Kachari Rajbari Ruins

The Kachari Rajbari ruins in Dimapur are the remains of the capital of the Kachari kingdom, which ruled this part of the Dhansiri valley in medieval times. The site was once enclosed by three walls and the curving Dhansiri River; a colonial officer, Lieutenant Grange, recorded it in 1840 on an expedition into the Naga Hills.

Within the grassy enclosure stand around a hundred carved sandstone monoliths set in three rows, many of them with mushroom-shaped tops, ranging from about 8 to 15 feet in height. Some are broken or weathered while others remain upright. A brick arched gateway still survives on the eastern side. Their purpose is unknown: they have been read as fertility symbols, as memorial stones for Kachari nobles or as offerings to Shiva, and a local tale says they were pieces in a giant game like chess.