In this blog, we have shared the seven facts that nobody told you about the Hornbill festival!
Hornbill Festival is one of the most colorful cultural festivals of Northeast India. It is a 10-day event where all the 16 tribes of Nagaland comes together to celebrate and nurture an inter-tribal affinity. A lot of articles are available online about this festival of festivals, but travel bloggers have either refrained or missed to share a few amazing facts about this ecstatic event.
Below are some unique facts about the Hornbill Festival that will enlighten your knowledge about this ‘Festival of Festivals’ of Nagaland.
The Name of the Venue
Hornbill Festival is held on the foothills of the Japfü peak at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. This cultural village lies at a distance of about 12 kilometers from Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland.
Interestingly, the nomenclature of ‘KISAMA’ has been derived from the two adjoining villages, ‘Phesama’ and ‘Kigwema’. The first two letters ‘KI’ has been taken from Kigwema, ‘SA’ comes from Phesama and ‘MA’ means village in Angami dialect, on which the government of Nagaland has established the Naga Heritage Village.
Celebration of The Statehood Day
The inauguration day of the annual Hornbill Festival also coincides with the statehood day celebration of Nagaland. On this day in 1963, Dr. S Radhakrishnan, then President of India, declared Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian Union.
Book Your Stay at The Earliest
Every year, the Hornbill Festival draws thousands of people to Nagaland. According to ‘The Morung Express’, the 19th edition in 2018 itself registered 2,51,701 visitors to the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama. Out of this, 2702 were foreign tourists, 37,397 domestic tourists and 2,11,602 local visitors.
You will have to book accommodation in advance. During the festival, it is impossible to find an ideal hotel in Kohima. Also, the city gets crowded at this time and the roads remain jam-packed. So it is better to book a place somewhere close or inside the venue. It will save your traveling time and let you explore more inside the venue.
Camp KITE MANJA is situated inside the Naga Heritage Village and it is just 200 meters away from the main venue. It is an ideal place for bloggers and photographers who don’t want to miss any action inside the venue.
Photographers Must Reach Early
The Hornbill Festival is a photographer’s paradise. If you are a photo fanatic than you must reach the main festival arena by 8.00 am. Reaching early will ensure you a good place to sit and take the best shots. Most of the cultural activities like traditional dance, indigenous games, folk music performances take place in the amphitheater.
But the amphitheater has a limited seating capacity so you will have to be there in advance to find a suitable place. Also, the morning hours are better because of the bright natural light and warmth required to click good photographs.
Also, read about – Five Essential Destination for Photo Tour in Northeast India
Additional Events Around Kohima During Hornbill Festival
A plethora of events is also held at this time in and around Kohima. In 2018, trekking and hiking to Mount Teyozwu, Dzukou winter experience, traditional evening park at Kigwema, 1st Hornbill night parade and 1st Hornbill Badminton tournament were also organized during the Hornbill Festival. So you have a lot of options to visit nearby places near Kohima city.
If you are planning a motorcycle ride during this time, then you may also participate in the Hornbill Riders Meet. Organized by the illustrious Nagaland Motorcycle Club (NMC), HRM is a two-day event solely for the motorcycle brethren. It is a celebration of brotherhood which is attended by many Royal Enfield riders from the Northeast and a couple of others from outside.
The 8th Hornbill Riders Meet will be hosted by the Dimapur chapter of NMC and will be held inside their territory. You can contact the Naga Chiefs on Facebook to get more information about this year’s meet. Be assured of ‘Thumping with Culture’!
Hornbill International Rock Contest in Dimapur
Another major event that sits like a jewel on the Hornbill Festival crown is the Hornbill International Rock Contest (HIRC) and music festival. Arguably it is the biggest rock music event in the country but inarguably the highest prize money rock contest in India.
HIRC started in 2004 as Hornbill National Rock Contest and it went international in 2013. It usually kicks-off on December 5 and culminates with the grand finale on December 8. Earlier it used to be held in Kohima but from 2017 the organizers shifted it to Agri-expo Ground in Dimapur.
So if you are planning to attend the closing ceremony of the Hornbill festival then start your festival outing from Dimapur on December 8 and spend the next two days in Kisama.
Read this Exhaustive Detail About Traveling to Kohima for the Hornbill Festival
International Loin Loom Festival
Another unique festival that coincides with the Hornbill Festival is the International Loin Loom Festival at Diezephe village in Dimapur district. This two-day event primarily focuses on reviving an age-old tradition of weaving and to empower traditional weavers by exposing them to festivals and exhibitions.
It supports the loin loom weavers of Nagaland, promotes their products and showcases their unique art to the world.
Loin loom weaving is to textile what wood fire cooking is to the culinary world. It’s an indigenous method of weaving cloth on a portable bamboo loom. One end of the loom is tied to poles at a height of about four or five feet, and the other end is strapped around a woman’s waist as she sits on the floor to weave. Therefore, it’s also known as a backstrap loom.
The modern vision of the loin loom is made with light-weight wood and it’s a frame that does not require the support of poles; imagine an easy to carry a stove. What emerges is a thick piece of woven cloth with a ribbed texture and motifs that are cultural symbols of the community.
“It is one of the oldest forms of weaving, loin loom is native to the northeast of India and the sturdy woven pieces sometimes outlast the wearer and weaver,” says Jahnabee Borah. To know more about the International Loin Loom festival, do read “A loin loom makeover”
Now that you are aware of these seven facts, it will surely help you to plan your trip to Nagaland during the Hornbill festival. If you have any other questions then drop us an email at info@kitemanja.com or call Rahul +91 8375885235 to know more.
