Kohima, Dec 9 (PTI) The number of tourists at Nagaland’s annual cultural extravaganza Hornbill festival has surpassed last year’s footfall with over 1.73 lakh people, including 2,375 foreigners, visiting picturesque Naga heritage village Kisama where the 10-day event is underway, officials said on Monday.
Altogether 1,54,057 visitors thronged Kisama, some 12 kilometres from the state capital Kohima, last year.
With only a day left for the 25th edition of the Hornbill festival to conclude, cultural performances by all 18 tribes of the state continued to enthral visitors in the Naga heritage village.
Tourists witness not just the colourful culture of the state, but also enjoy traditional games and sports, the exotic cuisines and the Hornbill International Music Festival in the evening, the officials said.
The cultural performances by the tribes were presented by the Department of Art and Culture on the theme “Cultural Connect”.
“This year, the total footfall is 1,73,887 so far. The highest visitor count was recorded on Sunday, the eighth day of the festival, at 26,274 and the lowest at 14,502 on the fourth day,” an official said.
The tally includes 2,375 foreigners, 48,103 domestic tourists, and 1,23,409 locals, he said.
Commenced on December 1 with the beating of Naga gong by Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the presence of leaders of partner countries of this edition – the UK, Wales, Peru, USA and Japan – and state partners Telangana and Sikkim, the curtains will fall upon the festival on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, as the festival draws to a close, there have been mixed reactions from visitors over the celebration with most of them appreciating the cultural performance of the tribal people, while some have made constructive suggestions as well.
“Nagaland Tourism and Hornbill festival is very nice…more nice people,” said G Raghavender aka Raju from Hyderabad.
“It is a lovely festival of our India. Really interesting Naga cultural activities,” said Ramprasad Das from West Bengal’s Siliguri.
“An amazing experience at the Hornbill festival,” said S. Minamae from Edinburgh in Scotland.
The 10-day festival has been showcasing Nagaland’s deep-rooted traditions and its rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur, another official said.
All the tribes of Nagaland take part in the festival, named after the hornbill bird which is present in their folklore. People can enjoy Naga food, songs, dances and customs during the festival.
“I have fallen in love with the Hornbill festival since my first visit 10 years back and since then I have come five times. I love the efforts of the youth in keeping the tradition alive,” said P Mhatre.
However, she expressed disappointment with the renewal of the pavilions with high structures, saying that it has blocked the view of the morungs (Naga traditional huts).
The concluding day of the festival on Tuesday will have cultural performances and the closing ceremony will start at 5 pm, a tourism official said. PTI NBS NBS BDC
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