Mount Khelia
| Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) ⓘ | |
|---|---|
![Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) [Khülio King]ⓘ is located in Nagaland](/wiki/File:India_Nagaland_relief_map.svg) ![Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) [Khülio King]ⓘ](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg/20px-Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg.png){kind=small} Location in Nagaland, India ![Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) [Khülio King]ⓘ is located in India](/wiki/File:India_relief_location_map.jpg) ![Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) [Khülio King]ⓘ is located in Asia](/wiki/File:Asia_laea_relief_location_map.jpg) ![Patsho Khiamniungan : ISO 639-3(kix) [Khülio King]ⓘ is located in Earth](/wiki/File:World_location_map_(equirectangular_180).svg) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,462 m (11,358 ft)[1] |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 26°4′24″N 95°11′6″E / 26.07333°N 95.18500°E |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Khiamniungan Naga |
| Geography | |
| Location | Noklak District, Nagaland, India |
| Parent range | Patkai Range |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hiking |
Mount Khülio-King (/kʰə.³³lɪɒ³¹.kɪŋ³³/ ⓘ) , alternatively called Khelia King, is the second highest peak in the Indian state of Nagaland.[1] It is one of the highest in Khiamniungan region and lies along the India–Myanmar border in Patkai Range.[1][2] The peak connects Mount Saramati in the east of Patsho village and south of Noklak.[3] The area is generally isolated and difficult to access for humans, allowing the natural landscapes and local biodiversity to remain relatively untouched by human intervention.[4]
Significance
[edit]Mount Khülio-King is important for the local ecology; it provides a habitat for species such as Blyth's Tragopan, the state bird of Nagaland.[5] In 2023, a team of biologists discovered a specimen of the Fritillaria crassicaulis at the mountain, a species previously only known to inhabit Nepal, Sichuan, and Yunnan.[6]: 353 The scientists concluded that the species, although present in India, was likely exclusive to Mount Khülio.[6]: 356 Similarly, in 2025, researchers uncovered samples of the Saxifraga rufescens dwelling on the mountain, species which were previously unknown in Nagaland.[7]
Saktum Wonti, a researcher at the Highland Institute, visited the nearby town of Wui in 2023, where she recorded the words of a local Gaonburha who stated that the villagers were accustomed to foretelling the weather based upon the positioning of the sun as viewed from the peak of Mount Khülio. However, the Gaonburha—as reported by Wonti—purported that, in recent times, this method had become unreliable, as rain was appearing more unpredictably. According to Wonti, this shift in weather phenomena is attributable to climate change.[8] In the past, the mountain has served as a defensive position to safeguard local inhabitants during times of conflict.[5]
Route
[edit]The mountain is accessible via the Choklangan or Wui Villages, although travel is obstructed by hazardous road conditions.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tümüzo, Katiry; Lcho, Kevide; Wonti, Saktum; Child, Catriona. "Earthkeepers project: Noklak Border Mission". Highlander Journal. 3 (2). The Highland Institute: 117. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Noklak: joint mountaineering expedition to mount khelua flagged off". nagalandtribune.in. 13 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Frontier Nagaland - A land of unique history, identity and destiny". morungexpress.com. 13 November 2024. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022.
- ^ Babar, Aniruddha (13 November 2024). ""The Professor And The Mountain"". thehillstimes.in. Archived from the original on 9 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Oral History" (PDF). repository.tribal.gov.in. 23 November 2024. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b Dey, Santanu; Phom, Limamanen; Jing, Vidi; Walling, Tekameren; Chang, Tongpangkokla; Krishna, Gopal (2024). "Fritillaria crassicaulis (Liliaceae): An addition to Flora of India and its typification". Feddes Repertorium. 135 (4): 353–357. doi:10.1002/fedr.202300035. ISSN 1522-239X.
- ^ Dey, Santanu; Barbhuiya, Hussain A.; Khiamniungan, Thangsoi M.; Moaakum; Jing, Imtilila. "Saxifraga rufescens var. rufescens (Saxifragaceae): A New Addition to the Flora of India". Feddes Repertorium: 2. doi:10.1002/fedr.70007. ISSN 1522-239X.
- ^ Wonti, Saktum (15 May 2024). "The Call of Home: Rediscovering my Roots on the Indo-Myanmar Border". The Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) Initiative. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
External links
[edit]
The dictionary definition of Khǖlìo kīng at Wiktionary
