MOATSU FESTIVAL

MOATSU FESTIVAL

AT

NAGALAND

Nagaland is another name for exotic, mystic and beautiful. This northeast state of Nagaland is luxuriously green and inhabited by tribes who have fiercely protected their tradition, culture and identity.

Moatsu Mong is now being promoted by Nagaland Tourism as a national event, and Chuchuyimlang village is the main showcase for the celebrations- a great place for visitors from across the country and abroad to get a ringside view of Naga life.

Colourful costumes complete with clan motifs and headdress, war paint once in a while, lyrical singsong dialects and traditional villages are just some of the intriguing facades of the people of Nagaland.

Add to it the verdant green that is broken only by the white and red rhododendrons and multihued orchids, and you’ll have many reasons to enjoy this exotic destination tucked away in the northeast of India.

Traditionally, Moatsu Mong was celebrated only after the biggest (and most time-consuming) tasks of the community were completed- the sowing of grain, the cleaning of village ponds, the construction and repair of houses.

 The days leading up to the festival are, even today, a period of hectic activity. Homes are cleaned and decorated; rice beer is brewed and cows, pigs and fowls are fattened for the inevitable feast.

For the three days of Moatsu Mong, there is much rejoicing, singing and dancing; delegations go from one village to the next, bearing gifts, feasts are held, and eulogies are sung in praise of traditional heroes.

Many tradition and rituals are the part of this festival. Everyone is relaxed for a week, refreshes their body, mind and soul to take up future tasks, and challenges in the year ahead.

By Air

The airport is in Dimapur, 74 kms away from Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland. There are flights from Guwahati (Assam) and Kolkata (West Bengal) to Dimapur.

By Train

The nearest railhead is Dimapur, 74 km from Kohima. There are trains that connect Guwahati to Dimapur. Guwahati, in turn, is very well connected to the rest of India.

By Road

Kohima is connected to Imphal in Manipur (123 km) and Guwahati in Assam (400 km) by road.