19th Hornbill Festival set to begin today in Nagaland

 

 

 

Kohima, December 1: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is set to inaugurate the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland today. This period has marked the 19th year of the Hornbill festival, being celebrated in Kisama village near state capital Kohima. The festival starting today is scheduled to culminate on 10th of December.  

 

 

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya is honoured to be the chief host of the event. However, US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster will be the chief guest, informed the additional director of the state tourism department Akhale Vizol.

 

 

The state Government is concerned to spent Rs. 5 crore for the festival this year. The celebrations and programmes have been scheduled in five districts of the state Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Phek and Wokha.

 

 

In year 2017, the festival was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind along with the state formation day celebrations on the same day. The state CM Neiphiu Rio tweeted welcoming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate the event this year.

 

 

 

 

The Hornbill festival also called as ‘Festival of Festivals’, aims to display the rich traditions and the vibrant culture of Nagaland through colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies.

 

Organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, the festival showcases a mixture of cultural displays under one roof. A week long of celebration unites all in state and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports constituting food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display.

 

 

 

The Kohima Night Bazaar being an interesting aspect of this particular event, the city street is overcrowded with various food stalls serving out some of the finest delicacies.

 

 

Apart from this, the festival widely contributes to the economic infrastructure of the state. Tourism promoters believe that the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland allows tourists to have an insight into the different tribes of Nagaland.

 

 

The day marking inauguration of  the Hornbill festival, shares significance with the statehood day of Nagaland. It is 55 years ago today, when the second President of India Dr.Seravapalli Radhakrishnan arrived Kohima on the momentous occasion, to formally inaugurate Nagaland as the 16th state of India, enlarging the value to the state.