About Nagaland State Museum
The Nagaland State Museum is an ethnographic museum located on Bayavü Hill in Kohima, Nagaland. Established in 1970, it preserves and showcases the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland's Naga tribes. The museum is notable for its extensive collection of traditional artifacts, including tribal costumes, jewelry, weapons, musical instruments, and dioramas depicting Naga village life and customs, offering insight into the state's diverse indigenous traditions.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a compact two-storey museum displaying ethnographic collections related to the 16 major Naga tribes. Galleries contain traditional costumes, headgear, jewelry, weapons, tools, musical instruments, bamboo and wood crafts, and life-size dioramas of Naga huts, morungs and village scenes. Exhibits are arranged with labels explaining tribal customs and daily life, set in a quiet hilltop location with views over Kohima.
Key highlights
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Extensive collection of Naga tribal costumes and traditional jewelry
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Dioramas depicting Naga village life, morungs and traditional huts
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Display of traditional weapons, tools and agricultural implements
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Collection of indigenous musical instruments and handicrafts
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Rare Naga artifacts including ceremonial headgear and Naga Morung pillars
History of Nagaland State Museum
Established on 25 November 1970, the Nagaland State Museum is the first museum in Nagaland. It was created to preserve and document the material culture and heritage of the Naga tribes, housing artifacts that represent the 16 major Naga tribes and various sub-tribes before extensive modernization.
Culture & Context
The museum serves as the principal repository of Naga cultural heritage, preserving traditional attire, ornaments, weapons, tools, musical instruments, and models of morungs and village life. It reflects the customs, festivals, craftsmanship and social practices of Nagaland's diverse indigenous communities.
Route
| By air |
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