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Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Oct. 25 (EMN): If you want to experience Nagaland’s rich culture and tradition besides the mesmerizing landscape in just a few days, that too at one location, the Hornbill Festival is the perfect occasion.
With an area of 16,579 sq.km and a population of 1,980,602 (as per 2011 Census of India), Nagaland has 17 major tribes and sub-tribes with each having distinct customs, language and attires. These tribes converge at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, near state’s capital Kohima, during the Hornbill Festival to showcase their rich cultural heritage, thus offering the tourists a unique experience, and for which the event is being dubbed as the “Festival of Festivals”.
Conceptualised in 2000, the Hornbill Festival is annually celebrated from December 1 to the 10th, becoming one of the biggest festivals and tourist attraction in the country over the years.
After being forced to cancel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stopped midway in 2021 due to an unfortunate tragic incident, the government of Nagaland is set for a grandier Hornbill Festival 2022 amid nostalgia. This year too, it will be held from December 1 to the 10th.
While cultural items from tribal dances to folk songs are performed at the main venue -- Naga Heritage Village in Kisama -- daily during the festive period, resonate various other events are also held in and around the location and other parts of the state.
Some of the popular activities you can expect at the festival include: daily cultural performances by different tribes, handlooms and handicrafts, indigenous games and sports including Naga wrestling, local cuisine, exhibition-cum-sale of local products, night carnival, Dzukou Valley trekking, kids carnival and music festival, to name a few.
It is mandatory for domestic tourists (Indians) to obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) for entry to Nagaland. The ILP fee is INR 50 for 15 days’ stay, up to INR 500 for 365 days.
The ILP can be obtained by logging in to Nagaland government’s official website or from any of the authorities mentioned below:
The Deputy Residential Commissioner, Nagaland House New Delhi
(+91 11 23012296 / 23793673
The Deputy Residential Commissioner, Nagaland House Kolkata
(+913322825247/26
Deputy Residential Commissioner, Guwahati
(+91 361 2332158; Fax: +91 361 2333859
The Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur
(+91 36862 226530; Fax: +91 3682 230613
The Deputy Commissioner, Kohima
(+91 370 2290666; Fax: +91 370 229035
The Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung
(+91 369 2226231; Fax: +91 369 2226055
However, foreign tourists can enter Nagaland with any permits but they should to register with the Foreigner’s Registration Officer (FRO) of the district they visit or the nearest Police Station within 24 hours of their arrival.
The government of Nagaland has approved 43 tour operators to facilitate those visiting the state and the agencies can be access on the state’s tourism website.
The state government has also listed several hotels and as many as 66 paying guest and homestay in Nagaland.
