KOHIMA, JANUARY 25: Advisor to Chief Minister of Nagaland, Abu Metha launched the Phüsachodü Village Walk alongside the 20th Cultural Day-cum-Sühkrühnyie festival celebration at Phüsachodü Village in the presence of MLA Chotisüh Sazo, Advisor, TaFMA Theja Meru, Director of Tourism Ajanuo Belho and village elders on January 25.
The Phüsachodü Village Walk is a tourism activity with an emphasis on experiential tourism activity whereby tourists can walk down the village and will be greeted with various activities such as women folk dances, men folk dances, folk songs, traditional games, observe the craftsmen and artisans at work and interact with elderly men at the Village court.
Phüsachodü Village, already a tourist hotspot within Nagaland is one of the biggest villages in Phek District with a population of about 8000 people as per estimated population in 2021. Situated at an altitude of about 1700 metres above sea level, the village has been declared as one of the tourist villages in Nagaland and it is located about 75 kms away from Kohima and 8 kms away from Pfütsero town.
Speaking at the launch of the village walk, Advisor to Chief Minister Abu Metha said that through the new tourism activity the villagers of Phüsachodü Village will play the role of an ambassador of the Naga people to the international community.
He said that the village will place Nagaland in the international tourist map and further expressed hope that the initiative will promote unity and understanding among the people.
Sharing the concept behind the village walk initiative, MLA Chotisüh Sazo said that the Phüsachodü Village Walk was initiated in Phüsachodü Village in 2015 with the aim to promote and preserve various traditional ways of life, and to also showcase the good cultures of the village. However, it could not be organized properly for a long time, he said.
With the advancement of modern technologies and social media, the younger generation is forgetting the good cultures practiced by our forefathers Although, we observe cultural day along with the Sühkrühnyie festival biannually, with songs and dance competitions, people forget other good cultures and tend to live in a pot-purri cultures.
Taking into account the unemployment problem that is rising in the State with many youths migrating to towns and cities in search of jobs, the initiative was thought of, considering the flow of tourists into the village. Through the initiative youth can be employed by engaging as tourist guides, drivers, artists, potters, opening of restaurants and lodging, souvenir shops, etc. he said.
However, since we do not have built infrastructures, monuments to attract tourists, we decided to show-case the traditional life in its simple and unpolluted form, besides trekking, and other rural eco-tourism activities, Sazo said.
We hope that with the launch of Phüsachodü Village Walk, employment opportunities will be generated and see an uplift in the rural economy, he added.
He conveyed his gratitude to the Department of Tourism, Governmt of Nagaland, President of Nagaland Tourism Association and India Trials for making the village walk venture a reality.
Earlier during the day Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Abu Metha addressed the villagers of Phüsachodü at the 20th Cultural Day-Cum-Sühkrühnyie celebration at the Phüsachodü Village local ground. He said that if Nagaland was to emerge as recognised people among the community of nations then we must lay the foundation on meritocracy.
Pointing out that Naga youths had achieved success in various fields even without the best of infrastructure, limited resources and a system that has so many problems, Metha said “Leaders of the day must realize that if we give transparent, good governance and meritocracy then our youth will become champions in every field and activity.”
He urged the leaders of the day, be it political leaders, civil societies leaders, bureaucrats and technocrats to give hope to young people. Hope can be given by ensuring meritocracy, he added.
He also appealed to the younger generation and the youth of the village to embrace technology and said that the only way to strengthen transparency is through the use of technology.
Young people and students must know that they have a powerful tool in their hands in the form of a mobile phone and you must use the platform of the internet and the World Wide Web to empower yourself and to strive for excellence, he said.
He also announced that through TaFMA a Cultural Residency programme would also be held at Phüsachodü village to promote and learn their folk songs and histories. While he also informed that hospitality training will also be conducted to empower the local community to let the village be in the Tourism map of India and not only in Nagaland.
MLA Chotisüh Sazo also took to the dais to share the significance of Sühkrühnyie festival of the Chakhesang tribe. He said that the Sühkrühnyie is the most important festival of the Chakhesangs and is celebrated in the month of January. It is a festival of blessing and purification. During this festival boys and girls are sanctified through religious ceremonies and rituals and the festival covers 10 days, he informed.
(Page News Service)
