October 13, 2024

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Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

“Experience, travel – these are as education in themselves. – Euripides
What Greek playwright Euripides said about travel, is something I completely agree with. As a solo female traveller, who loves to create a travel checklist by being the proverbial fly on the wall, meaning, listening to what people are saying (about places) and then work towards experiencing them myself, I managed to touch base with 25 Indian states. It was 2017, and social media brought me to Khonoma, Nagaland. Now, let me tell you why I picked Khonoma.

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There were three things – firstly, Nagaland was being talked about in social media for all the wrong reasons, hunting being one of them. Secondly, being a Naga myself, I desperately wanted to find something that would provide some hope. My research led me to a news report that said in 2005, Khonoma received the prestigious title of being India’s First Green Village. Thirdly, being a city-bred Naga myself, I wanted to learn more about my tribal roots. Not knowing about it was no longer an option.

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

My journey to Khonoma village in Kohima district, Nagaland, was not an easy one. The timing of my visit coincided with Cyclone Mora. It would be an understatement to say that it rained a lot. As a travel writer, the best I could do in that situation was to find a story worth telling, than to cry over my sorry sopping wet situation.

“Welcome to your authentic Nagaland experience,” said my contact in Khonoma, Mr. Neikedolie Heikha. As we sat down in a little gazebo on the side of the village headman’s house, he pointed his finger towards a distant forest and a fast flowing river and said, “that’s our village’s forest and river. They mean everything to us.” I was in Khonoma, the land of the erstwhile hunters, now turned into protectors of the forest. Imagine the most vibrant shade of green and that’s what you had right in front of you. That day I learned what a community conserved forest was.

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

Community Conserved Forest – the name is self-explanatory. It’s a forest managed and protected by local communities. Community forests are possible only with a very strong love and care for nature. It’s all about the conservation of biodiversity and providing a livelihood for the local community. You may find it strange but these two opposites can coexist. Here’s how – I was told that the village has a strict ban on hunting (implemented in 1998). Let the wild ones live, they say. Khonoma is a rural area, there aren’t many ways to earn livelihood. The villagers raise poultry and livestock, do farming, and also gather fruits and vegetables from the forest. For the people of Khonoma, the forest is a provider. I was in a village where once upon a time, hunting was a way of life. When they noticed how the practice was literally killing their land, they, as a community, decided to put the practice to an end, and how.

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

So how did the people of Khonoma come to have such strong community values? The credit goes to our Naga forefathers, they were the ones who brought the concept of Peer Group. This is what’s common in all Naga communities. In the heart of every Naga village is a morung, a tribal institution that serves as a dormitory or a social training ground where the Naga youth (young men) come together and learn about their culture, traditions and customs. The practice is still alive in Khonoma. “Thanks to our forefathers, who introduced the peer group. It is a must for every person from Khonoma to learn about their culture through the Peer group. The practice is still alive in our village, and this is why we can proudly say that in Khonoma, culture and the present blends beautifully,” shared Neikedolie, beaming with pride.

In 2022, Khonoma village was selected for the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Tourism Village Upgrade Program. If reports are to go by, for the first time a village in India and Southeast Asia was selected for the program.

Today, Khonoma is an upcoming and unique eco-tourism destination that I personally feel every traveller must experience at least once. It’s a remarkable village that inspires you to love the nature around you, a place where there is so much of the unspoiled beauty of nature, and an open classroom where you learn about how to be a close-knit community.

Also read: Can sustainable tourism be for all when sustainable holidays are on the costlier side?

Khonoma, Nagaland: The success story of eco-tourism, sustainable travel and living in India

Khonoma, home to the Angami Naga tribe, is one of your best ways to educate yourself about conservation and sustainable living. What I loved the most about the village is the fact that everyone in the village will so lovingly talk about the joy of living the simple life, their eco-tourism initiatives and how every visitor is welcomed to engage with local traditions, witness sustainable farming methods.

If asked, they will not hesitate to take you on guided nature walks. And this is something one must do when visiting Khonoma. From hundreds of butterflies on the way to different bird calls, there is not a single dull moment here.

For me personally, my visit to Khonoma was memorable for so many reasons. Firstly, I felt closer to my Naga roots. Secondly, now I can proudly say that there are people from some of the most remote regions of our country that are so dedicated to save the place they call home. And this is not just some hearsay, this is something I have seen with my own eyes. Thirdly, now I rejoice over the fact that sustainable travel and eco tourism are not just some money-making gimmick. It can start from the smallest of places, and it has been done. Khonoma is the shining example of that.

Also read: Most photogenic eco tourism destinations in the world


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