Fruits of all shapes, sizes and colours abounds in Nagaland both in the wild and nurtured orchards and backyards of homes in the towns and villages. However apples are a rarity and most people in the State do not know of this much favoured fruit growing in Nagaland. But it has been discovered that this fruit has been growing quite well in the most remote corner of the state in a village called Thanamir located on the foothills of the highest mountain peak, Saramati near Pungro under Kiphire District. Officials posted in the area and trekkers who have climbed Saramati, all know Thanamir as the last village before the steep climb to the highest peak.
But apart from this locational importance, Thanamir has recently captured the attention of the Nagaland Baptist Council (NBCC) and through them the attention of many people including people in high and influential places. An Apple Festival has become an annual event in the village organized by NBCC since last year, 2010. This year’s edition of the festival gained much importance and popularity when it was graced by Kaisa Rio lady wife of our State Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio accompanied by lady wives of about a dozen legislators.
Thanamir is a small Yimchunger Naga village in Pungro Sub-Division under Kiphire District having around 120 households, which is located at the foothill of Mt. Saramati. The village, which is around 57 Kms away from Pungro town, was connected by road in 2009 and is the last village en-route to the Mt. Saramati, the highest peak in Nagaland. Trekkers and tourist halt for the night in Thanamir before and after they climb Mt. Saramati. The people of Thanamir are traditionally known by their hospitality to their guests and provide guides and guards to the visitors. The village jurisdiction extends to the International border between India and Myanmar. It is learnt that a good variety of orchids like Blue & Red Vanda, white, red and yellow Rhododendrons, which are not commonly available in other parts of the state, are found in this region. Rare birds like Tragopan, hill peacocks and hornbill are also found in plenty along with hundreds of different species of birds in the area. Animals like yaks, tigers, bears and around 1600 mithuns, both wild and domesticated are found in the forests of Thanamir. The village surroundings are blessed with natural fertile soil and pleasant climate with temperatures ranging from 2 to 20 degree Celsius, which is suitable for growing of apples.
Around late seventies during the years of armed conflict in Nagaland, Naga army attacked Indian soldiers in the area and in response the Indian soldiers imposed curfew at Thanamir village and a check Post was erected. It was during this time that a Village Guard named J. Yungbokhiung from Thanamir village befriended a Nepali soldier of the Assam Rifles posted at the check post. In 1980 as a gesture of friendship the Nepali soldier gave three apple plants to J. Yungbokhiung which he planted in his back yard, to bear him the sweetest apples in Nagaland. The first apple tree to bear fruit in Thanamir village remains to this day. Meanwhile J. Yungbokhiung taught himself to multiply the apple plant through root cutting which he distributed to his fellow villagers and Saramati apples started to spread to other villages around the Saramati range.
The apples at Thanamir village was not known to the outside world until the arrival of a missionary from Nagaland Missionary Movement, Tangit Longkumer who is still working tirelessly to uplift the economy of the Saramati range people, which is one of the most underdeveloped areas in Nagaland. Tangit Longkumer also came up with an idea to design a sticker as trade mark phrased, ‘Saramati Apple’ and presented to the Government officials at Kohima and Dimapur in 2009 to make it known to the world that apple grows well in Saramati range. It was the fruit of his tireless effort that the first edition of Apple Festival was organized at Thanamir village on 29th September 2010 sponsored by the Department of Horticulture.
The village Council of Thanamir also resolved to make it mandatory that every household should have 1000 apple trees by 2014. Some families by now own about 300 apple trees with technical & financial support and encouragement from the Department of Horticulture, especially Mission Director (TM-NE) Dr. N. Benjong Aier, who himself is personally involved to supervise the apple project taken up by the department along with officials of the DHO, Kiphire. The Department of Horticulture has already distributed more that 10,000 low chilling apple grafts to the project holders in Thanamir village since 2009-10. Organic apple fruit is another advantage for the farmers of Thanamir since they do not use chemicals to control disease and insect-pest. Moreover they do not use inorganic fertilizer.
Though the villagers are enjoying fresh apples from the kitchen garden they have almost no commercial returns due to transportation, quality and quantity problems. People of Thanamir also use their home-grown apples for juice making and even as feeds for pigs.
The wife of State Chief Minister, Kaisa Rio and her colleagues on their visit to Thanamir village during the Apple Festival also visited and inspected Thanamir’s only school, the Government Primary School which runs classes from A to IV with more than 170 students enrolled and 140 students attending the school. They also interacted with the school children and the teachers to know the progress and grievances of the school and the children. The group also distributed school bags, stationeries, mid-day meal and water filters to the children and blankets, solar lamps, cups and dish sets to the teachers. The school is managed by one Government Primary Teacher and two missionary Teachers who are being sponsored by the Legislators wives of the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
About 10 km before reaching the Thanamir village, a wooden bridge measuring 75 feet was constructed by around 100 villagers, to enable the chief guest and her entourage and Government officials and the public to attend the Apple festival 2011 which was successfully celebrated in Thanamir village on 10th September 2011.
But apart from this locational importance, Thanamir has recently captured the attention of the Nagaland Baptist Council (NBCC) and through them the attention of many people including people in high and influential places. An Apple Festival has become an annual event in the village organized by NBCC since last year, 2010. This year’s edition of the festival gained much importance and popularity when it was graced by Kaisa Rio lady wife of our State Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio accompanied by lady wives of about a dozen legislators.
Thanamir is a small Yimchunger Naga village in Pungro Sub-Division under Kiphire District having around 120 households, which is located at the foothill of Mt. Saramati. The village, which is around 57 Kms away from Pungro town, was connected by road in 2009 and is the last village en-route to the Mt. Saramati, the highest peak in Nagaland. Trekkers and tourist halt for the night in Thanamir before and after they climb Mt. Saramati. The people of Thanamir are traditionally known by their hospitality to their guests and provide guides and guards to the visitors. The village jurisdiction extends to the International border between India and Myanmar. It is learnt that a good variety of orchids like Blue & Red Vanda, white, red and yellow Rhododendrons, which are not commonly available in other parts of the state, are found in this region. Rare birds like Tragopan, hill peacocks and hornbill are also found in plenty along with hundreds of different species of birds in the area. Animals like yaks, tigers, bears and around 1600 mithuns, both wild and domesticated are found in the forests of Thanamir. The village surroundings are blessed with natural fertile soil and pleasant climate with temperatures ranging from 2 to 20 degree Celsius, which is suitable for growing of apples.
Around late seventies during the years of armed conflict in Nagaland, Naga army attacked Indian soldiers in the area and in response the Indian soldiers imposed curfew at Thanamir village and a check Post was erected. It was during this time that a Village Guard named J. Yungbokhiung from Thanamir village befriended a Nepali soldier of the Assam Rifles posted at the check post. In 1980 as a gesture of friendship the Nepali soldier gave three apple plants to J. Yungbokhiung which he planted in his back yard, to bear him the sweetest apples in Nagaland. The first apple tree to bear fruit in Thanamir village remains to this day. Meanwhile J. Yungbokhiung taught himself to multiply the apple plant through root cutting which he distributed to his fellow villagers and Saramati apples started to spread to other villages around the Saramati range.
The apples at Thanamir village was not known to the outside world until the arrival of a missionary from Nagaland Missionary Movement, Tangit Longkumer who is still working tirelessly to uplift the economy of the Saramati range people, which is one of the most underdeveloped areas in Nagaland. Tangit Longkumer also came up with an idea to design a sticker as trade mark phrased, ‘Saramati Apple’ and presented to the Government officials at Kohima and Dimapur in 2009 to make it known to the world that apple grows well in Saramati range. It was the fruit of his tireless effort that the first edition of Apple Festival was organized at Thanamir village on 29th September 2010 sponsored by the Department of Horticulture.
The village Council of Thanamir also resolved to make it mandatory that every household should have 1000 apple trees by 2014. Some families by now own about 300 apple trees with technical & financial support and encouragement from the Department of Horticulture, especially Mission Director (TM-NE) Dr. N. Benjong Aier, who himself is personally involved to supervise the apple project taken up by the department along with officials of the DHO, Kiphire. The Department of Horticulture has already distributed more that 10,000 low chilling apple grafts to the project holders in Thanamir village since 2009-10. Organic apple fruit is another advantage for the farmers of Thanamir since they do not use chemicals to control disease and insect-pest. Moreover they do not use inorganic fertilizer.
Though the villagers are enjoying fresh apples from the kitchen garden they have almost no commercial returns due to transportation, quality and quantity problems. People of Thanamir also use their home-grown apples for juice making and even as feeds for pigs.
The wife of State Chief Minister, Kaisa Rio and her colleagues on their visit to Thanamir village during the Apple Festival also visited and inspected Thanamir’s only school, the Government Primary School which runs classes from A to IV with more than 170 students enrolled and 140 students attending the school. They also interacted with the school children and the teachers to know the progress and grievances of the school and the children. The group also distributed school bags, stationeries, mid-day meal and water filters to the children and blankets, solar lamps, cups and dish sets to the teachers. The school is managed by one Government Primary Teacher and two missionary Teachers who are being sponsored by the Legislators wives of the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
About 10 km before reaching the Thanamir village, a wooden bridge measuring 75 feet was constructed by around 100 villagers, to enable the chief guest and her entourage and Government officials and the public to attend the Apple festival 2011 which was successfully celebrated in Thanamir village on 10th September 2011.
(A DIPR Feature by Ruopfulenuo, Editor and Watimenla, News Assistant)
