About Dimapur

Situated in the state of Nagaland, Dimapur is the district headquarters of the state. The district of Dimapur is the eighth district of Nagaland inaugurated on December 1997. Dimapur is also known as the gateway of Nagaland and Manipur. Dimapur is the largest city in Nagaland and also a major tourist hub of the north-east.

History of Dimapur

Dimapur was the ancient capital of the Kachari tribe, who ruled the region till 13th century AD. The existence of the glory of the Kingdom can be found in the ruins in and around the city. The ruins of the kingdom give proof of a culture which was primarily non-Aryan. Dimapur gets its name from the Kachari dialect, ‘di’ meaning river, ‘ma’ meaning 'great or big', and ‘pur’ meaning 'city', and together the name suggests ‘the city near the great river’.

Geography of Dimapur

Dimapur is located at an average altitude of 260 meters above sea slave. Major portion of the city Dimapur is located in the plains. Dimapur is situated at 25.92°N latitude and 93.73°E longitude. During summer the climate is hot and humid in the plains and the region faces a maximum temperature of 36 degree celsius, while the winter months are pleasant and cool and average annual rainfall in the region is 1504.7 mm. (approx)

The climate of Dimapur is hot and humid during the summers. The maximum temperature during the summer is 36ºC, with humidity upto 93%. The winters are cool and pleasant with a minimum temperature of 9.8ºC. Dimapur faces an average annual rainfall of about 1504.7 mm.

Culture of Dimapur

Dimapur is an important city in Nagaland and the people of this region celebrate their distinct seasonal festivals.  Different festivals celebrated by people include Festival of Ao, Sankarni, Sivaratri, Jeinyu Lem, Kudang lem, Poang lem, Sekrenyi, Ahuna and many more. The people of this place is very muc fond of dance and music. Some of the populardance form is Zeliang Dance, Cock dance, Fly dance, and Cricket Dance.

The Food habit of any region has a great association with culture. And for that reason one will find diverse and varied food habits in Dimapur. The people of Dimapur love to eat traditional, ethnic and authentic Naga food. The Naga Cuisine is generally boiled in nature with less spices and oil and more natural herbs and meat.

North East Zone Cultural Center in Dimapur

Located in Dimapur the cultural center was established to promote and preserve the traditional cultural heritage of Northeast India. It is one of the seven cultural zones situated in India. The North East Zone Cultural Center was established by Indian Government in the year 1986 with its headquarters in Dimapur. The center was an autonomous body under the Department of Culture.

The operation areas of the Cultural Center include the seven northeastern states namely Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, , Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura. The main motto of the center is to create cultural awareness with an aim to identify, promote and nurture folk art traditions in the semi-urban and rural areas of the north eastern states. The center also organizes programmes and Cultural fests and with state Governments and NGOs in different states of India to promote and showcase folk culture of the Northeast.

Tourism in Dimapur

Dimapur is a popular tourist destination in Nagaland. Dimapur provides breathtaking sceneries and also the city is endowed with architectural monuments, waterfalls and many beautiful villages. There are many beautiful tourist places in Dimapur. Tourists can visit Green Park, Intanki sanctuary, Zoological Park, Science Park, in Dimapur. Tourists can also make a visit North East Zone Cultural Center,Ruins of Kachari Kingdom, Diezephe Craft Village and Shiva mandir. Click here to read more on tourism in Dimapur

Transportation in Dimapur

Dimapur, being the most important place in Nagaland, all the transport facilities of Nagaland are located in Dimapur. Dimapur is linked with all the major cities by airways, railways and roadways. There are regular flights from Dimapur Airport to Guwahati and Kolkata. The major rail link in Nagaland is located in Dimapur, which is connected to Guwahati. Guwahati is in turn linked to the rest of the country by important trains. The National Highway 39 that runs through Dimapur, connects Imphal, Kohima and the Myanmar border at Moreh. From Dimapur taxis and buses are easily available to all the parts of Nagaland. Click here to read more on transportation in Dimapur

Dimapur Facts and Figures

Geographical Area: 43 sq km
Altitude: 260 m above sea level
Latitude: 25.54 degrees N
Longitude:  93.44 degrees E
Population (2001): 379,769 lakhs.
Average Temperature: 36degrees C (Max), 9 degrees C (Min)
Rainfall: 1504.7 mm
Languages:  Naga, Hindi, English, Bengali, Assamese
Religions: Hinduism, Christianity
Best time to visit:  October to March
STD Code: 03862