Sanjit Das Photography

An overiew of the state capital Kohima, Nagaland, India. Although originally an Angami Naga Homeland, Kohima is now home for all the Nagas because of its administrative status. Nagaland, among the smallest and most isolated of India's northeast states, is a place of paradoxes - simultaneously Christian and pagan, traditional and cutting edge, dependent on largesse from New Delhi and yet craving for independence. ..Kohima hosts the annual Hornbill Festival, where the state's 16 tribes show off their traditional ceremonial dress, dances and cuisine for both gawking tourists and locals, some of whom are far more attuned to Western fashions than the Western visitors. The festival also features a national rock contest - a battle of the bands that attracts aspiring young musicians from throughout India. The contest has been promoted by the state government as a way to connect young Nagas with the rest of India and build a viable music industry. By providing fresh opportunities for talented Nagas, the state hopes to lessen the attraction of underground insurgent groups. These groups have waged war against the Indian government for more than 60 years - making it perhaps Asia's longest running insurgency. But lately the two main rebel factions - each of which has a ceasefire with the Indian government - have engaged in fraticidal killings and extortion, resulting in many deaths and scaring off desperately-needed outside investment. Photograph: Sanjit Das