India Travel
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 sell local produce and a variety of colourful Naga shawls, bags, decorative spears and other handicrafts. Weaving is a traditional handicraft here and each Naga tribe has distinctive shawls such as the black, red and green of the local Angamis.
The large Angami settlement of Kohima Village is set on a high hill overlooking modern Kohima. Only a few of its buildings are traditional with pitched roof and crossed “house-horns” on the gable, but its tightly knit labyrinth of lanes and houses gives the village a definite Naga feel. Carved heads to signify family status, grain baskets in front of the houses, and troughs used to make rice beer are among the distinctive features. The grunts, squeals and other bodily effects from the myriad pigs - virtually every family keeps them - add to the bucolic atmosphere.
The fascinating State Museum (Mon-Sat 9.30am-2.30pm, closed every 2nd Sat; Rsl) in Bayavu Hill Colony, a pleasant twenty-minute walk from Centre Point, houses an excellent collection of Naga jewellery, dominated by yellow, red and dark-blue beads, and figures displaying costumes of the various Naga tribes. Upstairs is a small modern art gallery. The museum grounds include a couple of huts, an impressive gateway and a huge log drum, traditionally used in religious rites, during festivals and for sending messages across the hills.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Kohima the capital of Nagaland in the Northeast
Founded by the British in the nineteenth century. KOHIMA, the capital of Nagaland, was built alongside the large Angami village of Kohima, solely for administrative purposes. The town continues in this role - for a more intimate glimpse of traditional Naga life you'll need to wander up to the old village, or visit Khonoma. 20km beyond Kohima, the Nagas' once impregnable stronghold, sacked by the British in 1879 and again by the Indian army in 1956. Jakhema, a few kilometres south on the road to Manipur, with terraced fields surrounding the village, is also worth visiting for its traditional feel.
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
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
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
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
Practicalities of Kanchipuram lies 70km southwest of Chennai in Tamil Nadu
Flanked on the south by the River Vegavathi, Kanchipuram lies 70km southwest of Chennai, and about the same distance from the coast. Buses from Chennai, Mamallapuram and Chengalpattu stop at the stand in the town centre on Raja Street. The sleepy railway station in the northeast sees only five daily passenger services from Chengalpattu (one of them, #161, originating in Chennai) and two from Anakkonam. As most of the main roads are wide and traffic rarely unmanageable, the best way to get around Kanchi is by bicycle - available for minimal rates (Rs2/hour) at stalls west and northeast of the bus
Joshimath and Auli northeast of Uttaranchal
The scattered administrative town of JOSHIMATH clings to the side of a deep valley 250km northeast of Rishikesh, with tantalizing glimpses of the snow peaks high above, and the prospect far below of the road disappearing into a sunless canyon at Vishnu Prayag, the confluence with the Dhauli Ganga. Few of the thousands of pilgrims who pass through en route to Badrinath linger here, but Joshimath has close links with Shankara, the ninth-century reformer, who attained enlightenment here beneath a mulberry tree, before going on to establish Jyotiramath, tine of the tour centres ot Hinduism (dhams) at the four cardinal
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
The trek to Yamunotri northeast of Rishikesh in Uttaranchal
Cradled in a deep cleft in the lap of Bandarpunch, and thus denied mountain vistas, the temple of Yamunotri (3291m), 223km northeast of Rishikesh, marks the source of the Yamuna, India's second holiest river after the Ganges. The least dramatic but most beautiful of the four dhams (temples) of Garhwal, it's also the most unspoiled and the least commercial, and the undemanding fourteen-kilometre (5hr) trek up to it from Hanuman Chatti is one of the region's most popular short hikes. The trail leads through attractive countryside, following the turbulent ice-blue river as it runs below terraced fields, with snowy peaks
Jaintia Hills in the Northeast
The Jaintia Hills in the east of the state are fairly easy to access, with regular buses and taxis leaving from Shillong's Bara Bazaar to Jowai, the main market town of the region. The marketplace is hectic and colourful, especially on main market day. A walk along the river Myntdu will take you to the memorial tomb of U Kiang Nangbah, a Jaintia patriot who was hanged by the British in 1K62 for leading a revolt against their rule. Accommodation is limited to the Circuit House above the town, with good views; it's best to reserve through the Deputy Commissioner's
South Assam in the Northeast
South Assam, ridged by the Cachar hills, is the crossing point for the surrounding states of Meghalaya. Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur. While the main town, Silchar. contains little of interest, places further afield, notably the low key hill station of Haflong, are far more appealing.
Bindevasani and forest trails northest of Chila at Uttaranchal
Along the Kimsar road, which penetrates the deep sal forests northeast of Chila, visitors have a reasonable chance of glimpsing wild elephant. Elephant herds migrate here seasonally from as far away as Corbett, and can sometimes be seen in the forests behind Swarg Ashram in Rishikesh. The tiny hamlet of BINDEVASANI, 14km northeast of Chila and linked to both' Chila and Haridwar by regular buses, stands at the foot of steep hills. Besides a small dhammshala and a teashop, there's little here to detain travellers, but it's possible to camp in the covered forecourt of the small cliff top Durga
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
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
Arrival, information and city transport of Guwahati in the Northeast
The railway station lies in the centre of town, with the state bus stand. which operates a left-luggage service (4.30am-10.30pm), right behind. The back of the railway station leads into the hectic Pakan Bazaar area, from which most of the private bus companies operate. Guwahati airport, 18km east of the centre, is served by taxis (from outside the Nandan Hotel) and airport buses, including those run by Indian Airlines. The Assam government tourist office in the Tourist Lodge on Station Road (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; closed 2nd & 4th Sat of month) organizes day-trips and longer tours; their day- and overnight-packages to Kaziranga
Pathankot in Haryana and Punjab
The dusty town of PATHANKOT, 270km north of Chandigarh and 101km to the northeast of Amritsar, is an important cantonment and railway junction close to the frontier with Pakistan and near the borders with Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. Many travellers pass through to pick up bus connections to Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Chamba and Kashmir, or to take the slow train east through the picturesque Kangra Valley.
Silchar in the Northeast
The nondescript town of SILCHAR is south Assam's main transport nexus There's little to do here but wait for a bus or train out, but you may find you self having to stay the night. The top hotel in town is the Sudakshi, on Shillong Patty, with comfortable carpeted roor hot water and cable TV. The excellent-value Hotel Siddharth just round the corner on Narshingtola, has clean rooms with showe filtered water and TV. Other options include the reasonable Swagat on Cent Road and the Geetanjali Club Road, which has large rooms, hot water and one of the best restaurai
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
Uttarkashi largest town of Garhwal in Uttaranchal
The largest town in the interior of Garhwal. UTTARKASHI was little-known to the outside world until its unhappy association with the massive nearby earthquake in 1992.The town occupies the flat and fertile valley floor of the Bhagirathi; most pilgrims and tourists stop here to break the long journey between Rishikesh, 148km south, and Gangotri, 100km northeast. Uttarkashi's busy and well-stocked market is ideal for picking up supplies before high-altitude treks, and the town is also a good place to contact experienced mountain guides - mostly graduates of its Nehru Institute