After a exhilarating experience
of my first Himalayan Trek and
reliving my memories of Mount Kanchendzonga we a small group
of three left the beautiful state
of Sikkim and travelled to
Nagaland,with its diverse tribal
culture and a land of festivals.
A narrow strip of mountainous territory
with rugged hills, pearl valleys, sparkling
streams and rich variety of flora and fauna,
the 16th State of the Indian Union.
It is bounded by Assam in the West,
Myanmar in the east, Arunachal Pradesh in
the north and Manipur in the south. Sometimes
referred to as the `Switzerland of the East' .
Nagaland represents unimaginable beauty,
moulded perfectly for a breathtaking experience.
For the adventurous, the State is ideal place for
trekking and jungle camping and offers limitless possibilities for exploring its lush sub-tropical rainforests. Each of the 16 major tribes and many sub-tribes in the State has its own way
of maintaining its distinctive cultural traditions and customs,
through various forms of performing arts, which are an integral part of Naga festivals.
Each of the tribal communities that dwell in
the hills can be distinguished by the colourful
and intricately designed costumes, jewellery
and beads that its members wear. The tradi-
tional ceremonial attire of each tribe is dif-
ferent from that of the other. There are the
multi-coloured spears decorated with dyed
goat's hair, the headgear made of finely
woven bamboo interlaced with orchid stems
and adorned with boar's teeth and hornbill's
feathers and ivory armlet.
the hills can be distinguished by the colourful
and intricately designed costumes, jewellery
and beads that its members wear. The tradi-
tional ceremonial attire of each tribe is dif-
ferent from that of the other. There are the
multi-coloured spears decorated with dyed
goat's hair, the headgear made of finely
woven bamboo interlaced with orchid stems
and adorned with boar's teeth and hornbill's
feathers and ivory armlet.
Festivals mainly revolve around agriculture
as this being the major economy and more
than 80 percent of the population directly
depend on agriculture.
as this being the major economy and more
than 80 percent of the population directly
depend on agriculture.
Some of the important festivals celebrated by the tribes are Yemshe by the
Pochurys in October, Aoling by the Konyaks in April, Tsukhenyie by the Chak-
hesangs in January, Mimkut by the Kukis in January, Bushu by he Kacharis in January,
Tuluni by the Sumis in July, Nyaknylum by the Changs in July,Sekrenyi by the Angamis
in February,Tokhu Emong by the Lothas in November and Moatsu by the Aos in
May.
For encouraging inter-tribal cultural interaction and to bring the varied festivals
under one roof , the Naga
Goverernment has evolved
the Hornbill Festival, where
one can experience all Naga
traditions and cultural displays
at one place.
Goverernment has evolved
the Hornbill Festival, where
one can experience all Naga
traditions and cultural displays
at one place.
The Festival is named as Hornbill
Festival so as to pay tribute to the
bird Hornbill ,which is admired by
the Nagas for its grandeur and
majesticity .We enjoyed the
fabulous hospitality of the Nagas ,
getting invited to every tribal
sections to taste the authentic
tribal food, particularly Non
vegetarian dishes and Zutho the
indigenous Rice Beer of Nagas.
Each Tribe showcases their unique
Hut , hunting equipments, folklore ,
songs and war dance which really
takes you into a trance because
of the resonating sounds of the
drums, shouts and cries. War
dance starts with slow rhythm and
builds into a high tempo filling
the air with mystic aura ,seemed
very surreal, these spectacle
should be experienced
personally rather than read.very surreal, these spectacle
should be experienced
In total we had a great once in a lifetime experience in Nagaland ,
Our journey continued on to the next destination Kaziranga National Park - Assam.
