Text: Shahwar Hussain
Photographs: Anuj Singh |
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Continued from last month – Shahwar Hussain and, his fellow explorer, Anuj conclude their epic adventure through the interiors of Nagaland. They saw extraordinary sights, experienced the local culture, and encountered old warriors with fearsome tattoos. Read on for more… |
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We had heard so much about a village named Longwa that we simply couldn't give it a miss. Longwa turned out to be the most interesting village in Mon, and the six days that we spent were simply not enough. It's 42 km's from Mon Town, and a friend assured us that it would take no more than an hour-and-a-half to reach. We were game, but certainly didn't bargain for the terrible road conditions due to the heavy overnight rain…in fact there was no road at all.
The mud was slippery and deep but the Karizmas performed outstandingly throughout, except for the one occasion when the muddy surface offered no traction whatsoever and I had a mighty fall. Caked in mud, and with my pride hurt, I was struggling to lift the heavily loaded bike when a young fellow waved gaily as he rode past me in a bicycle with not a speck of mud on him and a large sack of rice behind. Talk about adding insult to injury.
It was lush and green all-around. Wild bamboo and banana trees covered the slopes and there were large alder, teak and mulberry plantations owned by some villagers. I had to struggle hard to keep the bike upright as the rear kept sliding like it had a mind of its own. After riding for what seemed an eternity, we passed the villages of Tang and Pomching. We stopped a number of times for tea or to rest, and every time we asked how far it was to Longwa, the answer was the same – 20 km's!
After it happened for the fourth time, I decided not to inquire anymore. We finally reached the village after four and a half hours of riding, and headed straight for the Angh's (the village chief) residence. |
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I have never seen another thatched house larger than the Angh's. A two-room apartment would easily fit into one corner of the sitting room! The fire in the sitting room never goes out in an Angh's house, and as we sat round the fire, excited questions flew at us thick and fast and I had to do all the talking as Anuj doesn't speak the local language. Monetarily, the Angh is not a rich man but he has vast authority over the society. And if you're under the impression that the chief's house must have decorations and expensive furniture, you're mistaken. The only decorations are animal skulls. The woven bamboo walls of the sitting room are decorated with skulls of really huge mithuns (bison), deer, wild boar, buffalos, hornbills, and a huge, shiny elephant tusk. There's also a seat from a Burmese fighter jet that had once crashed in the deep jungles.
Among the Angh's closest friends was an old warrior with tattoos on his face and chest, and his ears were pierced with huge goat horns. Longwa has no electricity and the glow from the fire lit up the old warrior's face in a weird and fearsome manner. He's a real character and you can use an entire 1GB memory card photographing him and still want to shoot some more. I wonder if this old warrior ever slept. Every night, I would see him smoking opium when I dozed off, and he'd be there in the same place smoking when I awoke early the next morning. He spoke just once in six days, and that was to proudly inform us that he had collected five heads…and we sure believed him! The other old warriors who gathered in the Angh's house gave a grand display about how they collected heads in the battles, complete with shrill war cries and gunfire. |
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Konyaks love to smoke opium, and although the student's body has banned it, the Angh and his old friends still smoke it. They smoke opium in unique bamboo pipes, which I had to try. I had four drags, which made me see multi-coloured stars – after which I duly hit the sack nice and proper. Needless to say, I had a restful sleep. In the morning, I discovered that I had slept in Myanmar! Half of the Angh's house lies in Myanmar, and the other half in India. His jurisdiction runs over 50 villages inside Myanmar, and we accompanied him on a day's trek to the other side of the border through a dense tropical forest to visit some villages.
Traditionally, an Angh has many wives and the present Angh's father has twenty. “I have only two at the moment,” said the young Angh with a wink. The Anghship is hereditary and the eldest son becomes the Angh after the father decides to retire.
Nagaland has a large number of primary schools, and it's a lovely sight to see little kids with bright handloom bags make their way back and forth from school. Unfortunately, not every child can make it to school, as we saw some very young girls filling water in the hollow of large bamboo to undoubtedly carry them home. All these schools teach in the English medium, and it took us by surprise when we came across a school in the village where the Myanmar script was followed. Lazar, a teacher in the school, said that since many people from the village go to Myanmar for work, teaching the Myanmar script makes sense. But does it really? |
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I have every reason to believe that Nagaland has the highest number of muzzle loading rifles in the country. These guns are not like the ornamental ones they have in Rajasthan. These are simple ones, and are regularly used.
It's believed that the Konyaks had invented gunpowder long before the British had landed in India. And they're master craftsmen too. Almost every single house has some fantastic old wooden sculptures and beautiful metal ornaments. These artifacts are priceless museum pieces, and even these will disappear after a few years. Unscrupulous antique dealers are sweeping the villages off all such artifacts.
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ACCOMODATION:
For Village Stays at Mon, contact
Phejin Konyak : +91 09436265329
For Village Stays and Resorts at Mon, contact
Shepha Wangnao :+91 09436424210, 03869 229667.
Shepha3@yahoo.com
For Village Stays and Guest House at Longwa village, contact:
N. Longshah : +91 09436433504
DISTANCES
Guwahati (Assam) to Sonari – 450 km's
Sonari to Mon Town – 60 km's
Mon Town to Sayeang Village – 35 km's
Mon Town to Wakching Village – 38 km's
Mon Town to Langmeng Village – 45 km's
Mon Town to Longwa Village – 42 km's
Domestic tourists are required to carry Inner Line Permits (ILP). These are issues by the State Houses situated in major cities across the country. The District Commissioner at Dimapur also issues the ILP.
Foreigners are required to carry a Restricted Area Permit, which is issued by the Home Department.
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If you'd like to read the first part of this story,
click here... |
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