The Nagaland's Grand: Hornbill Festival

The 2012 Hornbill Festival in Nagaland was a tourist magnet

Nagaland has always been called the ‘Land of Festivals’ and for the past couple of years, there has been a new adage ‘Festival of Festivals.’ This is in reference to the hugely popular annual Hornbill Festival (1st – 7th December) held at the Kisama Heritage Village at Kohima.

The Hornbill Festival certainly lives up to the billing, and how! Nagaland has amazingly rich culture and tradition and the festival is a feast for the eyes – a riot of colours, costumes and performances.

The festival acts as a cultural platform for the 16 major tribes and many sub-tribes of Nagaland who celebrate their own festivals throughout the year. During the 7 days, the event showcases the tradition and culture of all the Naga tribes and also of the other North Eastern states to some extent. The tradition and culture coupled with a sense of the exoticism and mystery draws in the crowds by the hordes.

Given the limited time frame, the rituals could not be as elaborate or as spontaneous as those held at the villages. But the festival still allows us to see the traditions and customs of the different tribes through a very wide window indeed.

Now in its 12th year, the Hornbill Festival has also helped in reviving some old customs that were dying a slow but sure death and create a sense of unity too.

Although the overwhelming dances and rituals were based on agriculture and fertility, there were some amazing war dances and head hunting rituals by tribes like the Konyak, Chang, Yimchunger, Sema and a few others. The dances were accompanied with log drum beating, mock headhunting and torching of other villages.

But the Hornbill Festival was much more than dances and more dances. There were stalls of ethnic Naga cuisine which drew crowds like moths to a fire and the supply of indigenous rice beer ran out faster than they could be refilled! There were exquisite handicraft and handloom, music – both traditional and contemporary, motor rally, traditional sports like wrestling and archery, literary fest, fashion shows, beauty contest and fun events like climbing a greased bamboo pole, pork fat and Naga King Chilli (the hottest chilli in the world) eating contests which drew gasps of horror from the crowds.

The Peace Rally, to commemorate the battle of Kohima in World War II, saw some of the finest examples of Jeep restoration. People in costumes were carrying period guns and one could hardly make the difference between a real and a fake one!!

The finale was predictably grand with a concert of fusion music and each tribe lighting a bonfire. As the sun dipped over the hills at Kisama, the bonfire lit up the arena and the skies were filled with war cries as everyone danced around the fire.

The festival is growing bigger and better by the year and by the look of it, it is will be a ‘must visit’ travel destination. In fact, it already is!!