The Hornbill Festival of Nagaland

By Mira Pawar.

The Hornbill Festival which is celebrated every year in Nagaland from the 1^st to the 10^th of December showcase the state’s rich heritage and traditions of Nagaland. This year’s celebration was even more pertinent as it coincided with Nagaland’s 62^nd Statehood Day. Nagaland celebrated 25^th Hornbill Festival this year, and the turnout was an astounding 1.75 lakh attendees from all over the globe. The event was organised as always, at Kisama Heritage Village located in the southern Angami region of Kohima District.

Rekha and Sumant Bayankar, a couple from Sanikpuri in Hyderabad, travelled to Nagaland specifically to attend the Hornbill Festival held from December 1^st to 10^th. Rekha Bayankar asserted “It was a marvellous experience and must admit, it’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”  She further stated “we were mesmerised by the vibrant culture and dance performances of 17 Naga tribes along with their food, music and folklore-all in one place.”

While the visitors enjoyed the Hornbill national dance competition, showcasing a variety of tribal dance forms, they also had the opportunity to learn crafts like weaving, pottery and beadwork at the event.  All the 17 Naga tribes have their own signature jewellery and clothes, leaving the visitors absolutely smitten with the variety of styles exhibited. Each Naga tribe have their own language. The festival is concluded with the Hornbill international music festival featuring performances by local and international artists.

Hornbill festival is named after a bird that is a symbol of beauty, grace and fidelity as per the folklore.  In order to promote tourism and celebrate the festivals of 17 major tribes: Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Kachari, Khiamniiungan, Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Tikhir, Yimkhiung, Zeliang along with several sub-tribes of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland introduced Hornbill Festival in the year 2000. The festival is organised by the State’s Tourism and Art and Culture Department to encourage inter-ethnic interaction to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland. Nagaland is famous for its cuisines, monasteries and is home to lush green rain-forest that houses a vast range of medicinal plants.

Ticket Price

For the Hornbill festival, visitors had to buy a pass costing INR.100/-  per day, per person.

Souvenirs

While in Nagaland, some souvenirs to buy include wood carvings, baskets, pottery, colourful and intricate handicrafts, handwoven shawls and paintings etc.

Mode of Travel:

By Air

Nagaland has its airport in Dimapur, serviced regularly by most Airlines. The city is linked to Kolkata and Guwahati by Air. There are direct flights from Delhi also. From Dimapur tourists have to travel by road to Kohima which takes approximately 2 hours.

Railway

There is a railway station in Dimapur which is well connected to cities like Guwahati and Kolkata.

Road Transportation:

Buses and Taxi can also be hired from Dimapur.