Wokha is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the Indian state of

Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...

. It is the headquarters of

Wokha District Wokha District (Pron:/ˈwəʊkə/) is a districts of Nagaland, district of Nagaland state in India. It is the home of the Lotha Nagas. Gastronomically, it known for its variety of fermented bamboo shoots (bastenga). It holds an important place ...

and is located about 75 km north of the state capital

Kohima Kohima (; Angami Naga: ''Kewhira'' ()), is the capital of the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Originally known as ''Kewhira'', Kohima was founded ...

. Wokha literally means ''head count'' or ''census'' in

Lotha language The Lotha language is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by approximately 180,000 people in Wokha district of west-central Nagaland, India. It is centered in the small district of Wokha (capital Wokha). This district has more than 114 villages such ...

. It has a population of 35,004 and is predominantly inhabited by the

Lotha Naga The Lotha Nagas, also known as Kyong, are a major Naga ethnic group native to Wokha District in the Indian state of Nagaland. Origins Scholars have presented several theories about the migration of the Lothas and the other Naga tribes, base ...

History

Wokha was made as the district headquarters of the Naga hills under Assam by the British in 1876. By 1878, the headquarters was shifted to

, but Wokha remained a subdivision. Later in 1889, the subdivision was shifted to

Mokokchung Mokokchung (Pron: /ˌməʊkɒkˈtʃʌŋ/) is a municipality in the Mokokchung District of Nagaland, India. It serves as the district headquarters as well as the main urban hub of Mokokchung District. Mokokchung is the cultural nerve centre of t ...

. After India's independence, Wokha became a sub division in 1957 under Naga Hills Tuensang Area, and remained so till she became a district in 1973.

Geography and climate

Wokha is located at at an average elevation of 1,313 metres (4,793 feet). It has a warm temperate climate (classified as Cwa by Köppen and Geiger). The summer temperature of Wokha ranges from 16.1 °C to 32 °C. The winter temperature reaches a minimum of 2 °C. The average annual temperature in Wokha is 17.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1940 mm.

Demographics

Wokha is the third largest town in Nagaland after Dimapur and Kohima. According to the 2011 census, the population is 35,004. Wokha has an average literacy rate of 96%; male literacy is 97%, while female literacy is 95%. In Wokha, 10.57% of the population is under 6 years of age. The majority of the population is

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

(at 92%), with notable minorities following

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(5%) and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(2%). Lotha (also

native language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

of the region) is the most widely used language, while Nagamese and English are also spoken.

Tourism

Wokha's agglomeration consists of Wokha town, Longsa village, Wokha village and Vakhosung. Wokha is on the main route from Kohima to Mokokchung and was one of the earliest locations of the Assam Rifles. The Government of Nagaland constructed a tourist lodge in Wokha Town. The annual

Amur falcon The Amur falcon (''Falco amurensis'') is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern and East Africa. ...

migration passes Doyang Dam, which is a 2-hour drive away. It also hosts the oldest cricket tournament in North East India, The Winter Cricket Challenge.

Transportation

The nearest railhead is Furkating Railway Station in Golaghat, Assam and the nearest airport is

Dimapur Airport Dimapur Airport is a domestic airport serving Chümoukedima–Dimapur and its neighbouring areas. It is located between the districts of Chümoukedima and Dimapur, from where National Highway 29 (formerly NH-39) passes just beside the airpor ...

( IATA: DMU, ICAO: VEMR). Taxis and buses are available from every district headquarter in Nagaland to Wokha. There is a helicopter service from Dimapur.

Myths

Mount Tiyi is a hill which has

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

legends associated with it. Most Nagas believe that this mountain is the abode of departed souls. According to local Lotha folklore, the mountain had an orchard that could only be found by the 'lucky ones.'

Rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

are common on Mount Tiyi.

References

{{Reflist Cities and towns in Wokha district