All posts tagged: Local People

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#Faces | “This Photo Will Forever Remind Me of My Best Friend, and Our First Outing in a Long Time!” Neimeseu Wetsah from Kohima

Published by Neimeseu Wetsah

“This photo was taken on 12th July 2021 in Kohima, near the Lotha Church in Chandmari colony. My best friend captured it while we were on our way to do some grocery shopping. We have been friends since Sunday school days, but it has been ages since we last met, due to the lockdowns. Moreover, now that we are in college, we don’t get to meet often, as she studies at Patkai college (in Nagaland) while I’m in Delhi. On this particular day, Kohima was blessed with nice sunny weather so I thought I’ll pay her a visit. It felt so nice meeting her after all this time. Later, we went out grocery shopping together, and then to our favorite restaurant – and stuffed ourselves! I still remember how much we ate that day as we jabbered about everything under the sun, like the old times…we spoke about our hostel lives, our school days, our day-to-day happenings, and how the pandemic has affected us all. When I look at this picture, it makes me think …

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In Conversation With The Owners of The Newly-Launched Mughlai Kitchen in Dimapur

Published by Kumti

Looking at the lack of Indian cuisine restaurants in Dimapur, three childhood friends decided to open up their own Mughlai restaurant. Phanchamo Lotha, Abovi Achumi and Samuel Murry had always dreamt of working together on a business or a project. This dream materialized with the opening of this restaurant where the three of them came together to provide Mughalai delicacies to people at affordable prices.  We chatted with them to know about the restaurant. Don’t forget to drop by if you’re in or around Dimapur! Hello! It’s lovely to have you here. Please tell us about you and your team.  Hello, we are Phanchamo Lotha, Abovi Achumi & Samuel Murry. Abovi and I are in to business while our other partner, Samuel is a Govt. employee. As kids, we always had dreams of doing something together. After we finished our studies, we got the idea to open a comfort food restaurant. Our Chef is Sanjeev Dutta from NJP with experience in Mughlai cuisine. Tell us the motivation behind opening this restaurant! We opened this restaurant …

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In Conversation with Beeshantam Yumnam, the Owner of Books & Coffee in Imphal

Published by Kumti

Sometimes all you need to unwind is a cup of coffee and a good book–that’s exactly what cafe Books & Coffee is offering locals in Imphal. Started by Beeshantam Yumnam, the cafe boasts of a cozy ambience and a great collection of books. Beeshantam’s love for books is mirrored in the cafe’s warm interiors, its rare collection of books and a welcoming environment for people of all ages. His vision of creating a space where people can relax, learn, enjoy and create art has materialized in the cafe. He says, “I hope people take home the feeling of relaxing in a cozy ambiance for chilling out and appreciation of the arts. Many customers praise us for giving a platform to arts and providing a wholesome experience. We hope to keep giving that experience!” Hello, please introduce yourself to our readers Hello, thanks for having me. I am Beeshantam Yumnam from Imphal, Manipur, a history graduate from Delhi University but an artist by passion. On returning home in 2010 after graduating, I realized that the types …

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#FACES | Naga Boys Playing Football in Their Local Village Ground

Published by Kumti

“Look at all those village boys finding their way to fun.  They don’t mind the bruises, the mud stains, the scorching heat – all they care for is the victory. Victory when the worn-out ball passes through the bamboo posts. Aye! Our native isn’t anywhere near to FIFA countries but what a sight and what blissful feeling to witness these boys delve into a world of their own in the green lushes field. I know just by looking at them play that they are not themselves; not just ordinary. There is a force unseen that drives them on the field. Indeed Argentina away from Argentina. Every village has its own football story and you can find it in your Soyim (birthplace) too.” -Apen, a storyteller from Nagaland 

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#FACES | A Naga Girl Captured Carrying Timber

Published by Kumti

“My name is Talimoa Pongen and I work in a media house. I also love taking candid photographs, through which  I want to tell stories. I took this photo of  a little girl, helping her folks by carrying timber. She was taking two or three rounds, carrying the heavy logs to the destination. I just wanted to capture this beautiful moment. This photo was taken in Mokokchung at The Woods resort, where I was camping with my friends.” – Talimoa Pongen from Nagaland Follow Talimoa Pongen on Instagram

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Bendang Walling – A Performing Artist, Director and Producer from Nagaland

Published by Kumti

For some, hobbies remain just hobbies, but Bendang Walling, from Nagaland, had a different calling! He took a leap of faith and decided to give life to his art and hobbies. Hardships and struggles didn’t stop him and today he is one of the refined performer, director and producers in Nagaland. He has directed a lot of plays, short films, conducted Theatre Workshops in other states as well. One of his short films, Blissful was also selected for International Film Festival 2016 at Dharamshala. We caught up with him to chat about his life and work!    Hi, glad to have you on board, please tell us a bit about yourself! Hello, my name is Bendang Walling, I live in Dimapur and I am 32-years-old. I started my career as a stage actor and now, I direct, produce and act as well. I would like to consider myself an artist, a dreamer and a visionary who breathes life to stories and folktales. After my graduation, I went to Delhi to pursue my Master in Dramatic …

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#FACES | A Trip to Heunanbe Village In Peren With Vilivi Zhimomi and Her Sister

Published by Kumti

“My sister and I  have currently opened a store called Beautology located in Dimapur, where we provide facial therapy, Korean skin care products, clothing and accessories. We were invited to Heunanbe by a welcoming family for lunch. After lunch, we wanted to look around and explore. So we took a short trek to the family’s farm, which had a variety of organic vegetables, fruits and spices and not to mention the view! Our khangs (baskets) were almost too heavy to carry by the end of it. The rain thankfully stopped us from emptying the farm and we took shelter in a hut. It was quite an experience as we sat around the bonfire and munched on fruits, along with ‘garam chai’, dried ourselves while waiting for the rain to stop. I managed to bring a little piece of the farm to my backyard. Hopefully soon I will be able to boast to my friends about my little ‘pluck and cook all organic’ corner.” – Vilvi Zhimomi from Dimapur

#FACES | The Beautiful Locals of Spiti Valley and Key Monastery, Himachal Pradesh

Published by Samyama

I visited this beautiful monastery for the first time in June during my Spiti trip. I always wanted to witness this spectacular monastery as it is located in a pocket space surrounded by breathtaking mountains. Kye Gompa or Key Monastery is 4,166 metres above sea level and is the biggest monastery of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.  On an amazing yet slightly chilly day, while enjoying the view, I saw these two gorgeous ladies and asked them if I could take a picture of them. They were excited to let me, take their photos!  I talked to them about how they live in Spiti in the winters, how their life is and if they have ever been out of Himachal. They both told me how they love when so many people from all over India come to visit (June-Oct is the peak time) when it’s usually quite silent. They mentioned how they have never been out of Himachal but the lady on the right has a granddaughter studying in Bangalore. These two friends own a homestay where …

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Chat with Vika Yepthomi, the Owner of Asukhu Dhaba – The All-New Authentic Sumi Restaurant in Dimapur

Published by Kumti

We all love a cozy corner where we can relish delectable food, but how often do we see an authentic restaurant inspired that serves local Sumi food? Today, we have Vika Yepthomi with us, who started a family restaurant called Asukhu Dhaba. The place serves local traditional food cooked with organic ingredients brought straight from Zunheboto. He started the restaurant along with his wife. One of the specialties of the place is that each recipe that Asukhu Dhaba uses is a special recipe that only their family has mastered. We chatted with Vika to know more about the place.  Hi there! Please introduce yourself to our readers.  My name is Vika Yepthomi. I started Asukhu Dhaba with my wife. She is a doctor by profession and works in Eden hospital. It was our collective love for food which led us venture into this! We launched it in August this year. What was the idea behind launching this restaurant? My wife and I used to go for dinners whenever we’d get time, especially when we were …