The bamboo and cane forests in Nagaland provide the materials for the state's beautiful and intricate crafts, which is intertwined with the cultural history of the region. Traditionally, elderly members of Naga villages used split bamboo to make useful items. These include mats, shields, rain hats, furniture, chungas (mugs), bamboo water carriers, and baskets.

These items were an important part of their daily lives. They make it clear how the Naga people had a close relationship with nature and a sustainable way of living.

Dimapur, once the capital of the former Kachari kingdom, is a bustling centre for crafts and textiles. However, bamboo and cane is best seen in Khonoma village. Here, the Angami Nagas make khophi or cane baskets, which are often gifted by the groom's family to the bride for weddings.

In Nagaland, traditionally women weave textiles, but men make baskets. Each tribe has its own unique style of basketry. Artisans use a metal die and a dao (a wide-blade machete) to cut bamboo splints of the right size. They then use these splints to carefully craft baskets. Naga men make chungas and mugs of bamboo with poker work.

Naga crafts include a wide variety of objects, from fish traps and belts to musical instruments and beer mugs. These objects are made from cane and bamboo, and some are decorated with floral patterns or human figures in relief. This decoration changes the shape and texture of the products.

Naga craftspeople showcase their dexterity working with cane and bamboo. This is evident in the phu (raincoat), which is made with woven cane reinforced with palm leaves, and the chikomong (a lidded basket with cane handles), which is made using a double-weave technique. Cane furniture, lampshades, trays and other home décor pieces are among the wide range of products from the region.

The cup violin is a unique Naga musical instrument, made of hard and thin bamboo with the shell of a bitter gourd. Playing it seemingly imitates the movement of the crab, with 10 fingers moving one after another. This instrument is also called the midnight violin as it is played mostly at midnight. The poignant saying that Nagas start life in a cradle of bamboo and end in a bamboo coffin, reflects in the many ways that Nagas use bamboo. Bamboo is used to make weapons, burial tools, and tools for survival.

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