The 10-day-long silver jubilee edition of the Hornbill Festival began on December 1 at Kisama, about 12 km from state capital Kohima.
Over 86,000 people have visited the Naga Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland to enjoy the spectacular silver jubilee edition of the Hornbill Festival in the first five days, a state Tourism official said on Thursday.
The 10-day long Hornbill Festival, also coined as the festival of festivals, an annual tourism promotional event of the state government, commenced on December 1 and has attracted 86,640 visitors including 1,715 foreigners, 22,546 domestic tourists and 62,379 locals in the first five days of the festivities, said Joint Director of Tourism Toka E Tuccumi.
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Marking the fifth day of the festivity, visitors watched colourful traditional performances of the 18 recognized tribes of the state on the theme “Cultural Connect” by the Department of Art and Culture during the morning hours.
One of the partner states for this edition, Sikkim also showcased their cultural items during the day. However, the Naga tug-of-war competition between the Naga tribes organised by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports with participants in their traditional attire bewildered the visitors.
Angami tribe emerged champion with Garo and Konyak bagging second and third positions in the men’s category. The Angami tribe also won the women’s category with Sangtam and Kachari tribes winning second and third positions respectively.
Beside cultural performances and indigenous games, visitors also enjoy the evening Hornbill International Music Festival conducted by the Task Force for Music and Arts. Various international, national and local bands and artists are taking the stage from 5 pm daily at the main avenue.
Moreover, the activities of the Hornbill Festival are also spread to at least four more districts including Dimapur, Phek, Wokha and Zunheboto.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
