The Hornbill Festival 2013, the biggest cultural extravaganza of the tribal state of Nagaland, took-off on Sunday after President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated it at Naga heritage village in Kisama, around 12 km from capital town Kohima.
The festival, named after the Indian hornbill bird, is a cultural event held in the first week of December every year in the Northeastern state of Nagaland by the state's tourism department. All the major tribes and sub-tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival and showcase their rich culture, tradition, lifestyle, music, art, food and cuisine, handlooms and handicrafts, etc.
As per Nagaland tourism department estimates, Hornbill Festival, 2013, is expected to attracted around 100,000 domestic tourists and around 1,000 foreign tourists. The festival this year will also have a shopping festival to exhibit various Naga indigenous products. Elaborate plans are in place for this year's festival as it would also coincide with the 50th anniversary of Nagaland statehood, said Himato Zhimomi, commissioner and secretary of Nagaland's tourism department. Unlike past years, this year the festival has been extended from seven days to 10 days to accommodate all the planned events. While inaugurating the festival, Mukherjee called upon the people of the rest of India to discover Nagaland, visit the state, contribute to the local economy and strengthen the bonds that tie different parts of our country and people together. "It is impossible to achieve development in the absence of peace and security," said the President. He urged all concerned to work towards establishing and maintaining a peaceful environment in the state so that the dreams of the youth can be realised in the shortest possible time.
He called upon Nagaland to lead the way in the building a new future for India and set an example to the rest of India by showing how the entire region can be transformed into an area of peace, stability and prosperity.
The festival, named after the Indian hornbill bird, is a cultural event held in the first week of December every year in the Northeastern state of Nagaland by the state's tourism department. All the major tribes and sub-tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival and showcase their rich culture, tradition, lifestyle, music, art, food and cuisine, handlooms and handicrafts, etc.
As per Nagaland tourism department estimates, Hornbill Festival, 2013, is expected to attracted around 100,000 domestic tourists and around 1,000 foreign tourists. The festival this year will also have a shopping festival to exhibit various Naga indigenous products. Elaborate plans are in place for this year's festival as it would also coincide with the 50th anniversary of Nagaland statehood, said Himato Zhimomi, commissioner and secretary of Nagaland's tourism department. Unlike past years, this year the festival has been extended from seven days to 10 days to accommodate all the planned events. While inaugurating the festival, Mukherjee called upon the people of the rest of India to discover Nagaland, visit the state, contribute to the local economy and strengthen the bonds that tie different parts of our country and people together. "It is impossible to achieve development in the absence of peace and security," said the President. He urged all concerned to work towards establishing and maintaining a peaceful environment in the state so that the dreams of the youth can be realised in the shortest possible time.
He called upon Nagaland to lead the way in the building a new future for India and set an example to the rest of India by showing how the entire region can be transformed into an area of peace, stability and prosperity.