Capital of Nagaland: Kohima, the Hill Capital Explained

The capital of Nagaland is Kohima, a hill city of about 100,000 people perched at 1,444m among the Angami hills. Dimapur is the bigger, busier gateway with the airport and railhead, which is exactly why half the internet thinks it is the capital. It is not. Kohima has been the capital since Nagaland became India’s 16th state on December 1, 1963.

Why people confuse it with Dimapur

Dimapur is the plains entrance: the airport, the railway station, the trade traffic. Every traveller lands there. But the capital, the state secretariat, the cathedral and the war cemetery all sit 74km up the mountain in Kohima.

What to see in the capital

• Kohima War Cemetery: more than 1,400 Commonwealth graves on the ridge where the 1944 battle of Kohima stopped the Japanese advance. The tennis-court battle site.
• Kisama Heritage Village: the Hornbill Festival venue, 12km south. Full guide.
• Khonoma: Asia’s green village, an hour away. Guide.
• The night carnival: every December evening, the entire main road becomes a food street.

How to reach Kohima

Fly or train to Dimapur, then 3 hours by shared sumo or private taxi up NH2. Full comparison in the transport guide. December adds the ILP waiver for Hornbill week.

Quick answers

What is the capital of Nagaland? Kohima, since statehood on December 1, 1963.

Is Dimapur the capital of Nagaland? No, Dimapur is the commercial gateway with the airport; Kohima is the capital.

What is Kohima famous for? The 1944 war cemetery, the Hornbill Festival next door at Kisama, and tribal markets.

Base yourself in the capital: see Kohima in December or message us to plan it.