Kohima
| ?Kohima Nagaland • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
20 km² (8 sq mi) • 1,444 m (4,738 ft) |
| District(s) | Kohima |
| Population • Density |
78,000 (2001[update]) • 3,900 /km² (10,101 /sq mi) |
| Chairman | |
| Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle |
• 797001 • +91 (0)370 • NL-01 |
Kohima pronunciation (Hindi: कोहिमा) is the hilly capital of India's north eastern border state of Nagaland which shares its borders with Burma. It lies in Kohima District and is also one of the three Nagaland towns with Municipal council status along with Dimapur and Mokokchung.
Kohima is so called because "Kew Hi" is the name of a plant grown on the mountainside. "Kew Hi Ma" means "the men of the land where the flower Kew Hi grows". Earlier, Kohima was known as "Thigoma".
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History
The British incursions into the Naga territory beginning in the 1840s met with stiff resistance from the independence loving Nagas who had never been conquered by any empire before. The stiffness of the resistance can be gauged by the fact that it took nearly four decades for the British to conquer a territory that is less than 10,000 square kilometres( the eastern region was left free). Kohima was the first seat of modern administration as the Headquarter of Naga Hills District (then under Assam) with the appointment of G.H. Damant as Political Officer in 1879. When Nagaland became a full fledged state on 1st December 1963, Kohima was christened as the state capital.
In 1944 during World War II the Battle of Kohima along with the simultaneous Battle of Imphal was the turning point in the Burma Campaign. For the first time in South-East Asia the Japanese lost the initiative to the Allies which they then retained until the end of the war. This hand-to-hand battle and slaughter prevented the Japanese from gaining a high base from which they might next roll across the extensive flatlands of India like a juggernaut. [Source - Bert Sim, Mosstodloch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders at Kohima: his home is named "Kohima." -- RJWilliams, Slingerlands, NY/USA]
Kohima has a large cemetery for the Allied war dead maintained by the Commonwealth Graves Commission. The cemetery lies on the slopes of Garrison Hill, in what was once the Deputy Commissioner's tennis court which was the scene of intense fighting. The epitaph carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery
| “ | When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
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has become world-famous as the Kohima poem. The verse is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875 -1958), and is thought to have been inspired by the epitaph written by Simonides to honour the Greek who fell at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.[1]
Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[2] Kohima had a population of 78,584. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Kohima has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 70%. In Kohima, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The main indigenous inhabitants of Kohima district are the Angamis, and the Rengma.
Today the town's population compose of all the 16 tribes of Nagaland. The population of the Angamis and Aos are the largest in present day Kohima urban area.
Greater Kohima which includes Kohima Village, Jakhama and Jotsoma along with Kohima town is the second largest urban area of Nagaland after Dimapur-Chumukedima.It has a population of about 99,795.
Geography and Climate
Kohima has a pleasant and moderate climate - not too cold in winters and pleasant summers. December and January are the coldest months when frost occurs and in the higher altitudes snowfall occurs occasionally. During the height of summers, from July-August, temperature ranges an average of 80-90 Fahrenheit. Heavy rainfall occurs during summer
Kohima is located at .[3] It has an average elevation of 1261 metres (4137 feet).
The town of Kohima is located on the top of a high ridge and the town serpentines all along the top of the surrounding mountain ranges as is typical of most Naga settlements.
'Kohima village' called 'Bara Basti' or 'large village',which is the largest village in Asia forms the northeastern part of Kohima urban area today. The Bara Basti is divided into 'khels' or localities. There are four of them, namely - Tsütuonuomia, Lhisemia, Dapfütsumia and Pfuchatsumia. They are termed shortly as T, L, D, and P Khel respectively.
The Nagaland State Museum is a one-stop treasure house where you can get a glimpse into Naga culture through history. The main items exhibited are gateposts, statues, pillars, and jewelry. A ceremonial drum which looks like a dug-out war canoe is exhibited in a separate shed. The basement of the museum has birds and animals of the North-Eastern hill states.
Schools in Kohima
- Mount Carmel School
- Government High School
- Mezhür Higher Secondary School
- Minister Hill Baptist Higher Secondary School
- Chandmari Higher Secondary School
- Little Flower School (Secondary School)
- Baptist Higher Secondary School
- Don Bosco Higher Secondary School
- Model Higher Secondary School
- Christ King School (Secondary School)
- Pinewood High School
- Azedon High School
- Holy Family School
- St.Xavier School
- Mount Hermon School
- Mount Sinai School
- Stella School
- G.Rio School
- Northfield
- Mewi School
Colleges in Kohima
- Kohima Science College Jotsoma
- Kohima Arts College (D Block) Kohima
- St. Joseph College Jakhama
- Baptist College Kohima
- Alder College Kohima
- Modern College Kohima
- Oriental College Kohima
- Mount Hermon College Kohima
- Mount Olive College Kohima
- Government Polytechnic Kohima
- Japfu Christian College, Kigwema
- Sazolie College, Jotsoma
Colonies in Kohima( officially recognised as well as non recognised ones)
- Kohima Town
- Krouliezou
- Science College
- Minister Hill (Old and New)
- Forest Colony
- Jail Colony
- Agri Colony
- Para Medical
- Hospital Colony
- New Market
- Naga Bazaar
- Dak Lane
- Kitsubozou
- Seikhazou Colony
- Bayavü Hill
- Government High School Colony
- Rokabozou
- Keziekie
- Porter Lane
- Chandmari Colony (Upper and Lower)
- A.G. Colony (Upper and Lower)
- Lerie Colony
- New Reserve Colony
- Aradhura Colony
- Mohon Khola
- BOC
- Dzüvürü
- P.R.Hill
- Kenuozou Hill Colony (Upper and Lower)
References
- ↑ The Kohima 2nd Division Memorial
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
- ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kohima
External links
- http://kohima.nic.in/profile.htm
- Northeasterner - Beautiful People - Where northeasterners socialize, to communicate, co operate and collaborate.
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