The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland has come to an end, drawing over two lakh tourists from across the state, country and abroad during the 1o-day period of food, dance, music and festivities. It has etched yet another lasting memory for so many – locals and tourists alike – about the friendly people and unique traditions of Nagaland.

The Hornbill Festival that happens every year in Nagaland from Dec 1-10, has something to offer for everyone – from a glittering cultural extravaganza ranging from tribal song & dances of north east India to a display of local cuisines and traditional wares, musical nights that showcase the best of local, national and international talents, camping and trekking adventures for the travel enthusiasts, and a host of pop-culture showcases for the young visitors, and so much more. 

Strap in as we take you through all the highlights of Hornbill Festival 2018 in Kisama Village, Nagaland.

• Tribal Morungs and their traditional cuisines

The Hornbill Festival starts officially at the main venue, in Kisama Heritage Village in Kohima District. The venue hosts a line up of Tribal Morungs, ie, traditional huts set up by each tribe in Nagaland, where visitors can go and taste the specialty food of each tribe and interact with the locals manning the Morungs.

A Lotha girl serving food to guests at the ‘Lotha Morung’ | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

A young foreign tourist at the Kisama Heritage Village | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Sticky rice and pork served at the ‘Chakesang Morung’ | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

• Indigenous Floral Exhibition, and Display of Local Fruits & Vegetables

Exhibitions are held every year to showcase the range and variety of locally grown flowers, fruits and vegetables. Local folks who display their collections during the exhibit get to compete with each other for various categories like Indigenous Orchid, Cacti and Succulents, Ferns and Foliage and more.

An exhibit at the ‘Indigenous Foliage & Flowers’ section at the Flower exhibition stall | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Flower Exhibition Stall | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Display of ‘Cacti & Succulents’ at the Flower Exhibition Stall | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Display of Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Variety of ‘Naga Tree Tomatoes’ put on display at the ‘Fruits & Vegetables’ Exhibition stall | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

The famous ‘Naga Raja Mircha’ on display at the ‘Fruits & Vegetables’ Exhibition stall | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

• World War 2 Museum and Peace Rally showcasing the story behind the famous Battle of Kohima (1944)

Another attraction at the Kisama Heritage Village was the World War II Museum. Though the museum is open for visitors throughout the year, it got special attention from locals and tourists alike owing to the Festival, and a dedicated WW2 Peace rally that took place during the Hornbill festival this year.

The WW II museum is a great place to explore and learn more about the famous ‘Battle of Kohima’ in 1944. Visitors can get a glimpse of the remains from the war collected from various parts of Nagaland – warfare, utensils and tools used by British and Japenese soldiers during the war, models of the war zone, stories about the battle and more.

Inside the World War II Museum at Kisama Heritage Village

War tools collected from various parts of Nagaland – displayed at the World War II Museum at Kisama Heritage Village

Peace Rally at Kisama Heritage Village | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018 [Photo Twitter/@abumetha]

• Trekking and Camping Adventures

For the adventure lovers,  the team at “Springboard Camps & Adventures” had organized ‘Hornbill Festival Camp’ in Kohima, offering festival goers with a wide range of activities and services – from campsites to tents, campfires and trekking events, trekking tour guides, and taxi services – with the aim to help tourists explore various parts of Nagaland beyond the festival venues.

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Sunrise at Mt. Japfu Mt. Japfu stands at 3048 meters level. The peak can be climbed through two different trails – one from Jotsoma 3kms (approx) from Kohima / from Kigwema 8kms (approx) from Kohima. It is recommended to take the route from Kigwema as it takes exceedingly lesser time. ·Best time to climb· the mountain is from October to February. If you are fortunate, you will get to see a glimpse of the Himalayas from the top. The difficulty to climb is moderately easy but a guide with experience is recommended. If you visit Kohima, climbing Japfu overnight and watching the sunrise is surely one of the bucketlist you should not miss. . . . #springboardcamps #springboard #adventure #adventuretime #camping #camplife #nagaland #nagalandtourism #tourism #night #adventurelife #outdoors #climbing #climbing_lovers #climbing_is_my_passion #trekking #Kohima #bucketlist #climbinglovers #thingstodoinnagaland #thingstodoinkohima @listednl.in @nagalandtourism @wethenagas @northeast_india @climbingprn @outdoortones @adventure_nation_outdoor_tribe @discovernagaland

A post shared by SpringBoard.Camps&Adventures (@springboard.campsadventures) on Dec 9, 2018 at 7:12pm PST

• Naga Chef Contest

Naga Chef Contest is a culinary competition which aims to promote Naga indigenous cuisine. A platform for local chefs to showcase their passion, skills and authentic Naga recipes to the world, this 6th season of Naga Chef saw four finalists competing for the big title – Lipok Longkumer, Vikhuli Achumi, Dennis Suohu and Mhomo Ngullie. Vikhuli Achumi, a passionate self-taught home chef and mom of three, won the big title this year.

Participants of the Naga Chef Contest cooking their hearts out for the Hornbill Festival grand prize.

• Hornbill International Music Festival
  

The 10-day long Hornbill International Music Festival at Dimapur was a real treat for all music lovers – keeping the crowds entertained every night with a line up of performances by local, national and international music acts – including the much-loved Kpop band MONT from Seoul, Rudy Wallang and more. The Rock contest was another star event!

Another highlight was the 4-day rock band contest with 32 participants – local bands and bands across the country like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Ranchi, West Bengal, Assam and more. Perfect Strangers from Bangalore took home the big prize money of Rs. 10 lacs at the HIMF rock contest. UDX from home-state Nagaland and Ambush from Diphu, Assam won the 2nd and 3rd accolades respectively.

Hornbill International Rock Contest 2018

K-Pop band, MONT from Seoul, Korea.

Winner of Hornbill ock Contest 2018 – Perfect Strangers from Bangalore.

Rock band, Highway 69 from Ranchi at HIMF2018

Hindi rock band, Moongphali from New Delhi.

The vibrant and energetic crowd at HIMF, Dimapur.

Local band ‘Yellow Beacon’ from Dimapur Nagaland.

• Night Carnivals 

Night Carnivals in Kohima extended the festivities till 9 pm every night. It was a great platform for local entrepreneurs to get a real taste of running their own ventures and interact directly with their customers; and likewise, gave tourists an opportunity to meet & interact with the local folks in a relaxed setting.

College Students selling homemade food items at the Night Carnival | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Naga Food delicacies at the Night Carnival | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

College students from St Joseph’s College manning their food stall at the Night Carnival | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018

Handmade Traditional and fusion Jewellery being sold at the Night Carnival | Hornbill Festival Nagaland 2018. Hope you had a great time at the festival. Stay tuned to Rootsandleisure on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube for daily updates on the coolest and the latest happenings from across cultures!