Kohima, Dec 10 Showcasing a vibrant array of traditional performances by cultural troupes from all eight Northeastern states, especially Nagaland, the 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival concluded on Wednesday night with pomp and gaiety at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama near Kohima.
The annual Hornbill Festival is also being held in various districts of Nagaland. To draw global attention, six countries -- Austria, France, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland and the United Kingdom -- were the partner nations for this year’s 26th edition of the 10-day Hornbill Festival (December 1–10), held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, around 12 km south of the state capital, Kohima.
Arunachal Pradesh was the state partner.
Maintaining tradition, the Hornbill Festival was inaugurated on December 1, coinciding with the 63rd Statehood Day of Nagaland.
Deputy Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, in his festival message, elaborated why Hornbill Festival is cherished as the ‘Festival of Festivals’, as it is a space where traditions, culture and cuisines of the Naga people are proudly showcased and celebrated.
“This festival has offered our tribes, villages, craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and youth a meaningful platform to present our magnificent diversity and talents to the world. More than a celebration, it has served as a meeting ground where cultures intersect, generations connect, and aspirations take shape,” he said.
Zeliang said that this festival is a testament to who we are as people, proud of our heritage, confident in our identity and hopeful for our future.
“Let this spirit of togetherness not remain confined within the boundaries of Kisama village, but extend into our daily lives. Over the past 26 years of celebration of the Hornbill festival, the Nagas have witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries from India and across the world,” he said, and asserted that the festival has become a powerful cultural soft power of Nagaland, placing our State prominently on the world map.
“The misgivings about Nagaland and Naga people, often shaped by distance and misunderstanding, are now being dispelled as visitors experience our warm hospitality, our kindness and our rich cultural tapestry. They return home carrying goodwill and cherished memories,” he said.
He reminded them to carry their spirit forward and urged all the visitors to bring more people to experience the beauty, diversity and traditions of the Naga people.
Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister and festival host, Temjen Imna Along, in his closing address, thanked the visitors, friends, well-wishers and tourists for coming to the Hornbill Festival, and had the vibes and experiences of the Naga people.
Noting that the performers of both cultural and contemporary for their resilience in showcasing the rich culture and traditions of the Nagas to the outside world, Along said, "Hornbill Festival has become the stage and the world has become its audience."
While thanking the Country Partners and state partners, he expressed his appreciation and hoped that the relationship and collaboration built together through this festival would go on for a lifetime.
He also thanked the leadership of Arunachal Pradesh for sending its performers and actively participated throughout the festival.
“The comrades we had, the relationship we built, and the unique bonding we shared in this festival made a perpetual impression on us,” he wished.
Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Ireland, India, Raymond Mullen said that their entire team has been deeply moved and overwhelmed by the generosity, the friendship, and the warmth shown to them by the people of Nagaland.
He mentioned that for Ireland, being a partner country at this festival has been both an honour and a profound source of pride.
Hornbill is far more than a celebration; it is a declaration of identity, of creativity and of cultural confidence, and added that Ireland has learned much from Nagaland, about resilience, identity, and the transformative power of cultural pride, the envoy said.
He said that they look forward to building friendships with the young people of Nagaland, whose talent and ambition are unmistakable and the beginning of deeper collaboration in education, research, tourism, culture, sport, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and, most importantly, people-to-people exchange.
Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta to India, in his speech, said Nagaland holds a special place in his heart, a place where he can see and feel the warmth of the people.
He stated that the Naga people and the Maltese people share many similarities.
Gauci also brought along a Maltese poem that conveyed the message of love and praise for the state of Nagaland, and thanked the organisers of the Hornbill Festival.
Following the tradition of the Hornbill Festival, the reigning Miss Nagaland 2025, Linoka K. Achumi, lit the bonfire, marking the closure of the 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival.
--IANS
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