HORNBILL FESTIVAL

Dec. 7, 2021

To protest the killings of civilians by the security forces in Mon district on Saturday, eight of the 17 tribes in Nagaland have announced their withdrawal from the annual Hornbill Festival, which is currently underway at Kisama village.

About:

  • The 22nd edition of the annual event started on December 1, 2021.

  • Also called the “festival of festivals”, the 10-day annual programme brings all the 17 tribes of the Nagaland on a platform and facilitates the promotion of their culture to the rest of the world.

  • The first edition of the festival – which is named after the Indian hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state’s tribes – was held in 2000.

  • Organised by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, the Hornbill Festival is held at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 12 km from Kohima.

  • One of the major highlights of this festival is the Hornbill International Rock Festival, held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, where local and international rock bands are roped in to perform.