Nagaland Hornbill Festival-Festival, Travel & Tourism

Nagaland known as the land of ‘Naga’ people is also the land of festivals with one festival followed by another round the year. In order to facilitate tourists to have a glimpse of all the Naga festivals at one time and one place, the Government of Nagaland has evolved a festival called Hornbill Festival, which is celebrated at Kohima, the capital town of Nagaland. The Hornbill Festival is the biggest annual cultural festival in Nagaland. The venue is at Kisama, the cultural heritage village. From 1st December to 7th December every year, it is a merry gathering of people from all walks of life. It is a celebration of the rich Naga Culture. The festival showcases the best of folk dances and folk songs, the multi- cuisines of the different tribes, wines, handmade crafts – wood carvings, bamboo furnitures, claypots, dried flowers, handvowen shawls, tribal beads – necklaces, decorative pieces and so many others. The festival is well known over with visitors coming from near and far. In the chill of winter, this festival definitely will warm your spirit’s up. Children participate at the Essay writing competition at Kids Carnival Kisama during Hornbill Festival on December 5. The Festival is named after the hornbill, the globally respected bird and which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes. In the year 2000, Nagaland’s government decided to have all of the state’s tribes engage in a common festival. Thus was born the Hornbill Festival, which is celebrated the in the first week of December in the Nagaland’s capital city Kohima. The week long festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings and sculptures are also on display. Festival highlights include Traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition and sale of Arts and Crafts, Food Stalls, Herbal Medicine Stalls, Flower shows and sales, Cultural Medley – songs and dances, Fashion shows, Beauty Contest, Traditional Archery, Naga wrestling, Indigenous Games, and Musical concert.