Colorful Hornbill festival in Nagaland charms tourists

Kohima (Nagaland) [India], Dec. 11 (ANI): The 10-day Hornbill Festival kicked off with much fanfare in Nagaland recently. Tourists from round the globe flocked to the picturesque Naga heritage village Kisama to witness the Nagas rich cultural heritage. The festival drew people to the foothills below the towering Mount Japfü where Kisama is located. The festival, organised under the aegis of State Tourism and Arts and Culture Department, encourages inter-tribal harmony and promotes colourful local culture and traditions as well as preserving the heritage. The inaugural event was graced by Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang, his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal and Nagaland Governor P.B Acharya. The guests were honoured with the traditional Naga shawl, headgears and antique neckpieces. Colourful performances, rich traditional crafts, indigenous games, food fairs among others formed part of the festival, which attracted large number of visitors. Local dance troupes, dressed in their ceremonial traditional attires, which are different for each tribe, enthralled the visitors with their performances. "This is my first time to the northeast and first time at the Hornbill. I am inspired; it is a great achievement to bring together indigenous societies of the northeast along with the people from the rest of the world to see an indigenous community developing," said a Canadian tourist. The festival also saw cultural troupes from Assam performing the famous 'Bihu dance', leaving the crowd spellbound. "Coming here is a beautiful experience I was not expecting Nagaland and the people over here to be so humble, emotional and sensitive. They are strong and firm at the same time. I read about this festival and it gave me immense pleasure knowing about their rich heritage. But coming here, I felt homely and connected with the people who are really nice. The articles and the musical instruments are so simple and beautiful to use. They make me feel really accepted," another tourist said. A rock concert was also organised. The Hornbill Festival has played a great role in boosting tourism in Nagaland. (ANI)