Culture converges in the northeast's hidden paradise

Mopungchuket is declared one of the oldest and best-kept villages in the Northeast as a rural tourism village. Steeped in myths, history, and culture—all interacting together with the place's lush, pleasant natural beauty. Mopungchuket has the towers of Jina and Etiben. The Ao tribe built these two towers in memory of these two lovers, whose love for one another was a story for generations. Sungkotenem Park is a community-owned park in the middle of the village, home to Sungkotenem Lake, shrouded in mystery. It has incredible and lush tea gardens. Mangkolong is a picnic site. And what’s more, it’s the first tea garden in Nagaland.

Mopungchuket's enigmatic mysteries

Legend has it that Mopungchuket is home to the love story of Jina and Etiben - two star-crossed lovers who couldn’t stay together because of the circumstances and decided to meet in the netherworld after their deaths. According to folklore, Süngkotenem Lake is owned by a ‘tsungrem’ or demi-god, which is in the form of a giant python. The villagers believe that the writhing of this python god formed the deep lake. The legend also talks about how the villagers, overcome by fear, one fine day, killed the python. Even after that, there’s an unspoken myth that, to this day, the lake is guarded by some unseen mystical powers. Two towers in the village have immortalised the story of Jina and Etiben. One can see the whole Ao countryside from the top of these towers.