The sarees of Kohima
The hill capital of Nagaland, the place to see Naga shawls, each tribe with its own pattern, at the Hornbill Festival.
Motifs of Kohima
Woven here
Best time: October to March; early December for the Hornbill Festival.
Kohima is the capital of Nagaland. Naga communities weave shawls and wrapped cloths on backstrap looms, and every tribe has its own patterns and colours. These cloths are worn as shawls and as wrapped garments, and the patterns show a person's tribe and sometimes their standing.
What is woven here
Naga textiles are woven in narrow panels on a loin loom, then joined to make a wide cloth. Common colours are black, red, white and blue, in bands and in small geometric designs. Warriors' cloths and ceremonial shawls carry motifs such as spears and animals. Women also wear wrapped skirts in tribal patterns. These cloths are not sarees but belong to the same family of wrapped dress.
The craft and its people
Weaving is done mostly by women in the villages, with each tribe, such as the Angami, Ao, Lotha and Sema, having its own designs. Some shawls can only be worn by those who have earned them, though practice has relaxed. Much of the cloth is now made also for sale, and the shawls have become a recognised craft product of the state.
Seeing it
The Nagaland State Museum in Kohima has displays on the dress and life of the tribes. The Hornbill Festival, held in the first days of December at the Kisama Heritage Village near the city, brings dancers and craftspeople from all the tribes in their traditional dress. Craft shops in town sell shawls, and a guide can explain which patterns belong to which tribe.
A trail idea for Kohima
- Nagaland State Museum See the costume of the tribes and learn to tell patterns apart before you buy.
- Kisama Heritage Village In the first days of December, attend the Hornbill Festival and see tribal dress in one place.
- Kohima craft stalls Look for hand-woven shawls and ask which tribe the pattern belongs to.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kohima" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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