Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 25
Nagaland is gearing up to celebrate the much hyped Hornbill Festival of Nagaland from December 1 to 10 at the picturesque Naga Heritage Village Kisama, about 10 km away from state capital Kohima.
Hornbill festival is an annual tourism promotional event organized by state government to showcase Nagaland’s traditional and rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur. Over the years, this event has gained in stature and scale. It has now become a unique platform for the tourists to witness the cultural diversity not only of the Nagas but the seven other sister states of NE India in all its wonder and glory.
Festival to spread over Dimapur, Mokokchung, Phek
Basically, major events will take place in Kisama and Kohima. To engage more people, this time round the festival will spread over Dimapur with launch of Hornbill International Music Festival at DDSC Stadium through Hornbill Bollywood Dhamaka featuring popular Indian artist KK on December 1 and Kailash Kher on December 3 along with the Native Trax Society Music Awards event at NEZCC Complex. On December 10, the Trail Hounds Mountain Biking event will be held in Mokokchung and the 4th Hornbill Riders’ Meet will kick start from Khezhakeno in Phek district and culminate at Kisama on December 5. Addressing press conference here today, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism C. Apok Jamir said the department is also contemplating to spread the events to other parts of the state in the coming years.
Union Home Minister will not attend Hornbill
Apok said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed his inability to attend the festival. He, however, said that the department was keeping in touch with some Union Ministers to grace the festival. Apart from this, various guests including Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, Richard Verma, US Ambassador to India, Papu Yadav and lady wife (both MPs), Justice Ajit Singh, Chief Justice Gauhati High Court, Guwahati, Vinod Zutshi, secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Alan Gemmell, OBE Minister Cultural Affairs, British Council India, Air marshal C. Hari Kumar, AVSM VM VSM, AOE-in-C EAC, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI AAYOG have confirmed their participation.
Additional packages
Among the additional packages of this year festival includes; Angami Sports Association (ASA) golden jubilee stone pulling ceremony, Trail Hounds Mountain Biking, horse riding & pony cart transportation, tug of war competition, Kohima city tour, Voice of Hornbill, India Beatboxing Championship and Beatbox Limca Record, Junkies-Cosplay, Stilt Bamboo walking competition among others.
The normal highlights of the festival will include; exhibition cum sale of handloom and handicrafts products, Craftscape, Hornbill International Photo Fest, Naga Chef Competition, Kids Carnival, Hornbill International Music Festival, Handshake concert, Hornbill Night Carnival, Hornbill International Rock Contest, North East Cultural Day, state level flower show, greased bamboo pole climbing, Native Trax Society Music Awards, 6th Hornbill Half Marathon & Great Hornbill Run, 5th annual Hornbill Cycle Rally & Mountain Biking, 4th Hornbill riders’ meet, demonstration of horticulture machineries, traditional fire making competition, 4th Hornbill Choral Competition, Car Rally (WW II), Hornbill Naga Wrestling Championship, Miss Nagaland 2016, Naga chilli eating competition, culturally yours, etc.
Be a good host to visitors: Apok Jamir
Apok Jamir stated that the Hornbill festival is a collaborative celebration of all Naga tribes and coined as the festival of festivals. “Hornbill festival is pride for us,” he said and made a fervent appeal to Nagas in general as a host state to play as “good host” to the visitors.
Despite of demonetisation, he said there will be no less turn up of the visitors but expected that the festival will pull large number of visitors.
Nagaland’s tourism secretary Angau I Thou (IAS) pointed out that Hornbill festival has become an international event and a unique platform for the tourist to witness the cultural diversity. It also brought the Nagas together and strengthens unity and peaceful atmosphere.
Nagaland’s tourism additional director (HoD) KT Thomas said that Hornbill festival transmits the image of Nagaland and the people from all over the world come to know about Nagaland through this festival.
