Nearly six years after our last tour to Nagaland we visited this state in Northeast India again. At first sight not much had changed. There are still problems with electricity and running water, but - apart from a horrible section between Poilwa and Khonoma - the roads were generally better than last time. But there was something fundamentally new: In the old days the village´s chieftain, the Angh, built his house at the the highest point. Then the missionaries came and converted Nagaland into a state with more than 90% Christians. They demonstrated their power by building churches at an even higher point than the Angh´s house. Now there is something much higher than the churches. Everywhere you can see tall transmitter masts, because nowadays nearly every middle-aged and young Naga possesses a mobile phone that he and she extensively uses. Globalisation has reached at least the young Naga. They wear really trendy clothes and the young girls wear high-heeled shoes on rough roads. Many of them have moved to the towns for work and only come to their home villages for festivals.
But as everybody knows what globalised people look like, I have tried to capture a few of the traditional views and post them here. For some further information also have a look at my gallery "Nagaland, India, Home of Naga Headhunters" https://pbase.com/neuenhofer/nagaland_india_home_of_naga_headhunters There is a lot of further information in German about our tour in Nagaland on our homepage. Click http://www.neuenhofer.de/guenter/nagaland/nagareise2.html
Chang Naga lady in Tuensang Village with tattoos that shall ward off tigers.
Khiamniungan Naga lady near Noklak with tattoos that shall ward off tigers.
Khiamniungan Naga lady in Nokyan with tattoos.
In Nokyan.
Khiamniungan Naga lady in Nokyan with tattoos on her legs.
Khiamniungan Naga in Nokyan with tattoos of a successful headhunter.
Headhunter from Nokyan.
Another Khiamniungan Naga in Nokyan with tattoos of a successful headhunter.
In a headhunter´s house in Nokyan.
A new generation of Naga warriors
Festival of Sangtam Naga in Tsadang.
Sangtam Warrior in Tsadang.
Sangtam Warrior.
Sangtam Warrior.
Sangtam Warrior.
Town gate in Tseminyu.
House in Kigwema. The horns on top of the roof show that its owner gave a feast of merit for the villagers.
Gate of Kigwema Village, home of Angami Naga.
Lower part of same town gate with Christian symbols and words.
Hornbill decoration at the top of a morung in Kisama.
Poilwa morung (young men´s house). Zeliang Naga live in Poilwa.
Another Poilwa morung.
Benreu Village, home of Zeliang Naga.
Two of the last few animists in Benreu Village.
Inside Benreu Morung.
Sacrifice in front of Benreu morung.
Morung in Peren Village.
Christian grave in Peren Village.
Peren town gate. Churches had to be built outside the town gates.
Zeliang Naga lady from Peren.
Peren Village - like all the villages in southern and central Nagaland - nearly all the houses have got tin roofs.