Mokokchung Visual Diary: Portraits

Repalemba: An Insight into a Photographer's Life.

A pioneer persona in the world of photography, Mr. Repalemba hailing from Mokokchung village, who indeed is the first Ao Naga photographer, has a priceless experience in photography field where the times were less helpful to add sparks in oneís creativity. Mr. Repa who intended to become a tailor by profession and indeed the first Ao tailor in Mokokchung town had a breakthrough in his life when he hit the road to shillong to learn more of his skills in tailoring that his fate changed when he dropped in to Touch and Go studio in shillong. With a fee of Rs.30 he explored the beauty and possibility of photography for one month, one hour each. That was the turning point in his life. He returned home with a big vision for the Ao Nagas especially residing in Mokokchung to give an opportunity to treasure the memories of those times as early as 1940s which seemed a rare perspective and a whole new experience. He opened his studio known as Hills Studio in 1944 which with much pride still exists just down the road off NST station.

With a box camera and operating his business only on Sunday he survived the hardship of generous contribution going all over the villages and hills on foot to capture what are known as priceless pictures of golden memories.

Those were the times when the challenge of photography was not only on high skills of creativity but a great challenge in producing the outcome of his work as many manpower and sources were not prevalent and especially with no-electricity-to-assist I could really sense the plight of the situation as he expressed his experience of his early days of photograph-moment.
Later in the year 1952 after electricity invaded the town of Mokokchung he bought a German made camera with amount of Rs. 400 which is still placed in the Studio of Hills.

Priceless antique of his possession and captured memories were lost for which we cannot have a quick peek of how it is or how it was but it is still a great privilege to have him share a goose-bump-moment as for us to know how things were and how far we sailed off and how todayís generation are pampered by technologies and innovation. Having asked him how he wants our photographers to survive the trail of tough competition and constant change, his gestures and enthusiasm remarked with great pleasure of how todayís generation is taking up the field of photography and pronounced earnestly that he really wished this generation to work with sharp consciousness of responsibility and abducting the misuse of technologies which ruins the beauty and better concept of photography.

He also mentioned of his hard work and dedication in this field with honesty for which he believes the fruit is the blessing of his seven children and the good-health of his family and his livelihood with contentment.
Surely a moment of sharing with Shri. Repa worth million of wealth which in million years I can never go back to bygone days to feel and see how things were and how we had lived by.

Cheers to photographers who gave us an opportunity to see the past and to all the photographers who are treasuring the moment of this hour which hopefully the next generation and coming species would appreciate the work of our clicks.

Portrait of Mr. Repalemba's Mother

Portrait of Mr.Repalemba's Mother-in-law

Portrait of Mr. Repalemba's Dad.

Ako Tong : The Big Banyan Tree.

The footsteps leading to the Tree.

In the year 2011, I got posted at Kupza village and had been staying there for a couple of months. My landlady told me about a big banyan tree which stands behind the graveyard. I had a trivial feeling and told myself that it must be just one of those big trees I often see. But anyways, I went with her one evening to have a look at it.

Ako Tong : The Big Banyan Tree.

It was around ten minutes walk from my place. There were footsteps that led towards the tree. As I climbed down the footsteps, I realised that the natural settings of the place was indeed beautiful. I could see the tree from a distance, as I walked closer and closer it became bigger and bigger.

Rest House.

Finally, I reached there and Lo! I was standing next to a big magnificent banyan tree, in fact, the biggest tree I have ever seen. The main trunk with the prop roots had covered a large area of the land. But when I looked around, I was saddened to see that the surrounding was not taken care of at all. Except for a petty resting place constructed by NREGS, there was nothing. I was told that this might be the biggest banyan tree in Nagaland and some foreigners from a couple of different countries had come to see the tree. I was amazed why I never heard about this majestic tree when I live so close to a town where this tree stands. From how it was kept, I could positively tell that the villagers have been taking this tree for granted. Perhaps it had been standing there for so long in their midst, they found it unimportant.

Toshimeren: The 3rd Oldest Man in Kupza

Having mesmerized by this big banyan tree, I was curious to know more. So I met a 91 year old man of the village, Toshimeren. He had many stories to tell related to this tree. According to him, it was more than a thousand years old. Before the coming of the Christianity, their ancestors worshiped this tree. The prosperity of the village as well as the neighbouring villages could be prophesied according to the way the tree produced its fruit. He also said that the tree was a home to the spirits as well as birds of different species. He believed that tree was gifted to the village from the gods many years back. But the people of this generation has come to neglect and ignore its worth.

I believe this tree can help the villagers turn the spot into a good tourist spot. If people come together, clean and develop the place and make the world know, perchance the village itself would become a tourist village, which would indeed be an avenue for the people of the village too. I’am sure people would love to visit and look at this manificient and splendid tree if the are made known of it. Sadly, due to ignorance, lack of resources finance, assisntance and publicity it remains like a beautiful wild flower, unknown and unseen to the world outside.

Morung Camera Obscura

As part of Goa-CAP's visit to Mokokchung, we had planned to build a camera obscura in the shape of the traditional Ao house called Morung. The design was discussed many times over to judge building feasibility, as well as operational ease.

This is the design we came up with.

The design was presented to the artisan Repatemjen Jamir in Ungma village and further changes were made to it according to his feedback.

The construction started on 23rd April. Mr. Repatemjen and Guru Sangyusang building the morung.

The outer construction of the Morung was completed by the craftsmen in 4 days. Then Goa-CAP team with the help of Imna Onen, Senti, Akang and Achi, members from the Mokokchung Photography Club (MPC) sealed the Morung from inside to make it light tight and put the lens (made from a simple magnifying glass), shutter(made of red cellophane) and other parts to make it into a working Camera Obscura.

With the help of a pick up truck from the friendly guys from Ungma village, the Morung was transported early morning on 3rd May to the parking area of the Amphitheater in Ungma which was the location of the Moatsü festival.

The Morung has many items of decorative ornamentation that are remnants of traditions from the 19th century or earlier days of headhunting when it used to be decorated with the skulls of the enemies hunted by the owner.

Photo of Chaitanya sealing the Morung camera on location.

Further sealing was needed once the Morung was placed on location before we could photograph. The inside was used as a camera as well as a darkroom. The images were captured on sterling grade 2 black and white photographic paper and developed in homemade version of Kodak D-72 developer, modified for Indian conditions.

The Morung created a lot of curiosity in the people coming for Moatsu, the police and kids alike.

Before we even had time to make test prints, the Honorable Chief Minister of Nagaland Mr. Neiphieu Rio was there to get photographed with the Morung Camera Obscura.

We tried our best to photograph him, though it was difficult for us to explain from the inside, how steady the subject needs to be to get a good picture.

Once all the testing was done and we further sealed the Morung against light leaks etc, we started taking portraits of all the willing subjects we could find.

The negatives were dried on the roof of the Morung since it was very windy and they would fly away if dried on a traditional clothesline.

Imna Onen examining the negatives.

By the time the sun went down, the MPC members had already found a new home for the Morung Camera - at the Hotel Metsüben in Mokokchung. This time we brought a bigger truck to transport the Morung since it had proved quite tricky to load it onto the pick up truck. Unfortunately, it was even harder to load it onto the even higher platform of the truck, and we could not have managed it without the help of the villagers of the Ungma village.

It was quite tricky to transport the Morung to its new abode avoiding all the electric and telephone lines on the way.

Finally it was installed at the hotel Metsüben. The operating procedure was also explained to the people of the hotel, so they could demonstrate it to their guests in the future. Goa-CAP hopes to revisit Mokokchung in the future and take more photographs with this one of a kind Morung Camera Obscura.

Goa-CAP would like to thank all the supportive members of the Mokokchung Photography Club without whose help this project would not have been possible.

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Here are the final images taken with the Morung Camera Obscura during the Moatsü festival on May 3rd, 2012.