Action packed Hornbill Festival from December 1

Kohima | November 29 : The tenth edition of the Hornbill Festival- “Festival of Festivals” is set to start from December 1 in the picturesque Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar will grace the inaugural function as the chief guest. An added attraction of this year’s Hornbill Festival will be special presentation by Myanmarese and Thai cultural troupes, concert by Japanese electronic band- Yoichi Suzuki, Kids Carnival.
Korean musicians will also perform at the Korean Pavilion. There will also be Korean- Naga Wrestling exhibition, Miss Nagaland, Hornbill National Rock Contest, Hornbill Naga Wrestling Championship, Hornbill Rally. Kohima Night Carnival is also a plus point for the Hornbill Festival where the families can get the opportunity to go for late hour shopping and merry making.  Cultural shows from Naga tribes, north east cultural troupes and also guest artistes from Myanmar and Thailand will be performed daily from 10:30 AM.
Other highlights of the weeklong festival includes; exhibition of handloom & handicrafts, indigenous sports, food fair, display of traditional Naga Morungs, flower exhibition, cultural dances and songs, Archive week celebration, musical concert etc.  The tourism department requested all the Tribal Hohos in-charge of Morungs at Kisama to keep their respective couples dressed in traditional attires to welcome the guests visiting their Morungs in the inaugural day (December 1)
On the other days, their respective dances troupes will take rest during the intervals at their own Morungs. However, they should have someone knowledgeable about their tribe, manning their Morungs to explain to the visitors about their own tribes. Nagaland Tourism Association (NTA) will now function from its office at NST Complex, instead of Heritage Village Kisama during the forthcoming Hornbill Festival.  The N.T.A. will provide packaged conducted tours for Kohima & Dimapur, and will also be providing professional tourist guides during Hornbill Festival.
In this connection, tour operators and tourists, who require conducted tours or tourist guides have been requested to contact the NTA in its office or dial 09402489211, 09402489222, & 9612173304 or mail to nta_rsvp@yahoo.com. It is pertinent to mention that the seven days affair Hornbill Festival is a tribute to the Hornbill, the most admired bird of the Nagas for its alertness and grandeur. The bird is closely linked with the social and cultural life of the Nagas, as is evident in many tribal folklore, dances and songs.
The Hornbill festival is an extravaganza of tradition, culture and festivity in all respects and it has grown from being a state level celebration to becoming one of the biggest such festivals in the country with international outlook.
During the seven days long festivals, tourists will get a glimpse of the lifestyle and can understand Naga culture better.
The festival is mainly designed to promote tourism industry in the state and to provide a platform to the Nagas to exchange and display their rich cultural and traditional heritage.