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A museum showcasing Naga heritage

        Kohima: A museum here is a favourite haunt for historians and ordinary people eager to know more about the history and heritage of Nagaland. The Kisama heritage village complex serves as a window to a past that the people do not know about, but nevertheless aspire to experience. The complex is a platform for all the tribes where their vivid architecture, culture and their customs have been displayed. The concept behind constructing the huts in a particular direction, in a particular area, is to give a picture of how a tribe lived in that particular region. Also, traditional artefacts, totems and weapons have been exhibited here.

       Kisama is situated 12 km away from Kohima, boasts of a village complex that recaptures the richness of the Naga culture and heritage. "The concept is that we should have a permanent place to showcase the Naga architecture and Naga culture because many of our Naga people do not know the rich architecture and all that belongs to the Nagas. Especially the younger generations. So we thought we must go back to our forefather's days," T. Patton, the Asst. Engineer behind the project said. Nagaland owes its vast cultural heritage to the different architecture, lifestyle and customs practiced by various tribes inhabiting the hills over the centuries. But, the race for survival often leaves many ignorant of this wealth. And to re- introduce people to their heritage Nagaland's tourist department has come up with a unique concept of a heritage village. "What you see is just not a house but a morong. The morong actually is depicting a place in those days where young people got educated, everything- the skill of war, the skill of living in the society- all those things that they learnt from there. It's a transition type of a house," he said

       The museum curators are of the belief that their efforts to acquaint visitors with the past that has been forgotten will be appreciated by both locals and outsiders alike. The effort has been to relate the present day Naga customs and traditions to the past and preserve the uniqueness of each tribe. The natives too, have pitched in enthusiastically, contributing land and labour so that they can take pride in their age-old customs, even as they move ahead and progress.
- Sept 19, 2004

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