Hornbill Festival

Adrita

Hornbill Festival

Often known as the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, Hornbill Festival is a 10-day annual cultural fest held in the state of Nagaland, in Northeast India. Filled with laughter, music, dances and games, and food, the Hornbill festival is one of the largest attractions in the state. So, let's dive into the history of this festival and what makes it so famous.

Indian Hornbill (captured by Adrita Buragohain)

The Hornbill Festival is hosted in the village of Kisama, which is 12 kilometres from Kohima, Nagaland's capital. The programme unites the state's 17 tribes on a single platform, allowing them to promote their culture to the rest of the globe. It is celebrated to promote inter-tribal cooperation and to maintain, safeguard, and revitalise the Naga heritage's distinctiveness and diversity. It is sponsored by the Union Government and organised by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments.

What's interesting is that the Festival is named after The Indian Hornbill, a huge and colourful bird that is often seen in the forests of Nagaland. The bird is frequently mentioned in the popular folklores of the state. The first Hornbill Festival took place in 2000, and it has continued to grow popularity since then. It always begins on December 1st, which also marks Nagaland's statehood day.

The Festival features a colourful array of songs and dances, as well as crafts, indigenous parades, games, sports, and many traditional cuisines. Naga artists' traditional art, including paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures, are kept on display. These works of art are also exhibited and sold.

The event is filled with a variety of exciting competitions and games as well. Traditional archery and Naga wrestling are popular activities among these. There are also natural medicine vendors, floral displays, and even beauty pageants such as Miss Nagaland. People perform folk dances and songs which are extremely entertaining. Here, people also get a chance to taste amazing traditional Naga cuisine.

Each tribe has its own unique ceremonial performance which is very beautiful and executed in a very elegant manner. Naga culture and ethnicity are performed and enjoyed to encourage people to compete and to reaffirm Nagaland's identity as a distinct state within India's federal union.

One of the major highlights of the event is attractive and colorful traditional ceremonial attire, which is unique for each tribe. Multi-colored spears, Daos with dyed goat's hair, and more can also be found. Unusual headgears and ivory armlets, as well as other well-known Naga traditional goods, are among the show's centerpieces. Historically, earlier fighter had to wear these to prove their courage. During the festival, there’s also an exhibition of Naga Morungs.

People from all over the world travel to this exciting fest to either witness or participate, or sometimes both. Even from the countryside, many elderly people travel to Kohima to attend this event and meet individuals from various villages in Nagaland whom they had never met before, resulting in cultural integration.

In the evenings, a diverse programme of music concerts caters to all preferences, ensuring that the joyous mood lasts all night. The Hornbill International Rock Festival, hosted at Indira Gandhi Stadium, is one of the key events in this; local and international rock bands perform throughout the night.

The Hornbill Festival has made a substantial contribution to the Nagaland tourism. According to tourism organisers, it allows travellers to learn about the diversity of the state. All of Nagaland's varied tribes contribute their heartfelt efforts to make the festival livelier and more enjoyable. It contributes to the revitalization and preservation of Nagaland's rich culture, as well as the presentation of its extravagance and customs. The event provides visitors with a better appreciation of Nagaland's rich cultural heritage, ingenious architecture, and an opportunity to experience Naga cuisine, songs, dances, and customs.