Kohima is the capital of Nagaland, at about 1,440 m, and 74 km (about 2.5 to 3 hours) by road from Dimapur's airport and railway station. Visit the Kohima War Cemetery, Kohima Village and the State Museum, and time a trip for the Hornbill Festival at Kisama, 1 to 10 December. Indians need a Nagaland ILP.
Kohima is built along a series of ridges in the Naga Hills, and from almost anywhere in town you can see green slopes falling away into valleys. It is Nagaland's capital and the heartland of the Angami Naga, whose villages, including Khonoma and Jakhama, surround it. The town is compact but steep, with traffic that can be slow on the main road through the centre.
In April to June 1944 Kohima was the scene of one of the hardest battles of the Second World War, when British and Indian troops held the ridge against the Japanese advance towards India. The Kohima War Cemetery, on Garrison Hill where the fighting was fiercest, has 1,420 Commonwealth burials and the famous epitaph that begins When you go home. The old tennis court where the lines were only metres apart is marked within the cemetery.
For most visitors, Kohima means the Hornbill Festival, held every year from 1 to 10 December at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, about 12 km south. Outside festival season, Kohima is quieter and a good base for Khonoma, the Dzukou Valley trek and Angami villages. Nagaland is a dry state under its liquor prohibition law, and many businesses close on Sundays.
What makes it worth the trip
Kohima War Cemetery
A terraced Commonwealth cemetery on Garrison Hill with 1,420 graves and the Kohima Epitaph. Usually open from about 9 am to 4 pm; allow an hour.
Hornbill Festival, Kisama
Ten days of dances, games, crafts and food from Nagaland's tribes at the Naga Heritage Village, 1 to 10 December, with evening concerts in town.
Kohima Village (Bara Basti)
The original Angami settlement, described as more than 700 years old, with a traditional gate, carved house fronts and views over the town.
Nagaland State Museum
Galleries on the Naga tribes, with textiles, jewellery, weapons and a model morung. Check opening days, as it usually closes on some public holidays.
Mary Help of Christians Cathedral
A large Catholic cathedral on Aradura Hill with a carved wooden crucifix about 16 feet tall and views of the ridges.
Sharada Prasad CS · Commons · CC BY 2.0
Kanad Sanyal · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ly.n0m · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Things to do
- Walk through the Kohima War Cemetery and read the epitaphs
- Attend the Hornbill Festival at Kisama between 1 and 10 December
- Walk through the gates and lanes of Kohima Village
- Spend an hour at the Nagaland State Museum
- Browse the local market for Naga shawls, chillies, bamboo shoot and river snails
- Eat smoked pork with bamboo shoot and axone (fermented soybean) at a local restaurant
- Take a day trip to Khonoma, India's first green village, 20 km west
- Trek to Dzukou Valley from Viswema or Jakhama, 25 km south
- Visit the cathedral on Aradura Hill for the view
Getting there
Dimapur, 74 km away, is the gateway. Dimapur airport has flights from Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi and a few other cities, and Dimapur railway station is on the main line from Guwahati. From Dimapur, taxis, shared Sumos and state buses take about 2.5 to 3 hours to Kohima on NH29, longer when the road is under repair. A new railway line towards Kohima is being built, with Shokhuvi, near Dimapur, the nearest operational station for now. Imphal is about 140 km south by road.
Where to stay
Kohima has mid-range hotels and guest houses along the main road and around the town centre, and homestays in residential colonies and in Kohima Village. During Hornbill, prices rise and rooms sell out months ahead; many visitors stay in homestays in nearby villages such as Kigwema and Jakhama, closer to Kisama, or in organised festival camps. Outside December, you can usually find rooms at short notice. Pick a place with parking and check whether hot water is available all day.
Local tips
- Apply for your Nagaland ILP online before you travel and keep a printed and digital copy
- Book Hornbill stays and transport by August or September; December rooms go early
- Nagaland is a dry state under its liquor prohibition law; do not bring alcohol in
- Many shops and restaurants close on Sundays, and church services fill the morning
- The Dimapur to Kohima road can be slow and bumpy; allow at least 3 hours
- Ask before photographing people, especially elders and at village gates
Rain and weather
Source: IMD 1991–2020 normals
October to April for clear views and dry roads; 1 to 10 December for the Hornbill Festival.
