The Naga Hut
The walls of the spacious bamboo hut was made of cane straws fastened with a thick coat of mud and dung. The roof was thatched with dried palm leaves. An impressive, ten-foot long log-drum* with a tiger’s face engraved on its front, welcomed us at the entrance. A large rectangular wooden table at the center of the hall displayed pretty hand-crafted show-pieces and vibrant, colorful beaded tribal necklaces . Deer skulls, baskets, machete holders, hunting tools, masks, souvenirs made of wood, feathers, animal skull, horns, bones and teeth decorated one side of the wall. The kitchen was coated with soot from the wood that burned in the ‘Choolah’ (hearth) day and night. A large bamboo rack stacked with corn cobs, pork meat and yam suspended from the ceiling over the ‘Choolah’. The heat from the hearth kept the food from decaying. Millet, rice husk and corn hung in the kitchen had accumulated dust and cobwebs. A small bonfire lit at one corner had a small cluster of men smoking opium. This was our host, Noukau Wangao’s cosy little home in Longwa, one of the remotest tribal villages of Nagaland.
Noukau’s mom, a warm and smiling lady in her late 60’s did not look anywhere close to her age. She wore a beautiful self-made neck-piece of bright orange beads that covered her whole of her neck and upper chest. Animated conversations began with Noukau and his family since everyone else apart from Noukau only spoke Nagamese and Burmese. Having said, this was my first tribal living experience and their hospitality was overwhelming!
The legendary Konyaks
The sole purpose of visiting Longwa, was to meet the tattooed men of the distinguished Konyak tribe. Of the 16 tribes of Nagaland, Konyaks specialised in head-hunting. This gruesome practice was in full swing till about 70 years ago; but was later banned in the 1940s. The Konyaks were predominantly notorious warriors, participating in wars and head-hunting their enemies. These heads were then presented as a gift to their Chief, referred to as ‘Angh’. In return, each head hunter had his face tattooed, as a mark of pride, amidst celebrations of victory. Warriors who took part in war also had their chests tattooed.
The first head hunter I met was the 80-year old Penche. His cheeks were hollow and his wrinkled face was almost fully inked. He wore a headgear made of bear fur. Beneath his t-shirt and shorts, his body was reduced to skin and bones. Though his eyes were ripened cataract, I could still strongly sense pride and bravery. Having taken 3 heads in his lifetime, his first successful head hunt was when he was just 20 years old! Penche exuded warmth when he smiled through his wrinkles while posing for a photograph.
Others I met, unfolded similar stories of valor. Ngowang, Wangchah and Wangnan had also taken 2 heads each. Apart from the tattoo on his face, Ngowang had a striped tattoo on his chest that extended diagonally to his belly, implying that he had also participated in war.
The Konyaks fought for land, rivers and sea, also venturing into Burma to expand their territories. There were 7 ‘Morungs’ (training schools) where techniques of war and head hunting were taught to the young blood.
One of the oldest living head hunters is the 84-year old Longsha Manyam. He claimed to have taken 4 heads and participated in 3 wars in his lifetime. His ear holes were elongated from having worn heavy earrings made of goat and ‘Mithun’ (wild cow) horns all his life. Longsha explained that usually, headhunting was done in a group of four- one warrior held the head, the other chopped it off and the remaining two carried the body and the head back to the village. Longsha also distinctly remembered the names of the enemies whose heads he had taken, namely, Keywang, Khamwang, Phungwi and his sister.
There are only 30-odd headhunters left in Longwa, all in their declining phases of life. These legends would be gone in the next few years, only to be rediscovered in pages of a book. The Konyaks had taken me 100 years back in time to an era that was once a living proof of their hair-raising stories.
In another Naga hut nearby, Ongsa, a blacksmith, was engrossed in sculpting pendants. He heated pieces of metal on a small hearth and moulded them into shapes; etching faces while they were still hot. A beer can next to him had tea boiling in it.
On the way back from Ongsa’s hut, the setting sun had begun painting Longwa in hues of gold, orange, magenta and purple in that order. Dinner got served as early as 6.30 pm where by, the whole family along with their dog-Pity, and us sat together. Piping hot naga beans, sticky rice, blanched spinach leaves and boiled colocassia was generously served. Meals were basic and repetitive, yet filling and nutritious. It bought us even closer to the rugged and minimal lifestyle of the Naga tribes.
With limited supply of electricity, Longwa went pitch dark that night for almost an hour before the moon rose from behind the mountains. We couldn’t stop ourselves from stepping out in the open, despite the freezing cold. Every possible star twinkled over our heads and it felt as if we were under a canopy of a zillion fireflies. I had never experienced a clearer view of the Milky Way ever before.
Noukau’s mom rooted tapioca and yam from the fields early next morning, boiled them and served them for breakfast with some pepper and salt. A kilometer of walk on an elevation bought us to the Indo-Myanmar border milestone. From here, we could get a bird’s eye view of entire Longwa to the left and Myanmar to the right. The view was superbly juxtaposed – shades of earthy brown on one side and green rolling hills with scattered huts on the other.
We followed Noukau to the other end of Longwa to visit the home of the Chief, referred to as the ‘Angh‘. An Angh is the ruler of a village, basically a man of supreme authority, greatly respected by the natives. The Angh’s hut was colossal with a log-drum and Mithun skulls at the entrance. The walls had huge metal shields and spades in varied sizes hung on it. A series of dis-coloured photographs of the Angh taken at various ceremonies also shared the wall space. But what fascinated me the most was the kitchen with the invisible India-Myanmar border cutting right through it!. Sadly, the Angh had passed away the previous year, leaving behind his 60 wives and 40 odd children! Polygamy prevails among the Anghs; however, per norms, his eldest son has taken over as the new Angh of Longwa.
While strolling in Longwa for most of the day, I encountered close to two hundred children. We happily bartered toffees in exchange of their giggles and smiles. Otherwise shy, they happily came forward to accept their share of ‘Mithai‘. Most girls, as young as five or six, had a baby secured to their backs with a towel or a shawl. It was funnily uncanny that every kid, irrespective of its age, had a runny nose :p
Longwa is known as the land of opium, some of which is home-grown and most of which comes in from the neighboring country. There are hardly any border restrictions. People here have dual citizenships. A few blogs had emphasized that the villagers are usually under opium influence and may prove to be dangerous, but I, per say, did not see or experience anything in particular.
I found a beautiful church with a star pinned to its top. It brings me to touch upon the religious history a bit. The Nagas strongly opposed Christianity for a very long time, primarily because it placed hard restrictions on all of their rituals and festivals. The East India company and its missionaries were able to convert most of the other tribes, but the Konyaks. Later, with time, the religion assumed a liberal approach and Christianity was eventually accepted by the Konyaks.
I loved Longwa for its ruggedness and simplicity. I also loved the fact that it is one of the very few villages where the tribes have maintained their identity and their distinct way of life despite the chaos of urbanisation around them. But I loved Longwa most for its one-of-a-kind’ Konyak headhunters, whose tattooed faces are like a mirror to their valorous past. And Longwa will continue to fascinate people like me who come in search of such hidden gems, long after its men would have slept with their inked faces in their graves.
*A log drum is a vital instrument played by the Naga tribes by beating it with stunt wooden logs in rhythmic unison during a ceremony, festival or celebration.
**We : refers to myself and my spouse who is usually my buddy in all my travel feats.
Snippets
· Longwa is raw, rugged and minimal.
· A guide is mandatory as the native is alien to English.
· Food is extremely basic. There are no hotels or eateries. Be prepared to thrive on boiled meat, root and veggies.
· Reachability – Longwa is a 1.5 to 2 hour drive on rough roads from Mon. Shared Sumos are available from Mon with decent frequency. The best way to enter Mon is by taking a shared sumo from Sonari in Assam. Avoid evening or night travel
· Stay options: scarce. In Sonari: Hotel Green view – 78964 53604 OR Seven sister lodging (the sumo pick up point is here. In Longwa: guide makes arrangements at his homestay.
· Guide details: Contact Longsha Wangao: 8974390751 OR Belon 943625390.
· Cost(in INR) : Longsha charges 1500 per day as guide fee, 800 for a double bed room stay per night, 200 per person per meal (lunch/dinner), 120 for breakfast. Pvt sumo charges 2500 from Mon to Longwa, shared will cost around 250. Shared Sumo from Sonari to Mon is 280 per head.
· Mon, Longwa and Sonari are practically shut on Sundays and transport is not available. So plan accordingly.
· It is best to club your visit to Longwa in conjunction with the Hornbill festival that happens in Kisama (near Kohima) each year from 1-10 Dec. A state bus from Mon bus depot plies at 2 pm directly to Kohima via Sonari and takes 16 hours. Alternatively, one can go down south from Mon to Mokokchung, do a break journey and proceed to Kohima.
· Various tribes inhabit the villages around Longwa and it can be one heck of an amazing experience, however, it demands blocking a sumo all for yourself by burning a hole in your pocket. Not recommended for budget travelers.
· It gets dark by 4.30 during winter months in the north-east, leaving limited scope for exploration. Hence, its recommended to start early.
· Though websites indicate that an ILP (Inner line permit ) is required to visit Nagaland, we were told to omit it and just carry our company icards along, since leverages are given to encourage tourism during the Hornbill fest. Please check with your guide for advice.
· One may choose to buy souvenirs from Longsha’s home in Longwa, since prices in the Hornbill festival in Kohima are exorbitant.
· No harm to extend 200 to 300 INR to the headhunters for photos or interviews. No offence since their lives are not easy. And meeting these legends is priceless!
· As a custom, you need to carry a gift when you plan to visit the Angh, usually a bottle of alcohol which can be procured from Assam, since liquor is banned in Nagaland.
· Winter clothing is essential, Carry woolen gloves, socks and caps along. Nights are extremely windy.
· No pesticides are used in farming. Food is generally prepared from freshly plucked produce, though basic, its delicious!
· Adventurous people can explore opium. 🙂
· Safe for women to travel solo. Naga tribes are beautiful at heart!
- Its best to club Longwa with the hornbill festival at Kohima that happens in december every year. To read about it, click here The Hornbill Festival
Place your cursor on the image below to read the captions
The rich biodiversity of Longwa