India
Nagaland Man Nurtures Flowered Memorial of Wife, Drawing Visitors and Family
A decade after his wife’s death, 90‑year‑old Mosenyii Yakhro spends his mornings tending a garden he built around her grave in Kigwema village, Nagaland. The hillside burial site, which he has transformed into a flower‑filled landscape, is now known as Mosen Viewpoint. Yakhro’s wife, Vivolheri, who was 80 when she passed, had chosen the burial spot before she died. Since then, he has devoted his mornings to caring for the plants surrounding her resting place. The garden, overlooking the hills and terraced rice fields, features cosmos flowers and a weathervane pointing to neighboring villages. Visitors, including tourists and local children, now come to see the flowers and enjoy the setting. Yakhro remains closely involved in its upkeep, expressing frustration when the cosmos grow too tall and cover other plants. He says, “I feel very happy. I enjoy knowing their happiness,” referring to those who visit. Beyond the garden, Yakhro has a lifelong interest in reading and history; he studied only until sixth grade but spent much time in a library while working as a peon in a government office. He can recall details of Japanese soldiers arriving in his village during World War II. The garden also serves as a family gathering place; every year on January 15, his family celebrates his birthday there. When asked about his own burial place, he smiled and said, “My burial place will also be here.” The memorial, which began as a personal tribute, has become a place where children play, visitors pause, and a family gathers, all while Yakhro continues his daily ritual of tending the garden.}