Kohima Naga Hornbill Festival Shawl Weaving Rice Beer Heritage

Kohima district in the Angami Naga homeland of central Nagaland is the state capital and the site of the Battle of Kohima (1944) — the turning point of World War II in Asia, where the British-Indian Army defeated the Japanese advance into India at what Field Marshal Slim called "the Stalingrad of the East." The Kohima War Cemetery at Garrison Hill is a major Commonwealth war memorial. Angami Naga women weave the Lohe (white shawl with red and black stripes, for warriors who have performed the head feast) and Sutam (everyday shawl) on backstrap loom. The annual Hornbill Festival (December, Kisama Heritage Village outside Kohima) is Nagaland's showcase for all Naga tribal cultures — war dances, log drum performances, rice beer ceremonies, shawl weaving, and tribal games.