Declared a state on 1st December, 1963. Mokokchung, Tuensang, Mon, Wokha, Zunheboto and Kohima, comprising the Naga hills, makes up its various districts.
The Naga Hills run through this small state, which has Saramati as its highest peak at a height of 12,600 ft. The main rivers that flow through Nagaland are Dhansiri, Doyang, Dikhu and Jhanji.
The common link between the 16 tribes of Nagaland who have different dialects, costumes etc, is the craze for music and dance. The social position of the reticent Naga is decided by the number of home necklaces, he wears.
The Nagas, inhabitants of Nagaland, belong to the Indo-Mongoloid stock, a race whose presence was first noted at the time of the compilation of the Vedas. Nagaland is bounded by Assam in the west, Burma on the East, Arunachal Pradesh & Assam on the North and Manipur in the South. The state consists of seven districts with sixteen tribes & sub-tribes inhabiting it. The Naga tribes are generally full of folklore. Here man has to fight nature all the time. The struggle however, makes people tough. The people here are strongly built, simple, honest and hard working.
Nagaland Fairs Festivals :
Life in Nagaland is replete with festivities throughtout the year as all the tribes have their own festivals which they greatly cherish. They regard their festivals sacrosanct and participation in them is compulsory. They celebrate their distinct seasonal festivals with pageantry, colour, music and fanfare.
Most of these festivals revolve round agriculture, which is still the mainstay of Naga society. Over 85% population of Nagaland is directly dependent on agriculture. Nagas inhabits the wild, wide open pastoral countryside. In this blissful setting Nagas savour nature's bounties with a rare gusto, filling the onlookers with awe and admiration.
Although some religious and spiritual sentiments are inter-woven into seculare rites and rituals, the predominant theme of the festivals is offering of prayers to a Supreme Being hailed by different names in diverse Naga dialects. At these festivals, the spirits and gods are propitiated with sacrifices by the village Shaman (priest) for a bountiful harvest either before the sowing or before reaping the harvest.
