Here I am on the road again…
Travelling across the mountains to meet the remarkable people preserving it's handmade traditions.
Chapter II
Meeting Ikali: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
🧭 The Journey Trail
📍 Dimapur Hotel
↓
🛺 Auto Ride
↓
📍 Full Nagarjan
↓
🏡 Ikali's Studio
↓
❤️ First Meeting
The previous evening had ended with rain, an overnight bus, and my first glimpse of Nagaland at sunrise.
After a quick shower and a few hours of sleep, it was finally time.
Today wasn't about sightseeing. Today I was going to meet the very first artisan partner of this journey. Ikali.
I stepped out of my hotel around 11:30 in the morning. The first thing that greeted me wasn't a beautiful mountain breeze. It was the Nagaland sun.
And let me tell you... Nobody had warned me that Dimapur could get this hot! Within minutes, I was already questioning every life decision that had brought me there. Finding an auto wasn't easy either. When one finally stopped, I told him I needed to go to Full Nagarjan.
A distance of barely three-and-a-half kilometres.
"₹100."
I smiled.
He smiled.
We both knew I'd just been introduced to the unofficial tourist tax. Sometimes, when you're in a new place, arguing over a few rupees isn't worth missing an appointment. So I happily climbed in. Besides, every journey has to pay its tuition fees.
Google Maps confidently led us...
...straight to the wrong turn.
Apparently, one-way roads have a habit of ignoring GPS.
Thankfully, Ikali was already on the phone with the driver, patiently guiding us through the maze of narrow lanes until we finally reached her studio.
The moment I walked in, I forgot about the heat.
There she was.
Warm.
Soft-spoken.
And carrying the kind of smile that immediately makes you feel welcome.
Meanwhile...
I was probably looking like someone who had just completed a marathon.
If sweat could win awards, I would've taken one home that day.
She laughed.
I laughed.
A glass of water appeared.
And just like that...
the ice was broken.
Over the next couple of hours, we spoke not as a business owner and a supplier...
but as two people who believed handmade stories deserved to travel farther than they usually do.
Ikali's own journey has taken her far beyond Nagaland.
She studied Fashion Technology at Wigan & Leigh in Mumbai before pursuing Fashion Business at the London College of Fashion.
Her talent soon found international recognition when her collection "Tribal Trickle" was showcased during New York Couture Week after winning the NIAPA competition.
In 2017, she was also recognised as one of the five Women Achievers by FICCI FLO North East.
Listening to her speak, though, you'd never hear any of that with pride or arrogance.
She spoke instead about people. About preserving identity. About giving traditional Naga aesthetics a contemporary voice. About sustainability. About creating opportunities back home. Awards, I realised, they were simply milestones. Purpose was what truly drove her and that's our story too…
Then came my favourite part of the visit. She took me around her studio. Every corner reflected patience. Sketches. Fabrics. Colours.
Ideas waiting to become reality.
But it wasn't the beautifully designed products that stopped me in my tracks.
It was two young women quietly working together.
They were cousins. One was deaf and the other was mute.
Neither spoke a word.
Neither needed to.
Watching them embroider delicate hoop designs was almost hypnotic.
There was no conversation.
Only concentration.
Every stitch was perfectly placed.
Every movement instinctive.
Every finished piece carried a little bit of both their worlds.
Standing there, I realised something.
Craft like music & art has its own language.
It doesn't care where you're from.
It doesn't matter what language you speak.
Sometimes... the hands say everything.
The quiet rhythm of their work is music enough.
Eventually it was time to leave.
"It was wonderful meeting you. I'll be on my way now."
She smiled. We promised to meet again.
As I stepped back into the afternoon sun, I realised something.
I hadn't just met an entrepreneur.
I'd met someone deeply committed to ensuring that culture evolves without losing its roots.
And that, perhaps , is the finest kind of craftsmanship.
The walk back towards my hotel took me past a few roadside food stalls I'd noticed earlier.
By then, I was absolutely starving.
One plate became two.
Then maybe...
well...
let's just say dinner quietly cancelled itself that evening.
Because the road ahead still had plenty of stories waiting.
🌿 Travel Trivia
Did you know?
- The name "Naga" is believed to have originated from several historical references, though its exact origin is still debated by historians.
- Nagaland is one of India's youngest states, officially attaining statehood in 1963.
- Many contemporary Naga designers, including Ikali, are helping revive traditional tribal motifs by adapting them for modern fashion while preserving their cultural significance.
- Sustainability isn't a trend in many Naga communities, it's a way of life, reflected in locally sourced materials, handcrafted production, and generations of inherited skills.
🎵 Mango's Road Playlist
Every road leaves behind a memory. Every memory finds its song.
Theme : Creativity & Quiet Inspiration
- Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
- Simon & Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy in New York
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- America – A Horse with No Name
- James Taylor – Carolina in My Mind
- Iron Maiden – The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
- Metallica – The Unforgiven
Next Chapter...
Sometimes the best conversations happen over a good meal.
In the next chapter, we'll hit the road again to meet the Man and his team behind Saucy Joe's : where food, friendship, and entrepreneurship come together with a generous helping of Naga hospitality.
Until the next road,
Mangesh Shinde (Mango)
Co-Founder, Darjeeling Connection