Khonoma village on a foggy day

After the two weddings on the day I was meant to leave Kohima, my friend's sister and cousin surprised me by telling their driver to take us to the nearby town of Khonoma, Nagaland's first 'green village'. It's not just the roofs that are green, the village actually has rubbish bins everywhere, and with the exception of a few bottles on the street, it looked like the locals actually used these bins. Certainly not something you see everyday in Nagaland.

I'd wanted to visit Khonoma this time. Unfortunately, getting here from Kohima isn't easy unless you have a private car - there's no regular bus / taxi service to and from Kohima and  the town's inhabitants have their own bus to take them to Kohima and back. My original plan to spend a few nights here at a guest house  (basically someone's house with a room or two for rent) wasn't feasible either, and I don't know if I would've enjoyed the stay if it was just me.

So I was really happy to be able to see Khonoma, except of course for the fog obscuring most of the valley. I guess it gives me something to look forward the next time I come here, and I'm planning to come here with anyone who comes to visit me on my next trip here to Nagaland.

View of the surrounding terraced fields


View of Khonoma village from above


The new Khonoma village gate

Khonoma village gate - the old one that was placed to the side, out of sight to people walking up the hill.

The Khonoma Baptist Church, which looks quite modern compared to even some of the new churches I've seen here.


A memorial to all the people who fought for independence from India


There were also some memorials for four senior British soliders who died trying to capture Khonoma in 1879, I'm told as part of a larger British campaign to capture Kohima.

Oh well, till next time.