Colonial-era DC Bungalow proposed for heritage status
The newly built Deputy Commissioner’s Bungalow in Mokokchung is set to be inaugurated by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on May 2, while the old bungalow, constructed in the 1870s, has been proposed for preservation as a heritage building.
The decision to preserve the old bungalow was taken during the April meeting of the District Planning and Development Board (DPDB), held under the chairmanship of Sharingain Longkumer, Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and Chairman of the DPDB Mokokchung. During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Thsuvisie Phoji highlighted the historical value of the 145-year-old structure.
Describing the colonial-era bungalow as a significant cultural and historical asset, the Deputy Commissioner said that although the building requires major renovation, once restored, it would be an asset not only for the people of Mokokchung district but for the entire state.
The DPDB approved forwarding the preservation proposal to the government for further action. The newly built DC Bungalow, which will replace the current official residence, is now ready and awaits formal inauguration.
Constructed approximately 145 years ago, the old DC Bungalow served as the official residence of the Deputy Commissioner since the British colonial era. Notably, in the summer of 1919, it was used by JP Mills, a British administrator and ethnographer renowned for his work on the Nagas, as his operational headquarters during extensive fieldwork in the region, according to sources.