HORNBILL FESTIVAL
The Kohima Hornbill Festival is the perfect occasion to meet Nagaland's 16 tribes, view their incredible cultural diversity and experience their magic.
Celebrated from December 1 to 5 each year, the Hornb ill Festival, is held at the Naga Heritage Complex in Kisama, 11 km from Kohima on the highway to Imphal. Organised with the collective efforts of all government tourism departments, important NGOs and local communities of Nagaland, the festival is a great time to visit the Northeast. This is the only time, when every clan in Nagaland, congregates to celebrate their magnificent heri tage together. What a splendid sight it is! The Angami, Ao, Sema, Lotha, Rengma, Chakesang, Sangtam, Konyak, Phom, Chang, Yimchunger, Khiamungan, Zeliang, Kuki, Kachari, Pochury and others, all in full tribal regalia come and live in their traditional habitat in this re-created village of Naga homes, where they can, at last, all be together.
One of the greatest attractions of the Hornbill Festival is the traditional styles of architecture; all very tastefully replicated at the Complex, without overdoing anything. There are the thatched, deeply angled porches of their superbly designed, amazingly different houses and the morung or bachelor's dormitory, built the traditional way-using only natural material such as local bamboo, cane, grass, wood and stones. A variety of special motifs, associated with traditional and holy symbols, adorn the beam, pillars and doorposts. Besides serving as a dormitory, the morung houses spears, shields and other weapons, and showcases the sacred hunting trophies of the village. It is at the hearth of the morung that boys imbibe tribal laws and customs from their elders.
Great musicians and gifted singers, the Ao, Sangtam, Chakesang, Angami and Sema tribes cast a spell on your senses with their mesmerising music, in the evenings. Folk songs speak of heroes and their victories in battle, while soulful love songs recount tragic sagas. The main accompaniments for the music are their much-venerated drums.
The Hornbill Festival pays tribute to the hornbill, and to the continuation of this legacy-their bond with nature. Created by their forefathers, so that they seek to live in tune with the universe.
| Arrival: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata | Langauge: English, Spanish, German, Italian, French |
Highlights
- Visit the Famous Jain Temples, flower Market, Howard Bridge, and cantilevered bridge - Kolkata
- Kali Maa temple,and Victoria Memorial - Kolkata
- Different tribes performances, and night Bazar - Kohima
- Full day attend the Hornbill festival >
Tour Itinerary
Day 01 - Arrive Kolkata
Arrive Kolkata and transfer to the hotel.
KOLKATA - The word Kolkata derives from the Bengali term Kolikata, the name of one of three villages that predated the arrival of the British, in the area where the city eventually was to be established. Located on the east bank of River Hooghly, Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also the commercial, cultural, and educational centre of East India, while the Port of Kolkata is India's oldest port as well as its sole major riverine port.
The city's documented history begins with the arrival of the English East India Company in 1690, when the Company was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Under the East India Company and later under the British Raj, Kolkata served as the capital of India until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages, combined with growing nationalism in Bengal, led to a shift of the capital to New Delhi. Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought. The people of Kolkata tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy".
For these reasons, Kolkata has often been dubbed as the Cultural Capital of India or the Literary Capital of India.
On arrival in Kolkata, transfer to hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.