Naga Heritage Village

Naga Heritage Village also known as Kisama Heritage Village is only one in Nagaland. The place is wrapped in breathtaking scenic views at the foothills of the lustrous and evergreen hills on the borderline of this village. It is surrounded by all types of flora. Naga Heritage village is rich in its tradition and cultural activities. Being one of the prime tourist attractions, the village sees hundreds of tourists round the year. Visiting this place is an experience of one of its kind and probably different from any part of the country. Its rich heritage speaks volumes about its cultures and customs. On visiting, you will see the unique thatched roofs on the traditionally built houses, its wooden walls and delicately and neatly done carvings of different designs – all of it has an age old rural essence. You will feel living just simply in a different era in your lifetime.

This village comprises of Morungs or 16 different houses that are designed and made in such a way that it symbolizes 16 communities of the population residing here. These communities have restored the artifacts of World War II, its food courts, traditionally bamboo made halls and a stadium which is famous for its Hornbill Festival. The scenic beauty of the village itself mesmerizes the tourists, and thus tourism has flourished in leaps and bounds in the region over the years.

The Hornbill festival was first initiated by the State Government. The festival has grown extremely in the span of a decade. Today the Hornbill Festival is one of the fastest growing festivals in India and attracts foreigners as well as Indians. It is now organized by the State Tourism and Art and Culture Departments every year from December 1 to December 7.

The Heritage Village is designed in a traditional fashion to keep the Naga Village alive. Nagas lived in tribes and villages during their head hunting days and showed exceptional bonding values within one village or tribe. The Nagas lived in group and hunted in groups for the simple reason of survival. Some scholars have compared the administration of the Nagas to the autonomous Greek villages. Their only form of learning in an education deprived era (no written script, or proper form of education) was the Morung where they would come together and learn different kinds of skills, even head hunting. The Morung is like a modern coffee house, a place to discern and learn from one another. Each village has separate Morung’s for men and women.