The ten-day-long Hornbill Festival kicked off with cultural exhibitions, music, and more from December 1 at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, amid the beautiful hills of Kohima. Praising Nagas for their unique culture, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “I am thrilled, excited, enthralled and captivated by the energy of Naga boys and girls! I will never forget this day. India is a land of culture. This place is the pinnacle. This is a place of culture of cultures!”
Source- India TV
The state of Nagaland has 17 major tribes, besides several others found in its remote regions. Each tribe celebrates its own festival across the year to celebrate its significance and traditions: the Kukis celebrate Mimkut in January, Kacharis celebrate Bushu in January, Chakhesangs celebrate Tsukheniye in January, Angamis celebrate Sekrenyi in February, Konyaks celebrate Aoling in April, Aos celebrate Moatsu in May and many others. The Government of Nagaland thought that it was necessary for the tribes to interact with each other to promote the state’s cultural heritage. Consequently, in 2000, it organized the first-ever Hornbill Festival as a mixture of cultural exhibitions
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the festival on Thursday, which is also the 60th statehood day of Nagaland. Foreign dignitaries were also part of the inauguration ceremony: the Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain; Trade Commissioner for South Asia and British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, Alan Gemmel; and Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O’Farrell.
Source- India Today
Organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, the festival is named after the Indian hornbill, which is often mentioned in the folklore of most of Nagaland’s tribes and is commonly sighted in the state forests. The grand fete is held at Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, which is around 10 km from the state capital of Kohima. All tribes participate in the festival to ensure that the rich culture and traditions are protected in the truest sense. The morungs (huts) of each tribe have already been set up at the venue and are one of the biggest highlights of the festival.
A grand music show with performances by local and international artists is also held parallel to the tribal festival in a bid to engage people from all demographics. Stressing on the fact that India has assumed the presidency of G20 from Thursday, VP Dhankhar said the world would come to experience the renowned Naga hospitality when a meeting of G20 is held in Nagaland in April 2023.
