What is ‘Hornbill Festival?’ I was asked by one of my friends the other day. ‘The answer is very easy, but difficult to describe the details in a few sentences and in a few minutes’, I told. Briefly saying, it is a cultural extravaganza of Nagaland which is held in the first week of December every year in the Naga Heritage Village about 15 kilometres away from Kohima town. I could instantly tell my friend only that much. But a vista of thoughts galloped into my thoughtful mind soon after we parted from each other. Is the Hornbill Festival merely a Naga cultural extravaganza? Of course, not. It is much more than that. The Festival is like a huge mirror in which many intricate pictures of Naga life, mind and philosophy find their vivid reflection.
Of course, the variegated and kaleidoscopic Naga cultural life finds its spectacular manifestations in various cultural presentations made by different culture-loving Naga tribes in their colourful traditional attires and in full traditional zeal and fervour. What lies behind such traditional displays and representations? In simple dictions, this is the expression of the Naga tribes’ love of traditions, culture and legacy. In one way it is their sincere remembrance of their ancestors and in another way it is their co-ordination between the past and the present. The juxtaposition of the past and the present enables the present generation to gauge how near they are to their fore-fathers in terms of their moral scruples like simplicity, generosity, sociability and unity and how far they are from them in terms of economic development, social solidarity and global thinking. Adoration of the past culture is a prime motive behind the entire extravaganza. The present can be shaped only on the pillars of the past and the future can be improvised only on the pillars of the present. The Hornbill Festival builds up the conviction in the mind of every Naga that they need to mount up higher in the firmament of progress but at the same time cling to their glorious tradition and culture and exhibit their proud identity in the global platform.
The sixteen major tribes make a confluence on the common platform of the festival and make their ardent exchanges of feelings, thoughts, love and passion. They make display of their respective cultural and social identities. The grown-ups as well as the children get the opportunity to broaden the horizon of knowledge about Nagaland as a whole. Different prejudices of the minds evaporate and the spirit of co-operation and peaceful co-existence get inculcated in the minds of all. The Festival washes away chauvinistic attitudes from the minds and gives the minds a new dimension of selfless love for all. The Festival promotes social harmony and mutual tolerance.
During the Festival visitors from India and abroad throng the spot. Tourists from Myanmar, Australia, Thailand, etc. come to have a view of the scintillating Naga culture, tradition and life in general. All the visitors highly applaud the attractions they view. Thus the appreciation received from the visitors fill the Naga minds with pride, happiness and competitive zest. The artistic resourcefulness of the Nagas finds ample expression in the Festival. The Nagas are very adroit in various visual and performing arts. Music is the overflowing fountain of Naga life. They express their feelings, sentiments, love and emotions through the medium of songs and music. The Festival gives them an impetus for such art forms. Paintings, sculpture, woodcraft, bamboo- craft, needle work, many other handicrafts of Nagaland are visible in the Festival. The festival is thus a booster for Naga cottage industries. All such handicraft products attract lots of connoisseurs in the festival. They purchase the products at any cost for their cultural and artistic value. Indirectly the Hornbill festival is the promoter of Naga economy.
The Hornbill festival has many such adorable aspects. Therefore, the festival needs to be observed every year with added enthusiasm and gaiety. I wish the Festival mounting success this year and all the years to come.
Gopal Talukdar
PGT (English)
JNV, Kohima
