Enter Konyak country at
Mon
The land of the Konyak and the tattooed elders.
- People
- Konyak
- Sights
- Chi Angh house, Shangnyu village
- Festival
- Aoleang (first week April)
- Gateway
- Sonari (Assam), about 100km
Mon is the Konyak Naga homeland, the district of the once-feared headhunters and their tattooed elders: Chi village’s Angh house (the hereditary chief’s court), the gun-smithing village, and Longwa where the Angh’s house straddles the India-Myanmar border.
Aoleang, the Konyak festival, fills the first week of April. The practical gateway is Sonari in Assam, then the hill climb.
Quick answers
Mon at a glance
How many days for Mon?
Three: travel, Chi/Shangnyu villages, and Longwa on the border ridge.
Practicals
Permits & season
ILP required for Indian nationals outside the Hornbill window (waived Dec 1–10 with photo ID), online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in; foreign nationals pay a fee.
October to March is the clean window; December adds the Hornbill Festival, and the monsoon makes eastern roads slow.
When to go
Plan around these months
Festivals
Time your trip
Nearby
Close enough to combine
Things to do
What you're here for
Chi village
The Angh’s traditional court and house.
Tattooed elders
The living faces of Konyak history (ask before photographing).
Journal
Read before you go
Guide · 5 min
Aoleang Festival: the Konyak festival of Mon, Nagaland
Aoleang Mon Yü is the Konyak tribe's spring festival, held in the first week…
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Best time to visit Northeast India, month by month
The best time to visit Northeast India, month by month: weather, festivals, crowds and…
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Capital of Nagaland: Kohima, the Hill Capital Explained
Kohima is the capital of Nagaland, not Dimapur. History, why the confusion exists, what…
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Dzukou Valley in October: green season
Dzukou in October: the valley still green after monsoon, clear October light, trek conditions…
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Festivals of Northeast India by month, the full calendar
The month-by-month festival calendar of Northeast India: Hornbill (Dec), Sekrenyi (Feb), Aoleang (Apr), Moatsü…
Guide · 8 min
Festivals of Nagaland, the complete calendar
Every major festival of Nagaland, month by month, Hornbill in December, Sekrenyi in February…
More guides in the journal (127 total).
Explore Mon
Facts checked against the official Nagaland tourism portal · Last verified 2026-09-26