10 Day 'Night Carnival' to Begin in Kohima from December 1

Guwahati: Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland is all geared up to host a night carnival from December 1 to 10 as a part of the state's much-hyped Hornbill festival. The night carnival will commence from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Interacting with media, Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Medozhatuo Rutsa, on Wednesday, informed that the registration forms from the carnival will be issued from Thursday and the last date of submission of completed forms is November 22 till 3 pm. Selected vendors will be declared on November 24.

Going the environment friendly way the KCCI further informed that this year, as per the guidelines of the government, the whole stretch of the carnival from Phoolbari till Razhü Junction will be plastic free and rates and safety measures of the food and other items will be strictly monitored.

Alternatives for plastic bags will be sold in collaboration with Kohima Municipal Council and KCCI and the same will be made available in its control room.

KCCI said around 200 stalls will be put up, where local entrepreneurs and youth will be given the priority.

As a part of the event, a mass social work drive will be organized on November 24 from 6 am till 12 noon in Kohima town for all business establishments to paint, clean up and light up their shops. Department of PHE will be providing water for cleaning up during the drive. Volunteers will be deputed across Kohima to assist citizens and also provide security during the carnival.

To encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote the cultural heritage of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December. The first edition of the Festival was held in 2000.

The festival is named after the Indian Hornbill, the large and colorful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state's tribes.

The Hornbill Festival which is held at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 12 km from Kohima, unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games, and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display.

The Hornbill Festival provides a colourful mixture of dances, performances, crafts, parades, games, sports, food fairs and religious ceremonies. The festival both exposes the culture and tradition of tribal peoples and reinforces Nagaland's identity as a unique state in India's federal union.

Also Read: Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio Stress on Need to Create Alternative Employmenth