Jorhat is the main centre for the region, with an airport and road connections, and acts as the gateway to Kaziranga, Nagaland and northern Arunachal Pradesh. Although not particularly attractive to tourists in itself, Jorhat makes a good base for exploring the unique Vaishnavite culture of Majuli, the largest river island in the world, and Sibsagar, former capital of the Ahoms and home to numerous tombs, temples and palaces.

The Town of the Kohima in the Northeast

Spread loosely over a saddle joining two large hills, Kohima forms a pass that played a strategic role during World War II. The highway from Imphal to Dimapur - the route along which the Japanese hoped to reach the plains of India - crosses the saddle at the foot of the Second World War Cemetery, which dominates the town. Its immaculate gardens stand as memorial to the Allies who died at this very spot during the three-month Battle of Kohima, which ended in April 1944 after claiming the lives of over 10,000 soldiers. Below the cemetery in central Kohima, bustling markets

Practicalities to Kohima in the Northeast

Most private buses from Imphal are through services to Dimapur and don't go into the centre of town - ask the driver to drop you off on the main highway just below the Japfu hotel. State buses arrive and leave from the bus stand in the centre of town. Taxis and minibuses are the main forms of public transport around the town although the central area is small enough to explore on foot. The tourist office (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm) is on the National Highway,below the japfu. Kohima has few accommodation choices, though standards aren't bad. Kohima's showpiece hotel is the Japfu, on PR

Travel details in the Northeast

Trains Guwahati to: Calcutta (2-3 daily; 23-24hr); Chennai (6 weekly; 54hr); Delhi (4 daily; 28-41 hr); Dibrugarh (2 daily; 14-15r»rr); Dimapur (2 daily; 6hr); Jorhat (1 daily; 12hr); Mughalsarai (2-3 daily; 23-29 hrs); Mumbai (3 weekly; 43-46 hr). Jorhat to: Guwahati (1 dailly; 12 hours). Buses Agartala to; Guwahati (1 daily; 24hr); Neermahal (every 30min; 2hr); Shillorag (1 daily; 20tir); Silchar (2 daily; 11hr); Udaipur (every 15min; 2hr). Aizawl to: Silchar (2 daily:; 12hr). Guwahati to: Agartala (1 daily; 24hr); Imphal (1daily; 18hr); Itanagar (2 daily; 11 hr); Jorhat (12daily; 6-7hr); Kaziranga (12 daily; 4hr 30min);Kohima (1 daily; 12-14hr>; Shillong (12 daily;3-4hr); Silchar

Details of The Northeast

Certainly the least explored and arguably the most beautiful region of India, the NORTHEAST, connected to the rest of India by a very narrow stretch of land between Bhutan and Bangladesh, has long been all but sealed from the outside world. Arunachal Pradesh shares an extremely sensitive northern border with Chinese-occupied Tibet and together with Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, a 1600-kilometre border with Myanmar. Insurgency has plagued the region since Independence, with tribal groups pushing for various degrees of autonomy and independence as well as fighting each other. A huge influx of Bengalis into the region and consequent displacement of

State tourist offices in Calcutta

The most useful of the many tourist offices representing other states in Calcutta are those that cover trie northeastern states, and issue whichever permits may be necessary (details of permit requirements can be found on p.1043), and that of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Andaman and Nicobar, 3A Auckland Place; Arunachal Pradesh, 41B Chowringhee Place; Assam, 8 Russell St; Manipur, 26 Rowland Rd; Meghalaya, 9 Russell St; Mizoram, 24 Old Ballygunge Rd; Nagaland, 11 Shakespeare Sarani; Orissa, 41 Lenin Sarani; Sikkim, 5/2 Russell St;

The Capital of Manipur, Imphal in the Northeast

Imphal and around Circled by distant hills, the capital of Manipur, IMPHAL, lies on a plain at an altitude of 785m. Though it lacks dramatic monuments, its broad avenues give it an open feel. Imphal feels closer to Southeast Asia than India, and visitors encounter the problem of a language barrier as many of the locals speak neither English nor Hindi. Langthabal, set on a small hillock 8km south of Imphal on the road to Burma overlooking the University of Manipur, has remains of an old palace, together with a few temples and ceremonial houses. The Khonghampat Orchidarium, 12km north of Imphal

Guwahati and around in the Northeast

Once known as Pragjyotishpura (Light of the East), the most striking feature of GUWAHATI (or Gauhati), the capital of Assam, is the Brahmaputra, whose swollen sandy channel is so wide that the far shore is often rendered invisible. Of its many atmospheric temples, Kamakhya and Navagraha both occupy commanding hilltop positions, while Umananda sits on a small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Guwahati's mam business, tea, is booming. The Assam Tea Auction Centre (Tues & Wed 9.30am-lpm & 2.30-6pm) in the outlying suburb of Dispur holds auctions of a scale that previously took place in Calcutta and London. The

Thrissur in Kerala

The breezy bazaar town of THRISSUR (Trichur), roughly midway between Kochi (74km south) and Palakkad (79km northeast) on NH-47. is an obvious base for exploring the cultural riches of central Kerala. Near the Palghat (Palakkad) Gap - an opening in the natural border made by the Western Ghat mountains - it presided over the main trade route into the region from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. For years Thrissur was the capital of Cochin State, controlled at various times by both the zamorin of Kozhikode and Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Today, it justifiably prides itself on being the cultural capital of

Haflong and around north of Silchar in the Northeast

The scenic hill resort of HAFLONG, 84km north of Silchar, is the seat of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council, where members of several ethnic groups including Dimasas, Hmars, Nagas and Mizos, belonging to different religious denominations - Christian, Hindu and Buddhist - live together in apparent harmony. Give or take, that is, the odd ruction in support of statehood or at least further autonomy, and the odd consignment of arms or militants en route to Manipur or Nagaland. Haflong's market is at its best and most colourful on Saturday when it's overflowing with rice-beer (dju) and other local produce.

Central Bengal

Central Bengal offers little in the way of major sights to tempt tourists off the Calcutta-Darjeeling route. It is a low-lying rural region where the pace of life is in stark contrast to that of its frenetic capital, Calcutta. Shantiniketan, built on the site of Rabindranath Tagore's lather's ashram, is a haven of peace, and a must for anyone interested m Bengali music, art and culture. The other highlights of the region include a cluster of exquisite terracotta temples in Bishnupur, the rums of Gaur, the region's seventh-century capital, and the palaces of Murshidabad. capital of Bengal's last independent

Shimla and around in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla. Himachal's capital, is India's largest and most famous hill station, where much of the action in Rudyard Kipling's colonial classic Kim took place. While the city is a favourite spot for Indian families and honeymooners, its size does little to win it popularity among Western tourists who tend to pass through on their way to Manali. It is however, a perfect halfway house if Vo ' heading to the Kullu Valley, or back in the other direction towards the of Haryana and Punjab. It's also the starting post for forays into the rerrtnr regions of Kinnaur and Spiti. Northeast of

Emporium in Calcutta

Good selections of most handicrafts, including lace, can be found in various state emporia, many of which are located in the large Dakhsinapan shopping complex south of Dhakuria Bridge near Gol Park. Offering fixed (if slightly high) prices, these are the simplest places start shopping. Aavishhar, 20K Park St. Popular shop on the corner with Middleton Row, stocking stationery and cards, music, pottery by local artists, and garden-fresh Oarjeeling and Assam teas. Assam. 8 Russell St. As part of Assam House, the emporium sells handicrafts and textiles from Assam including fabrics in pat and tnoga, two techniques of silk manufacturing. Bengal

Tripura of the northeast, Surrounded by Bangladesh in Northeast

Tucked away in a corner of the northeast, surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides, the lush green mountains and valleys of TRIPURA have attracted many different peoples over the centuries. It became part of the Indian Union in 1949; since then its fate has been entwined with that of Bengal. The Partition of" India and subsequent creation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 194H, followed by war, famine and military regimes drove millions of Bangladeshis to flee into Tripura, where they now outnumber the indigenous people by four to one, leaving many of the original inhabitants feeling that their land

Itanagar northeast of Guwahati in Northeast

The town of ITANAGAR, just under 400km northeast of Guwahati, has been developed as the capital of Arunachal Pradesh largely because of its convenient location near the road and rail arteries alongside the Brahmaputra, but holds little to interest visitors. Surrounded by densely forested hills, the town itself is little more than a four-kilometre stretch of road running between Zero Point, where the two top-range hotels are located, and Ganga Market, the main bazaar area where you can find cheaper accommodation around the bus stand. The small Tibetan Buddhist temple consecrated by the Dalai Lama reflects the extensive Tibetan influence

Nagpur and around in Maharastra

Capital of the "land ot oranges" and geographically at the virtual centre of India, NAGPUR is the focus of government attempts to develop industry in the remote and tribal northeastern corner of Maharashtra - most foreigners in the city are there for business rather than aesthetic purposes. The trickle of visitors who do stop here tend to head straight for the Gandhian ashrams at Sevagram and Paunar, near Wardha only 77km southwest, for a retreat in an idyllic village or to spend some time studying the works and ideas of the Mahatma. To get really off the beaten track for

Arunachal Pradesh in the Northeast

ARUNACHAL PRADESH, "the land of the dawn-lit mountains", is one of the last unspoilt wildernesses in India. In a state where almost every major river valley is home to a different tribe, Arunachal has a wealth of fascinating cultures and peoples, though much is still off limits for foreigners. There is a wealth of biodiversity too, with a dazzling array of flora and fauna, including more than five hundred species of orchids, in a habitat that combines glacial terrain, alpine meadows and subtropical rainforests. Despite its beauty, tourism in Arunachal Pradesh has been discouraged due to the extremely sensitive border with