Nagaland Hornbill Festival creates record with footfall of 2.69 lakh visitors

The Nagaland Hornbill Festival 2019 was apparently a huge hit and created a record by attracting 2.69 lakh visitors this year. The festival is organised annually by the state government and promotes cultural heritage, food, art and handicrafts of the state along with inter-tribal interactions.
This year, the number of visitors has gone up significantly as compared to the last year. This 10-day colourful cultural fiesta is a perfect platform to witness the culture and tradition of all the 27 tribes of Nagaland.

State tourism department’s Assistant Director, Toka E. Tuccumi informed that this year, the 20th edition of the festival recorded a staggering footfall of 269811. The number includes 3015 foreigners, 55584 domestic tourists and more than 2 lakh locals, as per records. Last year, the festival witnessed the presence of around 2.51 lakh tourists.
According to an official, “The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions”.

Held every year in the heritage Naga village of Kisama, which is nearly 12 km from the city, the festival is one of the biggest in not only the state but in the whole country. Visitors, travellers and photographers from across the globe turn up in the village in massive numbers.

One of the prime attractions of the festival is the Unity Dance, which is performed by the 17 tribes of Nagaland and is quite a grand event.