The 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival, one of India’s foremost festivals showcasing the best of Naga culture and music, got off to a rousing start at Kisama village near Kohima on Sunday evening.
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio welcomed visitors from India and abroad to the “Festival of Festivals” and underlined the “progress and the positive impact” the festival has had on Nagaland.
One of the star attractions at the opening ceremony was music maestro AR Rahman, who had earlier in the day jointly inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Music & Arts, which Abu Metha, the adviser to the chief minister, described as a hub for musicians, artists and “a space that will make creativity flower and blossom” and help realise the dreams of the youths of this music-loving state.
Music is a big part of the annual ten-day festival starting December 1, which is also Nagaland Statehood Day.
Last year, the festival attracted 1.54 lakh-plus visitors, including 2,108 foreign and 37,089 domestic tourists excluding those from Nagaland.
Tourist footfall is expected to break previous records in the ongoing edition which has roped in the United States, United Kingdom (Wales), Japan and Peru as country partners. Sikkim and Telangana are the partner states.
Chief minister Rio in a series of tweets while welcoming guests and visitors to the mega festival, said: “As we celebrate the 25th Edition of the #HornbillFestival, we take pride in the progress and the positive impact it has had on our State. With the various infrastructural development and trainings imparted, I am hopeful it will attract more tourists and boost our economy.”
The increase in visitors and collaborations with countries and other Indian states reflect how the festival has changed the perception of the state which once hit the headlines mainly for its law and order issues.
The state government had made elaborate arrangements in this edition to boost the tourist experience by ensuring smooth access to venues and getting real-time updates to plan their stay better.
Rio touched upon the arrangements in his address at the 62nd Nagaland Statehood Day at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza in Kohima.
He said to enhance the tourist experience a new gallery with a capacity of more than 5,000 seats has been constructed at Kisama, Naga Heritage village, 12km from the capital Kohima.
