Food, Attire Help Nagas in Bangalore to Remain Connected With Home

By Vaishalli Chandra

Bangalore, Feb 16 : Staying a few thousand miles away from their homeland, the 7,000 Naga people in Bangalore are grounded to their roots by following the centuries old traditions — be it in their attire, cuisine or speech.

The people of Nagaland who have made this city their permanent base, said Bangalore’s weather came closest to the “weather back home”. Hence, the city is one of the preferred destinations for students as well as working professionals from Nagaland.

On Saturday, a sub-community of Naga people, Ao, celebrated its silver jubilee in the city. “There are 16 tribes registered with the Naga Student Union,” said Talichila Imchen, a business communication professional.

Dressed in a bright Mekhela (wrap), shirt, shawl and a beautiful neck piece called Azük, women looked splendid. Some even had an elaborate head gear with feather and silk threads. The men flaunted their shawls and jackets. “These everyday-dresses are now worn on special occasions and gatherings,” said M Bendangnukshi LKR, the chief guest at the silver jubilee celebration. Bendangnukshi studied in Bangalore way back in 1968. Graduated in 1971, he was one of the founder members of the student body.

The silver jubilee celebrations saw a lot of youngsters as well as elders. Many youngsters said that staying away from home for long had dimmed their memories of the rituals followed back home. However, one thing that no one has forgotten is the Naga cuisine.
Avi Metha Sapam, mother of a 2-year-old, looked sure when she talked about Naga food habits, “We love pork.” In fact, she revealed, “No celebration is complete without pork dishes. During a wedding it doesn’t matter how beautiful the bride looks, if pork dish is missing then the zing isn’t there.”

Dishes are cooked in water with a dash of oil. “What, however, the Nagas can’t do without is the ginger-garlic paste and bamboo shoots —fresh and dried, Avi added.

Her face brightened up when she said, “Lots of chilies, the dried red ones. Oh, and we love fermented soya beans.” Sharing the recipe, she added, “It has a pungent smell. Still no Naga will refuse these beans.”