Kohima (; Tenyidie: Kewhira ()) is the capital of the North East Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Kohima constitutes both a district and a municipality. The municipality covers . The city lies on the foothills of Japfü section of the Barail Range located south of the district () and has an average elevation of .
Originally known as Kewhira, the city's history goes back to a time when it was a village of the Angami Nagas. It became an urban centre in 1878 when the British Empire established its headquarters of the then Naga Hills District of Assam Province. Kohima was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II during the Japanese U-Go offensive into British India in 1944. The battle is often referred to as the Stalingrad of the East.Dougherty 2008, p. 159.Ritter 2017, p. 123 In 2013, the British National Army Museum voted the Battle of Kohima to be Britain's Greatest Battle.
It officially became Nagaland's capital after the state was inaugurated in 1963.
Etymology Kohima was originally known as Kewhi–ra. People from different places and directions came in search of a place to settle down and formed a homogenous group that necessitated the establishment of a village. They named it Kewhira which is derived from the Angami word kephfükewhi which means to "meet and assemble together" and ra means "village" with its area jurisdiction. The people of Kewhira are called Kewhimia (mia means people) who are the indigenous inhabitants and hereditarily owned the land of Kewhira.
History Medieval era According to oral history, the historical founder of Kewhira (Kohima Village) was Tsiera (stone defender). The village is said to be more than 700 years old and is believed to be the second largest village in Asia. The village is divided into four large clans (thinuo): Tsütuonuomia, Lhisemia, Dapfhütsumia and Pfüchatsumia (T, L, D, and P Khel respectively).
Colonial era The East India Company Administration started to expand into Kohima beginning the 1840s.Col Ved Prakash, Encyclopaedia of North-East India, Volume 5, Atlantic Publishers & Dist, India, 2007, p. 2158 The progress made by the company armies in annexing the region continued after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, although now under the auspices of the British Indian Army. Kohima was the first seat of modern administration as the Headquarters of Naga Hills District (then under Assam Province) with the appointment of Guybon Henry Damant as Political Officer in 1879.
Battle of Kohima In 1944 during the Second World War the Battle of Kohima along with the simultaneous Battle of Imphal was the turning point in the Burma Campaign.Anbarasan Ethirajan, Kohima: Britain's 'forgotten' battle that changed the course of WWII, bbc.com, India, February 13, 2021 For the first time in South-East Asia, the Japanese lost the initiative to the Allies, which the Allies then retained until the end of the war. This hand-to-hand battle and slaughter prevented the Japanese Army from gaining a base from which they might have easily gone into the plains of India.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 known as the Kohima War Cemetery for the Allied war dead; it is maintained by the Commonwealth War 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 known as the Battle of the Tennis Court. The epitaph carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery 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.
1963–present When Nagaland became a full-fledged state on 1 December 1963, Kohima was named as the state capital.District Kohima, Demography, kohima.nic.in, India, retrieved February 12, 2021
Killings of Kekuojalie Sachü and Vikhozo Yhoshü
On 20 March 1986, two students Kekuojalie Sachü (19) and Vikhozo Yhoshü (14) were killed and over 50 others were injured in indiscriminate firing by Nagaland Police when they participated in a peaceful protest called by the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) to rally against the state government's decision on the introduction of Indian Police Service (IPS) cadres and the extension of the Disturbed Area Belt from 5 to 20 km along the Indo-Myanmar (Indo-Burma) border. The event was so tumultuous that it led three Cabinet ministers and five State Ministers of Nagaland to resign.
1995 Kohima Massacre
On 5 March 1995, when a convoy of the 16th Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army, comprising 63 vehicles with 5 officers, 15 junior commissioned officers and approximately 400 soldiers was traversing through the densely populated AOC and BOC areas of Kohima en route from Bishnupur to Dimapur, a tyre burst from one of the convoy's own vehicle led the armed troops to mistake the sound of the tyre bursting for a bomb attack by insurgents. The troops reacted immediately and started firing at civilian populace. The firing lasted approximately 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., during which the soldiers discharged 1,207 rounds of gunfire and 5 mortal shells into civilian areas. A total of 7 were killed and 36 were left injured. Eyewitness accounts and subsequent investigations found no evidence of an actual ambush or crossfire with insurgents. The incident is widely referred to as the 1995 Kohima Massacre.
2017 Nagaland protests
On 2 February 2017, the office building of the Kohima Municipal Council was burned down by a mob as part of the boycott of the Civic Elections. The fire significantly damaged adjoining government and private buildings. On 19 February, in response against the backdrop of widespread protests and civil unrest in the state, T. R. Zeliang announced his resignation as the Chief Minister of Nagaland.
2023 Kohima fire
On 27 February 2023, a massive fire broke in Mao Market and NN Market, one of the biggest commercial areas in Kohima, causing complete damage to the markets.
Geography Topography Kohima is located at 25°67' North, 94°10' East, in the southern part of Nagaland. It lies north of the Japfü–Barail intersection with Pulie Badze to the southwest overlooking the city. The hills on which Kohima is located has an elevation ranging from .
Climate The city experiences a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb), with greater contrast between summer and winter than in other continents due to the monsoons but mild temperatures even for latitude and altitude. The months of June to September concentrate much of the precipitation.
Kohima has been ranked 36th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 3 population under 3 lakhs cities) in India.
Environment Water supply and availability Most Wards in Kohima experiences severe water shortages during the dry seasons. The current water resources from the reservoirs of Zarü River and the streams from the slopes of Pulie Badze do not fulfill the needs of the rapidly growing population of Kohima. With the augmentation of the Zarü River project and several other upcoming water projects to be supplied from Dzüko Valley and others. The water supply is expected to cover more wards.
Administration The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) was established in 2005 under India's Constitution (Seventy-Fourth Amendment) Act, 1992. It has waste management, drainage and trade licensing and other responsibilities.
Other departments of the state government, which sit in Kohima, also have a role in the administration of Kohima. The "City Development Plan" for the town, for example, was written by state Urban Development Department.
Wards
Kohima is divided into nineteen sectors with a total of thirty-three administrative wards under the authority of the Kohima Municipal Council, covering an area of about . Each ward has its own council government and handles many of the functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions.
Agri Farm Ward Bayavü Hill Ward Daklane Ward D. Block Ward Dzüvürü Ward Electrical Ward Forest Ward Jail Ward Kenuozou Hill Ward Keziekie Ward Kitsübozou Ward Lerie Ward Lower Mediezie Ward Lower Chandmari Ward Lower Police Reserve Hill Ward Lower PWD Ward Merhülietsa Ward Middle PWD Ward Midland Ward Naga Bazaar Ward Naga Hospital Ward New Market Ward New Ministers' Hill Ward New Reserve Ward Old Ministers' Hill Ward Peraciezie Ward Police Reserve Hill Ward Sepfüzou Ward Thegabakha Ward Tsiepfü Tsiepfhe Ward Upper Mediezie Ward Upper Chandmari Ward Upper PWD Ward
Public safety Police and law enforcement The Kohima Police of the Nagaland Police is the police force responsible for maintaining security, law and order in the Kohima Metropolitan Area. It is headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP). Kevithuto Sophie is the current SP of Kohima. The municipal area of Kohima is served by two police stations—Kohima North Police Station and Kohima South Police Station.
In 2020, the Kohima North Police Station became the first police station and a government facility in the entire North Eastern Region of India to receive the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 Certification for quality management system.
Governance Nagaland's traditional governance system persists in rural areas and urban Kohima through ward panchayats. Each ward elects a panchayat chairman every five years by a show of hands, who then appoints officials, including joint secretaries and Gaon Burhas (GBs). Recognized by the District Commissioner, ward panchayats oversee peaceful community coexistence, resolve disputes, and communicate community concerns to the government. GBs manage house tax collection due to their familiarity with households. These traditional bodies are integral to development work within their wards and hold meetings as needed. Institutionalizing them under the municipal act could formalize their roles, transferring councillors' duties to panchayat chairmen and integrating them into municipal councils as ward committees. The Kohima Town Committee (KTC) was established in 1957 with 8 wards, 8 elected members, and 4 government nominees. Key pioneers include Shri Yusuf Ali as the first Ex-Officio Chairman, Late Dr. Neilhouzhu Kire as the first Vice-Chairman (1957–1967), and Late Joseph Jasokie as the first elected Chairman (1982–1983).
In 2005, Kohima's first municipality was formed under the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001, with 19 elected councillors. The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) remains in a transitional phase, with its powers and functions under the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act yet to be fully transferred by state government departments.
Currently, KMC governs 19 wards, covering nearly 11 sq. km (17% of the greater Kohima planning area) with a population of 98,000 as per the 2011 census.
Demographics Census data
As of 2011, Kohima had a population of 99,039 of which males and females were 51,626 and 47,413 respectively. Kohima has an average literacy rate of 90.76%, higher than the national average of 76.55%.
Religion
The major religion in Kohima is Christianity which is practised by 80.22% of the population. Other religions includes Hinduism (16.09%), Islam (3.06%) and Buddhism (0.45%).
Economy
Tourism Tourism plays an important role in the city's economy. The number of tourists visiting Kohima has been increasing significantly each year.
Smart City and Digital Infrastructure