Nagaland State Museum, Kohima, Nagaland India

The State Museum is located 1.5 kilometers away from Kohima. It allows visitors to peek through the vibrant culture of Nagaland and different stages through the history of the land. The State Museum at Kohima in Nagaland was established in the year 1970 as a multipurpose museum.The State Museum at Kohima presents several aspects of the Naga tribal life including their ancestral weaponry, carved gateposts, status pillars, traditional Naga costumes, jewelry, oil paintings, terracotta, stone objects, metal objects and natural history specimens.

One of the highlights of the display is the ceremonial drum that looks like a dug-out war canoe in a separate shed. This canoe suggests that the Nagas may have actually originated from the shores of Sumatra. In the basement of the museum there is an exhibit of animals and birds which are specific to northeastern hill states. The traditional lifestyle of Nagas has been documented in this museum. In Nagaland there are 14 recognized major tribes and same number of sub-tribes which are depicted in this museum. The museum also houses an art gallery which has beautiful exhibits of local artists.