Nagalands Hornbill Festival is Back

After skipping the celebrations last year, Nagaland is all set to kickstart the most awaited event of the year. Slated to take place in December, the Nagaland Hornbill Festival will be coming back after quite the wait, owing to covid restrictions in place last year. The festival will take place at the Naga Heritage Village of Kisama, approximately 12 kilometres from the state&rsquos capital &mdash Kohima &mdash from December 1-10.  

The 22nd edition of the cultural extravaganza this year will include 17 major tribes of the state coming forward and sharing their culture and traditions with the world. Right from music, dance, sports to food and handicrafts, the festival is sneak peek into the Naga life and a once in lifetime experience. Visitors can choose to visit the local villages, camp at the Dzukou Valley, be a part of walkathons, enter cross-fit championships, cookouts among other events. Some of the major events at the festival include the Hornbill Music Festival (1-10 December), Nagaland Literature Festival (3-4 December) and the Nagaland Film Festival (3-5 December), Mountain Biking Race (beginning December 1), WW-II Peace Rally (December 7), International Loin Loom Festival (9-10 December) and the Hornbill Bamboo Festival (3-5 December) among others.

The festival is named after the colourful forest bird &mdash Hornbill &mdash which is a part of various folklore of the tribes in the state. For years the festival has been showcasing the tribal culture and traditions and has been recognised as one of the most entertaining extravaganza of the country. 

Keeping in mind the pandemic, one state also has certain guidelines in place. Carrying a proof of being full vaccinated in mandatory. Only if you are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic you&rsquoll be allowed, else a RT-PCR test is mandatory at the point of entry. In case you are not fully vaccinated a negative RT-PCR is required not older than 72 hours. Children below 12 years of age do not require any testing if accompanied by a parent/guardian. As for the permits Indians require an ILP (Inner Line Permit) to enter the state. And foreigners will need to register themselves with the Foreigner&rsquos Registration Office (FRO) at the nearest police station.