Tupula Bhat (Sticky rice cooked in koupat i.e. Pyrnium leaf) is generally consumed by the Singpho, Ahom, Mising and Deuri tribes with side dishes Mati Mahor dail (Black Gram Dal), Guti aloo fry (baby potatoes fry), Posolar bhaji (Plantain Stem Stir Fry), Gahori Mangsor Jhul (Pork Curry) etc.
In a forest, away from everyone, hiking the rest of the trail solo was interesting. As I embarked on my solitary trek, I embraced the warmth of Mother Nature by kissing the bark of a tree.
Every time the train would halt at the Dimapur Railway Station during my journeys, my soul would yearn for the distant hills that stood guard at the periphery of Dimapur, the largest city of Nagaland in India. Never did I ever imagine that I would eventually be climbing its highest mountain, the mighty Mount Saramati.
