Unique Traditions of Indigenous People in Nagaland, India"

  
India has hundreds of tribes living in various states and UTs, and I have compiled some of the main tribes out of a large list from different sources:

Bhil, Banjara, Koli, Banjara, Gond, Abujmaria, Muria, Bishanhorn, Gond Kherwal Asur, Vaiga, Kol, Munda, Barli, Banjara, Koli, Chitpawan, Gond, Kuki, Matti, or Methi, Naga, Angami, Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Mikir, Lakher, Pavo, Mizo, Chakma, Lushai, Cookie,

Angami Mikir, Gond, Sond, Meena, Sahariya, Sansi, Garasia, Bhil, Banjara, Tripuri, Bhotia, Logha, Santhal, Lepcha, Rabha, Dimara, Kochari Wodo, Abor, Gond, Sauria, Bhumi, etc., as the list is endless. Trust me, if I wrote all the names, I would need a few days to write them all. Out of these tribes, Bhil is the largest, living in the tribal areas of different states. And these are just a few names.

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I would like to discuss Nagas in this post

  
As a deputy GM of my company (east zone), I visited Nagaland regularly, so I got a chance to study Naga culture. Nagas, the tribe living in the state of Nagaland is located in the northeastern part of India, with common borders with China, Burma, and Bangladesh. Nagas are the majority in the state of Nagaland and have a sizeable population in the adjoining states of Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Wikimedia Commons allows free use By Vikramjit Kakati - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

If we count the number of tribes in Nagaland, there are 66, but the most prominent of these are the 16 main tribes. Most of the residents (80–85%) have adopted Christianity. Even though nagas have internal conflicts between the tribes, there is a unique feature of togetherness in them.

This state has a population of about 2,100,000, and most people belong to different tribes like Angami, Ao, Sangtam, Yimchungru, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, Kachari, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, and Sumi. They not only live in different areas of this beautiful hilly state but also speak different languages.

But that's not all; there are a few other tribes, like the Cookie, who are from the neighboring state of Manipur and have come to live in Nagaland. There is another interesting factor about them, they wear a different color as part of their tribal identity. As I said most of them have adopted Christianity, but they still follow their tribal traditions religiously.

Nagaland is also known as the "Land of Festivals". Nagaland is unique in its culture, dress, people, food, etc. The most famous folk dances of the state of Nagaland are Leem and Chong. But I am sure you will be astonished if you watch all their dance styles and most of them are in warrior styles.

Different tribes follow different rituals and perform different ceremonies in Nagaland. In the marriages held here, the Nagas follow their traditions strictly at the time of marriage, only then the marriage is considered complete, otherwise, that marriage is declared null and void.

I mostly visited Kohima and Dimapur, where the Angamis and Chakasang tribes live, so I know their traditions and can speak a little of both of these languages, which have a few similarities.

Nagas are special and different

  
As a tradition, a relationship between a boy and a girl from the same community is not accepted in Naga tribes. Members of the Angami community perform rituals such as the strangulation of the spade. The couple is sent on a trading mission to the Mongsen community. If the pair completes that trade successfully, then their relationship is approved; otherwise, it is disqualified. A few of these tribes, like the Semas, Lothas, and Chang communities, allow more than one wife.

The most prominent feature of Naga society is that the traditions and loyalty of this tribe are considered the foundation of Nagaland. The history of Nagaland is full of strong warriors and fighters.

There used to be rivalry among the tribes and they used to attack each other regularly. It is believed that the tribe that won the war took the head of its enemy. They used to count the heads on a particular tree in their tribal village to ascertain its bravery. That's right, they used to cut off the heads of their enemies and hang them on a tree specially used for this purpose.

The dressing styles are changing now to Western, but the dresses worn by them have the black and white feathers of a hornbill along with the canine teeth of a wild boar on their bodies and headgear. The men and women in each Naga tribe wear shawls of different colors and necklaces, among other ornaments.

The delicious food of Nagaland includes a typical meal of a meat dish, boiled potato curry, rice, chutney, etc. Naga curry is made of meat, fish, fermented potatoes, crushed tomatoes, etc. Apart from this, boiled edible organic leaves are very much part of Naga culture.

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You will see an atmosphere of celebration and happiness throughout the year in Nagaland as they celebrate their festivals with lots of fanfare. Festivals like Sekerni, Motsu Mong, Bushu, Sukrunhen, Yemeshe, and many more are also celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. Apart from these, some major festivals like Christmas and New Year's are also celebrated.

Nagaland is known as the 'Land of Festivals'. The Hornbill Festival celebrated in Nagaland reflects the art, culture, and traditions of the place. This Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is usually celebrated from December 1 to December 10, a festival created by all the tribes here in this state.

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