Kohima War Cemetery

Kohima War Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery on Garrison Hill in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, on the ground where the Battle of Kohima was fought in 1944. Kohima War Cemetery holds around 1,420 Commonwealth burials from the Second World War, and a memorial to more than 900 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were cremated according to their faith.

In April 1944 Japanese forces advancing on India besieged the small British and Indian garrison at Kohima. The fighting from April to June was some of the most intense of the Burma campaign, and at its peak the two sides faced each other across the tennis court of the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow. The defeat of the Japanese at Kohima and Imphal turned the war in Southeast Asia, and in 2013 a British Army Museum poll named Kohima and Imphal Britain's greatest battle. Naga villagers helped the Allied forces as porters, guides and scouts.

What to see

• The terraced rows of bronze grave plaques set on stone markers
• The tennis court lines, marked in white stone within the cemetery
• The 2nd Division memorial with the Kohima Epitaph
• The Kohima cherry tree, grown from the tree that stood on the battlefield
• Views over Kohima town from the upper terraces

What to wear

Kohima War Cemetery is a place of remembrance, so dress neatly and modestly and keep voices low. Kohima sits at about 1,450 m and is cool, with cold winter nights; bring a jacket from November to February and a rain jacket from May to September. The terraces involve steps and slopes, so comfortable shoes help. At the Hornbill Festival you will see Naga traditional dress, with woven shawls in patterns particular to each tribe, such as the red and black Angami shawls of Kohima.

Local food to try

Naga food is smoky and fiery. Try smoked pork with bamboo shoot, pork with axone (fermented soybean), and dishes cooked with the raja mircha, the extremely hot Naga king chilli. Galho, a savoury rice porridge with greens, is gentler. Local eateries around Kohima's main town serve Naga thalis, and vegetarian meals are available at Indian restaurants in the town centre.

Good to know

• Best time: October to May; Hornbill Festival in early December is busiest
• Open daily, roughly 6am to 6pm
• Free entry
• Allow one hour
• In central Kohima, about 74 km from Dimapur airport and railhead
• Photography is allowed respectfully; foreign visitors need a Protected Area Permit for Nagaland

Nearby places

Kohima War Cemetery pairs naturally with Kisama Heritage Village, about 12 km south, home of the Hornbill Festival, and with the trek to Dzukou Valley from Viswema. Imphal and Kangla Fort, the other half of the 1944 battles, lie about 140 km south.