Kohima is the capital of Nagaland and shares its borders with Myanmar. The city of Kohima is located in the Kohima district and sits on top of a high ridge with the town snaking along the tops of the mountains.
Kohima got its name from the Angami name "Kewhira" (which means "the land where the flower Kewhri grows"), thought "Kohima" was the name given by the British, since they could not pronounce the Angami name.
Kohima Travel Guide helps you will the details about the city that will be helpful in case you planning a trip to Kohima.
Best Time to Visit Kohima
The best time to visit Kohima is from October to May.
How to Reach Kohima
Being the capital of Nagaland, Kohima is quite well connected to other parts of the country. Here is how you can reach Kohima.
By Rail
The nearest railway station to Kohima is at Dimapur, which is located at a distance of 74 km. Dimapur is connected to Kolkata and Guwahati. The other closest railway station to Kohima is at Guwahati, which is located at a distance of 307 km.
By Road
There are buses by the Nagaland State Road Transport which play between Dimapur and Kohima. Apart from the government run buses there are also private luxury buses too. Kohima is well connected by road to the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram by National Highway 39.
By Air
The nearest airport to Kohima is at Dimapur, which is 74 km away. Dimapur is connected by air to Guwahati and Kolkata. One can hire a taxi from Dimapur to reach Kohima.
Shopping in Kohima
Kohima is a shopper's delight and some popular items one can buy here are colourful Naga shawls, hand woven shoulder bags, bamboo and wood carved items.
Traditional attires : Nagaland houses as many as 16 tribes each adorning beautiful hand woven dresses, shawls and Mekhela sarongs. You will find wide range of these types of attires which are customized and designed according to the modern day customers and at the same time having an ancestral touch to them. Shawls, jackets, hats and skirts can also be bought.
Artifacts and souvenirs : Beads and bamboo are commonly used in designing artifacts in Kohima. Beadwork can also be found in some of the traditional dresses of the city. Handicrafts made of papier mache are also available. Dolls made and dressed in the traditional, colourful attires look very pretty and will surely make a great gift for sure. Multi coloured spears, decorated small swords (known as "dao swords"), wooden bowls, belts and home finishings are among other handicrafts that may be added to your shopping list.
Jewellery : You must buy some nice chunky jewellery from Kohima markets. These would also serve as nice gifts. Jewellery pieces like earrings, danglers, armlets, bangles and neck pieces particularly made of copper, wood, bamboo and beads look really interesting and attractive.
A popular shopping destination in Kohima is the Naga Bazaar, which is famous for trading live stock. This market is a great place to buy some interesting items and also chat with the locals and discover more about Naga culture. Other places are mentioned below:
Handicraft and Handloom Emporium (Government Sales Emporium) : It is a Government enterprise that resides in the heart of the town. It offers Naga handloom and handicraft items such as shawls, bags, decorative spears, wood carvings and bamboo baskets. Ao Nagas is a Naga tribe that attracts a lot of customers for its red, black and white tsungkotepsu which are particularly shawls for men.
Wholesale Market : It offers a wholesome shopping of grocery items in Kohima, Nagaland. This market is microcosmic of Naga tradition with women clad in colorful tribal costumes and selling farm, field, forest and stem products.
Central Market : It is known for selling 'edible' delicacies such as borol or wriggling hornet grubs. These are actually eggs or larvae of an insect called hornet which are very popular in the city.
Restaurants in Kohima
Kohima has many nice restaurants where one can enjoy traditional Naga food as well as Chinese and Continental food. Here are a few restaurants in Kohima:
Arudupa Spur Cafe- One of Kohima's most popular restaurants, Arudupa is always buzzing with young people. The menu here is very global, with good music only adding to the ambience.
Dream Cafe- Dream Cafe is famous for its noodles and pizzas and is popular among the youth of Kohima. The restaurant also offers great views.
Kohima Cusine
Naga food mainly comprises of meat and fish, most of which is dried and fermented. People in this region are very fond of pork and beef, something which is not usually consumed in other parts of the country. Naga food also uses generous amounts of ginger, bamboo shoots and their famous Raja Mircha (King Chilly), which provides the food with a unique flavour and aroma. Nagas enjoy their vegetables boiled and use a lot of green leafy organic vegetables in their cooking. A typical Naga meal would comprise of a meat dish (beef or pork), boiled vegetables, rice and chutney (Thatu).
Kohima Travel Tips
A person planning to visit Kohima must bear in mind to pack light cotton clothes for summer along with light wraps for the evenings.
If you are visiting during the winter season, then you must be aware of the fact that the mercury dips down to 4 degree Celsius and no accommodation will be facilitated with a central heating system which requires travellers to carry warm clothes.
If a person is planning to visit in the months of June and September, then he must not forget his rain wear.
Kohima is one of the permitted places for both local and foreign travellers. So, do not forget to keep your permits handy. These permits are available at the borders of Assam and Nagaland.
